When a comma or period is needed after a quotation, publishers in the United States typically put the punctuation mark before the closing quotation mark. The reason for this convention is to improve the appearance of the text. The convention goes back at least to the nineteenth century. John Wilson’s A Treatise on English Punctuation (1850) says that it provides for “neatness” (114). A comma or period that follows a closing double quotation mark hangs off by itself and creates a gap in the line of text (since the space over the comma or period combines with the following word space).
British publishers tend to put the comma or period after the quotation mark. But the British usually use the narrower, single quotation mark as the primary quotation mark. There is less of an aesthetic penalty to placing a comma or period after a single quotation mark, since the mark of punctuation isn’t stranded as far from the previous word.
It’s true that the convention followed in the United States treats the comma or period as if it were part of the quoted material. But the practice is “not likely to give a false meaning to the words cited” (Wilson 114). Indeed, this sleight of hand involving punctuation is minor compared with the violence of quotation itself: quoting almost always entails wrenching the original author’s words out of their context, an action that inevitably affects their meaning.
The conventions of scholarly quotation—removing the original context, adapting the extract to fit the new context, and others—are well understood. They don’t unduly compromise the source if they’re followed carefully.
Work Cited
Wilson, John. A Treatise on English Punctuation. 2nd ed., Boston, 1850. HathiTrust Digital Library, 13 May 2012, hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.hx521x.
60 Comments
Susan L Schoenbeck 21 April 2019 AT 01:04 PM
...food industry in U.S.".
Does the period go after the quotation mark in the above case?
Jennifer A. Rappaport 22 April 2019 AT 06:04 AM
Thanks for your question. The period at the end of the abbreviation serves as the final period:
". . . food industry in the U.S."
No additional period is needed.
T. Xi 08 August 2021 AT 05:08 PM
Technically the periods in U.S. are for its acronym, so yes, you would put the period at the end because the 'period' in U.S. is exclusive to 'U.S.' and can not and should not be used to suddenly be used for the two purposes of initializing and ending the sentence at the same time. That can't be literature or writing in any shape or form otherwise. It makes very little logic and there's no consistency at all.
michael Ferrin 24 October 2021 AT 09:10 AM
Incorrect. The period at the end of the abbreviation correctly serves as the final period.
alexandero11 06 January 2022 AT 06:01 PM
At this point, you ARE obligated to explain yourself. Otherwise, it's your word against T. Xi's, and let's be real here, at face value, T. Xi's makes more LOGICAL sense. Whether or not it is the correct way remains to be seen, and one random person saying "you're wrong" hurts way more than it helps. Please explain WHY you feel he is wrong, so that your reply has a purpose. Thank you.
Jerry 24 May 2022 AT 04:05 AM
Uh... he did explain it. You don't need to get hostile, the last period of an abbreviation acts as the final period.
My NAME is CAPITALIZED 03 November 2023 AT 07:11 AM
And, of course, putting EMPHASIS on words by CAPITALIZING them is a even BETTER practice, since it just makes MORE sense. Okay, in all seriousness, the period in an abbreviation does/can also act as the ending period. For example: “examples of this include fish, a common dish; beef, a rather frowned upon dish; sheep skin, often considered cannibalism by sheep-folk; etc..” The double period is a HUGE no-go, and, frankly, looks horrible. Instead one uses a single period and then a capitalized letter after it to signify the beginning of a new sentence. The same is true when one has a quotation mark (‘ ” ’) in the way.
Josh Green 04 March 2025 AT 07:03 AM
The abbreviation U.S. at the end of a sentence doesn't require another period (like U.S..) and it being in quotes doesn't change that.
Jo Green 04 March 2025 AT 07:03 AM
You would never put an additional period after U.S. if it ended a sentence without quotes, and adding quotes doesn't change that.
Barbara Haunton 07 March 2025 AT 04:03 PM
U.S. is not an acronym because it isn’t pronounced ‘us’.
KB from USA 15 February 2023 AT 11:02 AM
When quotation marks are used at the end of a sentence, the placement of the period depends on whether the quote is a complete sentence or a phrase.
If the quote is a complete sentence, the period is placed inside the closing quotation mark. For example:
She said, "I'm going to the store."
If the quote is only a phrase, the period is placed outside the closing quotation mark. For example:
She said she was going to "the store on Main Street".
Note that this rule applies to American English. In British English, the period is typically placed outside the closing quotation mark, even for complete sentences.
