Thread:AuburnAutumn/@comment-16811522-20130911204718/@comment-16811522-20130911210237

InspiredAndNatural wrote:

AuburnAutumn wrote: Only in DIALOG do you put the quotation after the comma or period. You don't do it with titles. Huh? This isn't titles. It's articles I'm editing, which you change back. It doesn't have to be dialogue. Please keep on reading.

Here's what one writer said in a book on grammar, you can read the rest here at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-b-bradshaw/commas-periods-and-quotat_b_3625244.html:

There are three basic rules you need to remember when using quotation marks with other forms of punctuation. There are absolutely no exceptions to these three rules in American English.

• Commas or periods always precede closing quotation marks of quoted material. Two examples: (1) There are no "ifs," "ands," or "buts" about it. (2) He said "yes," and she said "no."

• Colons and semicolons always follow closing quotation marks of quoted material. Two examples: (1) He said "no"; she said "yes"; and some said neither "yes" nor "no." (2) Some people call themselves "Democrats"; some call themselves "Republicans"; and some call themselves "Independents."

• Question marks always follow closing quotation marks unless the question mark belongs to the material being quoted, in which case the question mark precedes the closing quotation marks. Two examples: (1) Did she say, "How many people are here"? (The entire sentence is a question, so the question mark goes after the quotation marks.) (2) She said, "How many people are here?" (Unlike the previous example, the entire sentence is not a question. Only the quoted material is a question, so the question mark belongs only to the quote and must remain within the quotation marks.) Exclamation marks follow the same rule as question marks.

If you follow these three rules, you will always be correct when using quotation marks with other forms of punctuation.