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I've received approx 25 responses to my question about commas and
quotation marks. I said I believed the comma always goes inside
the quotation marks but had been told otherwise recently. I wanted
to double check and get a "collective" second opinion before
making any more statements locally.

All but one responder agreed. The responses can be summed up as
follows:

        %  According to the standards of American usage, MLA, APA, the
Chicago Manual of Style, the Associated Press Stylebook (style guide used by
most newspapers) and  many other sources including the advisor at the
Purdue Writing Center, commas always go inside quotation marks except
when, according to MLA, a parenthetical reference follows the quotation
as shown below:

          "Too many teachers assign too many tedious chores.  If they
tried a few of these assignments themselves, they'd never require them
again" (Ohanian 8).

           A quick look-see through any periodical or book published in
the United States will show US publishers following this standard as well.


Do note, the same rule does not apply for other punctuation marks
which are governed by their relation to quoted material. Also
note, I am talking about American usage. British usage is
different (the comma goes in or out depending upon the relation
to the quoted material).

Style guides referenced were current. I have not included my old copy
of Fowler's because it is -- old. But it is in agreement as well.


The one response in disagreement stated that he/she had been taught
otherwise and to this day will not accept papers in which the
comma is placed inside the quotation marks.






   Not all who wander are lost...

   J. Rathbun, Librarian
   Lincoln Elementary School - Las Vegas, Nevada
   jrathbun@orednet.org [home]




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