Do you put a comma after quotation marks?
Put commas and periods within quotation marks, except when a parenthetical reference follows. He said, “I may forget your name, but I never forget a face.” Place the punctuation outside the closing quotation marks if the punctuation applies to the whole sentence.
Do you put a comma before a quote MLA?
It goes before the quotation mark when there is no parenthetical citation of a direct quote. When using quotation marks without using parenthetical documentation, the normal rule for MLA guidelines is to place the comma inside the final punctuation mark.
Does a comma go before quotes?
In the United States, the rule of thumb is that commas and periods always go inside the quotation marks, and colons and semicolons (dashes as well) go outside: “There was a storm last night,” Paul said. Peter, however, didn’t believe him.
Is there a comma before a quote?
As a general rule, you should use a comma to introduce quoted material or dialogue. That’s because in most types of dialogue, the quoted material stands apart from the surrounding text. In grammatical terms, it’s “syntactically independent.”
Should there be a comma before quotes?
Do we put comma before or?
The answer depends on how you are using or. Always place a comma before or when it begins an independent clause, but if it begins a dependent clause, don’t. In a series (or list) of three or more items, you can use a comma before or, but this is a preference, not a rule.
Are you supposed to put a comma before a quote?
Do you put a comma before an in text citation?
Use a comma between the last name and the title of the source if both appear in the parenthetical citation. The parenthetical information should not repeat information given in your text (e.g., if you mention the author’s name in your text, you do not include it in the citation).
Should the beginning of a quote be capitalized?
Capitalize the first letter of a direct quote when the quoted material is a complete sentence. If a direct quotation is interrupted mid-sentence, do not capitalize the second part of the quotation.
Do you put a comma before or after a quote?
When to Use Commas Before Quotations As a general rule, you should use a comma to introduce quoted material or dialogue, but there are three times you shouldn’t.
How many ways can you use a comma?
This chart from Grammar Girl Presents the Ultimate Writing Guide for Students gives examples of the 15 most common ways to use a comma. Some of the items represent style choices instead of rules, such as how to use a comma in a list, but when you’re making a simple list, you have to make choices!
Who invented the comma rule in the UK?
In Britain, they use rules that require the writer to determine whether the period or comma belong with the quotation or are part of the larger sentence. It appears that early champions of this logical system were H.W. Fowler and F.G. Fowler who wrote the classic 1906 British usage guide The King’s English (3).
What punctuation should I use when introducing a quotation?
In short, when deciding what punctuation to use when introducing a quotation, follow the rules we just described—and then use your best judgement. So, that’s your tip for today. Quotations are usually introduced with a comma, but in some cases, they may be introduced by a colon, a period, or nothing at all.