Quotation Marks – Usage with Other Marks of Punctuation
Usage with Other Marks of Punctuation
(a.) Put commas and periods within closing quotation marks, except when a parenthetical reference follows the quotation.
Example:
Senator Watson, criticizing the apparent inaction, stated, “Leonard’s policy was to do naught” (19).
Example:
Q. The law states, “The term ‘public record’ shall mean all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs . . . or similar material prepared and maintained or received in the course of the operation of a public office or agency” O.C.G.A. 50-18-70.
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(b.) Following an independent clause, use a colon and two spaces to introduce a direct quotation.
Example:
The Smith family explains their position on timber cutting: “We refuse to cut the timber because it might cause drainage problems.”
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(c.) Place colons and semicolons OUTSIDE closing quotation marks.
Examples:
Trotsky described the treatise as “a definitive step forward”; other experts disagreed.
Paine emphasizes three elements of what he calls his “Olympic feat”: family support, personal commitment, and great coaching.
When the decision to close the company was announced, my reaction was “Why?”; Mary’s only reaction was “When?”
Mr. Connors said, “Please get these foodstuffs from the aisle marked ‘Breakfast Foods’: 10 boxes of oatmeal, 12 No. 10 cans of Sego, and 3 jars of grape jelly.”
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(d.) Place a dash or a question mark WITHIN closing quotation marks when the punctuation applies to the quotation itself (such as to indicate that the speaker=s words have broken off abruptly), and OUTSIDE when it applies to the entire sentence.
Examples:
Philip asked, “Do you need this book?”
Does Philip always admonish his students, “You must work harder”?
(NOTE: The question mark applies to the whole sentence and not just the phrase “you must work harder”; so, therefore, the question mark is outside the quotation mark.)
Rachel said, “When I see Mark-” We could all guess what she meant.
(NOTE: The word “we” is capped because it is starting a new sentence.)
Q. And the next sentence reads, “Her name is” — pronounce that for me.
A. Rayneisha.
Q. — “Rayneisha Gilbert.” Is that your cousin?
(NOTE: A closing dash goes outside the closing quotation mark when the quotation itself is part of a nonessential element being set off by a pair of dashes.)
Example:
The latest draft–it’s the one marked “Final Draft”–is the one that’s waiting for Mr. Jones’ approval.
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(e.) Apostrophes stay with the word.
Example:
She said, “I stayed at the Hartfords’.”
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(f.) When the quoted question is part of the sentence containing an introductory phrase, do not include the comma.
Example:
If my toddler asks me again, “Are we there yet?” I’m going to scream.
NOTE: The comma is omitted after “yet” because the question mark is the stronger mark of punctuation. The word “yet” concludes the introductory phrase “If . . . yet?” and would require a comma if not for the fact that the quotation is a question.
To further explain, contrast that with using a comma if the quotation had been a statement rather than a question, as in the following example:
If my toddler tells me again, “I want a cookie,” I’m going to scream.