Source: ChatGPT
Geek 02 November 2023 AT 09:11 AM
Okay, I agree with what you're saying, but ChatGPT is about as unreliable a source as you can get. I tried about five minutes ago to get the answer to how you punctuate phrases in the exact way you do, but ChatGPT (Bing Chat, in my case) promptly gave me incorrect info before gaslighting me on the validity of said info. That's why I'm here- to get actual answers from actual people. ChatGPT may be incredibly smart, but don't take its responses as fact. After all, it's trained on the internet, and as we all know, that's not exactly the most reliable source.
Joseph 17 November 2023 AT 12:11 PM
...food industry in U.S."
is correct in conversational writing but in academic discourse with citations we use the following
...food industry in U.S."(246).
*(the 246 is a fictitious page number provided as example only)
Demi Wang 24 November 2020 AT 01:11 AM
The expression de facto means “exercising power as if legally constituted”.
Or
The expression de facto means “exercising power as if legally constituted.”
Should period be placed before of after the ending quotation? Please help.
Thanks
Jennifer A. Rappaport 28 November 2020 AT 10:11 AM
Thanks for your question. In MLA style, the period should be placed before the ending quotation mark.
R 12 March 2021 AT 03:03 PM
Should I make a period after the author's name?
Ex. ".....blah blah." (MacLean 189).
or "......blah blah." (MacLean 189)
Angela Gibson 22 March 2021 AT 11:03 AM
An example sentence with in-text citation from the post is instructive:
John Wilson’s A Treatise on English Punctuation (1850) says that it provides for “neatness” (114).
In your examples the correct punctuation would be
x. “…..blah blah” (MacLean 189).
Jeong cp 21 March 2021 AT 11:03 PM
"MLA vs APA 7 Format"
To add on, there are several main differences in "MLA 8 vs APA 7 " format.
The various revisions to both MLA and APA format respectively, have indeed created more confusion for both researchers and seasoned writers from different jurisdictions (common and civil law domains).
Regards,
Jeong CP
T. Xi 08 August 2021 AT 05:08 PM
Sorry but I don't believe in that period placement at all. My way of thinking closely matches mathematics and computation. The period is not part of the quotation, but the sentence itself. It's meant as a placeholder and marks the end of the sentence, not the quote.
Grammatically in my opinion, the period should always be at the end because that's always how a sentence ends. A quote is its own phrase that must be contained within the sentence like a math formula. The period is equivalent to the "=" sign.
The period that is included within the quotation marks ends the quote itsself only, not the sentence.
My client replied "yeah".
vs
My client replied "yeah."
Visually and logically the period looks awkward inside the quotation marks. If a comma is placed inside instead of a period, it suggests there is a continuation of the quote or the sentence hasn't ended. And sometimes people put a comma inside quotation marks even if there's no more quotations being used later in the sentence, which makes even less sense because the comma in the quotation isn't meant to be a comma for the sentence if contained within the quote. If you wanna add a comma, add it like you normally would in a sentence without the quote.
A sentence that ends with a period within a quote, would technically be an unfinished sentence as the period ends the quote, not the sentence. My rule of thumb with periods is they are always last just as that is they are meant for.
For quoting books like above, I would either not put punctuation at all or put a hypen or "-" to show its taken from the middle of a sentence and does not include the last words of the sentence.
Jeffrey Freedman 22 October 2021 AT 08:10 PM
I was listening to you until you said, "wanna," instead of "want to." And from my experience, the periods are placed inside the quotation marks, but in England, outside.
Hal 27 November 2021 AT 09:11 AM
I was considering your point until you defaulted to an ad hominem. So in effect, he wasn't wrong; he just wasn't in jurisdictional alignment with you.
Will 28 April 2022 AT 05:04 PM
That's not an ad hominen attack; he's attacking his behavior. Specifically, his use of "wanna" as a stand-in for his grammatical and syntactical habits. It's entirely in bounds, even if it's overly prescriptivist in a decidedly descriptivist world.
theNextUsername 08 December 2021 AT 05:12 PM
Although language is arbitrary (as long as all parties involved can understand each other), that does not change what standard conventions are. Using the format you have described is completely valid for informal communications, and would probably not even be noticed in most formal situations; however, the article is talking about what a person should use in order to comply with the major formatting specifications. These specifications take into account many aspects of language comprehension and traditional best practices regarding rules like these, which help to define the English language. I disagree that your practice is objectively better, but will concede that it will probably be effective enough for all of your future pursuits in writing. This specific rule does seem to have some controversy as to best practices, so I will close saying that IT DOES NOT REALLY MATTER THAT MUCH.
Ian 04 August 2022 AT 10:08 AM
Your
"yeah".
looks bad and wrong.
You use a comma if the sentence continues regardless of the quoted material.
