Mark M.

asked • 04/29/16

How would you write:

How would you write:

The ballroom is a perfect place to say "I Do"

Is it,
The ballroom is a perfect place to say "I Do".
or
The ballroom is a perfect place to say "I Do."

Mark M.

Punctuation is always included with quotation marks. 
Second writing is correct.
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04/29/16

Kay G.

I agree with Mark - punctuation inside the quotes.
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04/30/16

1 Expert Answer

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Michael J. answered • 04/29/16

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Go with the first choice. This is because the quoted phrase is part of the same sentence.  Just add a comma between the word "say" and the first quotation mark.
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Ed M.

Michael J. adds a good point about the traditional rule requiring a comma after verbs of speaking like say when these are followed by a direct quotation--and particularly one that is a complete sentence--but often this comma is omitted especially if, like in this example, what's in the quotation marks is relatively short (one or only a few words).
 
And I agree with Michael, Mark M. and Kay G. that in American style ending punctuation marks like periods go inside, i.e., one space before, the end quotation marks, but I point out that the reverse is generally the case in British English and other varieties of writing influenced by British style. Since all of us are apparently U.S.-based we can stick with the American standard, but of course even long before the onset of the electronic "global village" printed material from Great Britain was being circulated and read on these shores, and the British practice of putting punctuation marks outside of quotation marks clearly continues to influence some Americans' writing habits, as well as engendering occasional uncertainty such as that which most likely prompted the original question here.
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04/30/16

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