Hi Janet,
"Why Me?" seems like a non-essential appositive to me. I'd certainly be
inclined to insert a comma after it. Since many American style guides prefer
that commas be placed inside quotation marks, it would read like this:
In answering the title's question, "Why Me?," the author....
In fact, Chicago Style recently dealt with this situation.
From http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/CMS_FAQ/new/new_questions01.html :
Q. When the appositive rule (commas setting off a nonrestrictive appositive)
bumps up against the rule that says a question mark shouldn’t be directly
followed by a comma, which rule prevails? Here’s the sentence: The album’s
first single “Do You Realize??” features a lush arrangement. Is it better to
set off “Do You Realize??” with commas? Leave out the commas? Recast the
sentence (which is what I wound up doing)? Thanks for your thoughts.
A. The sixteenth edition of *CMOS* recommends using a comma even after a
question mark if it would normally be required (6.119). End of dilemma: The
album’s first single, “Do You Realize??,” features a lush arrangement. Of
course, if you find that punctuation clump ugly, you’re free to recast the
sentence.
John
On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 11:30 AM, Castilleja, Janet <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi
>
>
>
> Our school librarian asked me o look at this sentence. ‘In answering the
> title’s question, “Why Me?” the author….’
>
>
>
> He wanted to if In a sentence like this, he could put a comma after the
> title and if so, where.
>
>
>
> I feel like it needs a comma but I don’t want to put one in. What do you
> folks think?
>
>
>
> Janet
>
>
>
>
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