"Yeah," my client said.
A sentence that ends with a period within a quote would not be unfinished, because there is a period.
LDG 11 October 2024 AT 10:10 AM
I think it looks awkward to see a punctuation mark dangling outside a quotation mark. I will continue to put a comma or period inside the quotation mark in accordance with US MLA style.
Susan R. Taylor 27 November 2024 AT 11:11 PM
I agree on both points, LDG. Furthermore, I consider punctuation as adding meaning to the words. The period may merely mean that the sentence is complete, but consider the question mark and exclamation mark which add even more meaning to the sentence. Another reason I don't follow the UK's practice of placing the end punctuation outside the quotation marks.
Michael S 15 September 2021 AT 11:09 AM
What about where you are putting a word in scare quotes?
For example: We're told to trust the "experts".
Because expert is not a quotation that calls for punctuation, I always feel like the punctuation is better suited outside the quotation.
Laura Kiernan 24 September 2021 AT 03:09 PM
For information about scare quotes, see section 2.56 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook.
Chris 16 September 2021 AT 12:09 PM
Question mark after quotations?
Yes or no.
Thank you!
Laura Kiernan 24 September 2021 AT 01:09 PM
For information about including a question mark after a quotation, see section 6.53 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook.
Richard G Sr. 08 December 2021 AT 08:12 PM
My query as well. It is the question being quoted and therefore, it should be included within the quotes. However, if a quoted statement is being questioned.... the question mark should be placed outside the quotation mark. i.e. I wonder if he said, "I'll try this again a different way"? Some would say to place a period inside the quotation mark and end the question appropriately with a question mark. Can we just all agree that at the end of the statements/questions we understand the content, and however they end, inside or outside the quotation mark is not the importance?
Mary Leonard 21 September 2021 AT 02:09 PM
In the following example where would the period be placed? Before or after the quotation marks? We use a software solution called "DocResponse"
Laura Kiernan 24 September 2021 AT 01:09 PM
In MLA style, titles of software programs are italicized, so DocResponse should be italicized and the quotation marks should be removed.
Patrick 21 September 2021 AT 08:09 PM
Hi,
Would the comma be inside the quotation mark or outside in this case?
Based on the title, “The Road Not Taken”, what do you think the poem will be about?
Thank you,
Laura Kiernan 24 September 2021 AT 01:09 PM
In your example, the comma should be placed before the ending quotation mark.
Courtney 18 October 2021 AT 12:10 PM
I’ve read over the comments but want to confirm I understand correctly.
As an example:
My dad asked, “What did you learn from this?” He was trying to get us to blah blah blah etc.
When starting a new sentence you just capitalize the first letter and go with it? You don’t need to end that first sentence with a period after the quote first?
Laura Kiernan 20 October 2021 AT 04:10 PM
See 6.53 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook.
Launa 28 October 2021 AT 06:10 PM
Do the rules change at all if the quotes are not being used to quote speech?
Example: The theme of the global conference was “Christian Home Life,” and I attended with Mr. and Mrs. Harold Ricardo, and several representatives from the Okinawa Women's Group.
OR
The theme of the global conference was “Christian Home Life”, and I attended with Mr. and Mrs. Harold Ricardo, and several representatives from the Okinawa Women's Group.
Thank you for your assistance.
Laura Kiernan 04 November 2021 AT 11:11 AM
In MLA style, the comma would still be placed before the ending quotation mark.
Stefana Mocanu 24 November 2021 AT 09:11 PM
Could someone help me with a clarification on using the correct punctuation when a dialogue ends with a quote? Example below:
"I'm your husband and I need to know if you're cheating on me. But before you start, let me tell you that there will be consequences. You won't see our children - not even your own son. That's what you should have thought about before you broke our vows. So, I'm asking you again: Who is this man you are trying to find out. That's a fair question."
"I told you, I'm not cheating. Do you call your insult a 'fair question?'" Juliet asked her husband.
Note: I'm wondering if I used the right punctuation (to be in line with the guide of Canadian stylebook for writers) for the last part of Juliet's question.
Pls. help!
Thank you!
Fatimah Patel 09 December 2021 AT 05:12 PM
Hey! Can someone help me as I'm not sure how this would work.
Where does the end periods go? Is it:
Number 1 is how the quote had been ended with a period. Number 2 is what I changed it to. Which one would be right?
1) unwise to mention them.” (Wyndham 1).
2) unwise to mention them” (Wyndham 1).
Laura Kiernan 14 December 2021 AT 10:12 AM
For information on in-text citations, see this post on the Style Center.
