Periods with closing quotation marks

Last Updated : Dec 20, 2013 |

When a period occurs next to a closing quotation mark, put the period inside the quotation mark.

Example

The caller hears the message, “Please hold.”

Exception for a period that is not part of the quoted string

In certain cases, if you place the period inside the quotation mark, the reader can infer that the period is part of the quoted string. In these cases, place the period outside the quotation mark to avoid ambiguity.