Unsure About Comma and Period Placement When Using Quotation Marks in Sentences
I'm editing a story for my English class and I keep getting confused about where to put commas and periods when I'm using quotation marks. For example, should it be:
She said, "Let's go to the park." or She said, "Let's go to the park".
Also, what about when using commas? Should it be:
He called it a "great idea," and everyone agreed. or He called it a "great idea", and everyone agreed.
I've seen both ways online and in books, and I'm not sure which one is correct. Can someone explain the right way to do this?
Context:
American English, middle school assignment
What to Know
| What to Know | Why It Matters | Example | Quick Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| In American English, there's a useful pattern: Periods and commas always go inside the closing quotation marks. | Check: Did you put periods/commas before the final quotation mark? | This wording is correct because it matches the intended meaning in context. | Can I explain why this form fits this sentence better than the alternative? |
| Writers often memorize a definition but miss the context cue that controls the correct choice. | This helps you choose wording by meaning instead of surface form. | Correct: He called it a "serious problem,". | Did I choose this form for meaning, not because it looked familiar? |
3 Answers
In American English, there's a useful pattern: Periods and commas always go inside the closing quotation marks. This stays true whether you’re writing dialogue or quoting a phrase, unless there’s a special exception (like citations).
Compare:
Correct: Sarah asked, "Is anyone home?"
Incorrect: Sarah asked, "Is anyone home"?
Correct: He called it a "serious problem," but hoped it would improve.
Incorrect: He called it a "serious problem", but hoped it would improve.
Practice:
Write two sentences with short quotations. Check: Did you put periods/commas before the final quotation mark? If not, edit them.
Self-edit tip: Whenever you write a sentence ending with a quotation, stop and check: Does the comma or period sit inside the quotes? If yes, you’re following the standard rule!
When writing in American English, always place periods and commas inside quotation marks, no matter where they appear in your sentence. This holds true for dialogue and partial quotes.
Side-by-side comparison:
Dialogue: Maria cheered, "We did it!"
(Correct: period is inside the quotation marks)
Dialogue: Maria cheered, "We did it!".
(Incorrect: double punctuation and period outside is not standard)
Phrase: He described it as an "unexpected victory," which surprised everyone.
(Correct: comma is inside the quotation marks)
Phrase: He described it as an "unexpected victory", which surprised everyone.
(Incorrect: comma should be inside)
Try this:
Write two new sentences: one with a full-sentence quote and one with a shorter quoted word or phrase. Double-check the punctuation. If the period or comma is outside the quotes, swap them to inside.
Let’s look at two nearly identical sentences to see the rule in action. In American English, commas and periods always come before closing quotation marks, even if they don’t belong to the original quoted material.
- Example A: The teacher said, "Turn in your homework."
- Example B: The teacher said, "Turn in your homework".
Example A is correct. Example B leaves the period outside, which is incorrect in American usage.
For commas:
- Correct: What do you mean by "impossible," exactly?
- Incorrect: What do you mean by "impossible", exactly?
Practice:
Take a sentence from your own writing that has a quote at the end. Does the punctuation go inside the quotation marks? If not, rewrite it correctly.
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