Punctuation with quotation marks
Which sentences are correct?
- The word hot can mean “spicy.”
- The word hot can mean “spicy”.
- What does it mean to “crowd surf?”
- What does it mean to “crowd surf”?
- The project is “on track,” or so they claim.
- The project is “on track”, or so they claim.
- Here is my idea of a “magical journey:” an African safari.
- Here is my idea of a “magical journey”: an African safari.
The correct sentences are A, D, E, and H.
Why?
In American English, these are the rules:
- Commas and periods are placed inside the closing, or end, quotation mark.
- Question marks and exclamation points are placed outside the closing quotation mark unless part of the quoted text—in which case, they are placed inside.
- Colons and semicolons are placed outside the closing quotation mark.
If you’re considering mixing American and British styles because you prefer certain features of each, I advise against it. The message conveyed in your writing and speech will be that you understand the rules of neither.
Pick a lane and stay in it!