Linda Risner 27 December 2021 AT 11:12 PM
If I have a partial quote in a sentence do I put a comma before the quote?
Chapter 14 opens with the words “…a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.” In verse 2, Luke tells us, “But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.”
Joe Willman 14 January 2022 AT 09:01 PM
How about a comma? Is it the same with the comma as well?
ex. "blah blah blah," or "blah blah blah",
ReRe 05 February 2022 AT 07:02 AM
My client replied "yeah".
vs
My client replied "yeah."
or
My client replied, "Yeah." My personal rule is if the quoted text behaves as a noun, punctuation is outside. In this case, "Yeah" is a not a noun. But I guess I can't include the period to say, "'Yeah.' is not a noun."
The theme of the global conference was “Christian Home Life”; I attended with Mr. and Mrs. Harold Ricardo, and several representatives from the Okinawa Women's Group.
Sharon 09 February 2022 AT 04:02 PM
When should I use a comma in a quote rather than a period. Example...
1. "Mary was not impressed by the plant," Mark said.
2. "Mary was not impressed by the plant." Mark said.
3. "Mary was not impressed by the plant," said Mark.
Margaret 15 March 2022 AT 07:03 PM
What if you have a quote within a sentence, and the quote is at the end? eg: The medical report states “Had a fall at work on Monday. Seen at Emergency Department.".
Do you place a further period at the end of the sentence?
Norma Irom 08 April 2022 AT 10:04 AM
Where does the period go in this sentence?
I advanced towards becoming “Taekwondo Master”. Or
Does period go inside the quoted Taekwondo Master ?
Laura Kiernan 08 April 2022 AT 03:04 PM
Thanks for your question. In MLA style, the period should be placed before the ending quotation mark.
rose 19 May 2022 AT 03:05 PM
Hi! I'm a student who's trying to write a book, and I can't figure it this out. Would it be:
He said "hello.". Then he walked away
He said "hello." Then he walked away
He said "hello". Then he walked away
May you please send me an email with the right way to phrase it?
James 10 July 2022 AT 11:07 AM
Is the period needed in the following example?
Each of us starin' at the nailed-shut coffin cried, "Amen!".
Trish 26 July 2022 AT 11:07 AM
It is my understanding that you are saying the period should always go inside the quotation marks, however, you don't do that in your writing. The example I am referring to is:
But the practice is “not likely to give a false meaning to the words cited” (Wilson 114).
Is that because the rule is different if there are parenthesis directly after the quote?
Thank you!
Etha 26 September 2022 AT 02:09 PM
This is commonly referred to as "the great compromise".
Or
This is commonly referred to as "the great compromise."
Eric 06 October 2022 AT 10:10 AM
How do you know to place a comma at the end of a quote or a period? What difference does it make?
Lexie 08 November 2022 AT 05:11 AM
Which of these is right?
"So where did that come from?", she asked herself.
"So where did that come from?" she asked herself.
Lexie 08 November 2022 AT 08:11 AM
When you have a question in quotes is it necessary to use a comma after the ending quotation mark? e.g.
"Placements for what?" she thought to herself OR
"Placements for what?", she thought to herself
Bob 16 November 2022 AT 10:11 AM
I'm of an age where the rule used to be simple. If it's a phrase of multiple words, the sequence is punctuation-quotation mark; if it's one word, the sequences is quotation mark-punctuation. The latter looks stranger every time I do it. This chain implies there is no hard and fast rule against single word-punctuation-quotation mark. Unless MLA says that is incorrect, I'd like to use it. Recommendations? Thanks.
sasha 08 December 2022 AT 02:12 PM
In a grouping does the comma go inside the apostrophe when using it to denote an exact noun?
Ex: Task completion rate for shops that received ‘add product,’ ‘edit theme,’ and 'buy a domain' improved.
OR is it: Task completion rate for shops that received ‘add product', ‘edit theme', and 'buy a domain' improved.
Tom 10 November 2023 AT 07:11 AM
I was wondering what to do with the period at the end of a sentence I was quoting but when my sentence was not finished yet. I have looked online and experts seem to all be saying that " . . . the period is placed within all of the final quotation marks." so now I have my answer. Still, having more than one period in a sentence irks me some, but I also can't imagine that I should end my sentence after I have said " . . . so now I have my answer." with no period at all, like this So, how do I deal with this situation of an entire sentence being quoted, or at least the end of that sentence, but with the quote not being the end of my sentence?
Paola 28 October 2024 AT 09:10 AM
I was wondering how you would write the punctuation itself like a formula for example how S;S is sentence semicolon sentence
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