Common Problems (Part 32 of 50)

Quotation marks go outside commas, periods, and question marks. The British do it differently, but Americans would punctuate the following sentences this way:

* "I need to go now."

* "Do it then, if that's the way you feel," she said.

* 'Why would I want that book?" Mary asked.

However, we place a question mark or exclamation point after the final quotation mark if the quoted material isn't part of the question or exclamation.

* "Why does he call his wife "Papa"?

* Do you realize there is no Bible verse that reads, "God helps those who help themselves"?

The general rule is that punctuation 

goes inside the quotation marks.