Tip #003: Ending Quotation Marks with Other Punctuation
SalterEditing is an American firm. Most of our clients are based in the U.S. That is important regarding the rule for placing punctuation either inside or outside an ending quotation mark. Britons and Americans differ on this point. In Britain, the position of other punctuation relative to the ending quote is based on its logical relation to the sentence. Not so in the U.S. Periods and commas always go inside the ending quote mark.
Example:
He said, "I want to go."
"I want to go," said the woman.
Conversely, semicolons, colons, asterisks, and dashes always go outside the ending quotation mark.
Example:
My favoite poem is "Jabberwocky"; I recite it often.
Finally, question marks and exclamation points follow the British logic system. Their placement depends on how they relate to the sentence.
Example:
He asked, "How long until we leave?" The question is the quoted material. The question mark goes inside the quote.
Why do people say "Have a nice day"? The question is the main sentence. The quoted material is not a question. The question mark goes outside the quote.