LessonPunctuation

Punctuation and Quotation Marks: American Style

ALWAYS ON THE INSIDE

–PERIODS– 
“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
–COMMAS–
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” said Brody.

ALWAYS ON THE OUTSIDE

–COLONS–
There are three things I liked best about “The Wizard of Oz”: the singing, the costumes, and the munchkins.
–SEMICOLONS–
Yesterday, she wanted to binge-watch “Downton Abbey”; today, however, she decided on “The Golden Girls.”

DEPENDS ON CONTEXT:

–QUESTION MARKS–
The child asked, “Can we have hot chocolate with our lunch?”
Is your favorite musical “Les Miserables” or “Phantom of the Opera”?
–EXCLAMATION POINTS–
“It’s time to spin the big wheel!” shouted Drew Carey.
I can’t believe you told me what happens in “Bohemian Rhapsody”!

Note: We know that British rules are different, and you may encounter them when reading a British publication. But this is how Americans punctuate with quotation marks.

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