Where should the period be placed when a quoted sentence ends?

Where should the period be placed when a quoted sentence ends?

• A. Within the closing quotation marks.
• B. Outside the closing quotation marks.
• C. At the end of the paragraph.
• D. After the citation.

Answer: (A)

When a quoted sentence ends, the period goes inside the closing quotation marks. This convention ties the end punctuation to the exact words that were quoted, signaling that the period belongs to the quoted sentence itself. Placing the period outside the quotation marks would detach the punctuation from the quote and misrepresent where the sentence ends. Ending the period at the end of the paragraph isn’t relevant to how the quote ends, and while citations affect where punctuation appears in some styles, the standard rule for ending a quoted sentence is to place the period inside the quotes.

When a quoted sentence ends, the period goes inside the closing quotation marks. This convention ties the end punctuation to the exact words that were quoted, signaling that the period belongs to the quoted sentence itself. Placing the period outside the quotation marks would detach the punctuation from the quote and misrepresent where the sentence ends. Ending the period at the end of the paragraph isn’t relevant to how the quote ends, and while citations affect where punctuation appears in some styles, the standard rule for ending a quoted sentence is to place the period inside the quotes.