I am just editing my essay for my one class and this is a question I always get stumped on which is the proper way.
Would a comma or period go inside the quotation marks, or outside?
Example,
"The dog ran extremely fast."
"The dog ran extremely fast".
and
I strongly believe with the representation of "the garden",
I stronly believe with the representation of "the garden,"
please help!
thanks
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/quotation.htm
In the US, before (or inside) the closing quotation mark.
And please remember -- it's spelled grammar.
When using quotation marks in your writing, the general rule is that commas and periods should always be placed inside the quotation marks. Here is the proper way to punctuate the sentences you provided:
1. "The dog ran extremely fast."
2. "I strongly believe with the representation of 'the garden,'"
In the first example, the period is placed inside the quotation marks because it is part of the quoted sentence. In the second example, the comma is placed inside the quotation marks for the same reason. This is the standard convention in most English-speaking countries, including the United States and Canada.
It's important to note that there are some exceptions to this rule, particularly in British English and some academic styles. In those cases, the placement of punctuation marks may vary. However, for general usage, you should follow the rule of placing commas and periods inside the quotation marks.
When it comes to using punctuation with quotation marks, the general rule in American English is that commas and periods should always be placed inside the quotation marks. However, the placement of other punctuation marks (such as question marks and exclamation points) can vary depending on the context.
In your first example, the correct placement of the period would be:
"The dog ran extremely fast."
The period is placed inside the quotation marks.
In your second example, the correct placement of the comma would be:
I strongly believe with the representation of "the garden,"
The comma is also placed inside the quotation marks.
It's important to note that this rule varies in British English. In British English, the placement of the period or comma with quotation marks depends on whether the punctuation is part of the quoted matter or not.
To further clarify, let's look at an example:
She asked, "Where are you going?" – the question mark is part of the quoted matter, so it goes inside the quotation marks.
Did she really say, "I love you"? – the question mark is not part of the quoted matter, so it goes outside the quotation marks.
In summary, in American English, commas and periods always go inside the quotation marks. Other punctuation marks may vary depending on whether they are part of the quoted matter or not.