What is the rule for end punctuation and quotation marks? Aren you doing it wrong?
It is standard in the US to put all end punctuation (periods, commas, question marks, exclamation points) inside quotation marks. My Canadian high school English teacher taught me that when the quotation marks are ironic or setting off a word or phrase because you are talking about the word itself, then the punctuation goes outside. I like this rule better, and it seems like a worthwhile distinction to make on this blog. So even though I live in the US, I do it this way: when I am quoting someone else, punctuation inside quotation marks. All other uses, outside. I figure it’s fine as long as I’m consistent, but you probably shouldn’t follow my example for formal writing.
Related Questions
- If punctuation marks always go inside quotation marks, then why is the period outside the quotation marks in Rule 5?
- Where do I place the end quotation marks in relation to other punctuation in the sentence, before or after period?
- What is the rule for end punctuation and quotation marks? Aren you doing it wrong?
