Does Period Go Inside Quotes?
What Are Quotes?
Quotes are punctuation marks used in written English to indicate the start and end of a phrase. Quotes are usually used to set off a quotation, statement, or phrase from the rest of the text. Quotes can also be used to emphasize a point, separate a phrase from the rest of the text, or to indicate irony or sarcasm.
Where Does The Period Go?
The general rule is that the period is placed inside the quotation marks if the quoted material is a complete sentence, and outside the quotation marks if the quoted material is not a complete sentence.
Examples
Period Inside The Quotes
When the quoted material is a complete sentence, the period is placed inside the quotation marks. For example: "The period goes inside the quotes."
Period Outside The Quotes
When the quoted material is not a complete sentence, the period is placed outside the quotation marks. For example: The phrase "go inside the quotes" does not have a period.
Exceptions
In American English, the period may be placed inside the quotation marks even when the quoted material is not a complete sentence. This is especially true when the material is a phrase or an abbreviation. For example: The phrase "etc." should have the period inside the quotation marks.
Other Punctuation
Other punctuation marks, such as commas, colons, semicolons, and exclamation marks, are placed inside the quotation marks regardless of whether the quoted material is a complete sentence or not. For example: The exclamation "Wow!" should have the exclamation mark inside the quotation marks.
Conclusion
In general, the period goes inside the quotation marks when the quoted material is a complete sentence. However, in American English, the period may also be placed inside the quotation marks even when the quoted material is not a complete sentence. Other punctuation marks, such as commas, colons, semicolons, and exclamation marks, are placed inside the quotation marks regardless of whether the quoted material is a complete sentence or not.