comma with quotation marks
The placement of a comma that falls at a closing quotation mark.
A comma goes inside the closing quotation mark: “Turn left at the light,” Rachel said. The comma goes inside whether or not it belongs to the quoted words, and whether the quotation is a full sentence, a phrase, a single word, or a title: The choir opened with “Amazing Grace,” and the audience stood.
When a quoted sentence that would end with a period comes before the words that identify the speaker, the period becomes a comma: “The store closes at nine,” Ben said. When the quoted sentence ends with a question mark or an exclamation point, that mark takes the place of the comma, and no comma follows it: “Is the store open?” Nicole asked.
When a quotation appears inside another quotation, a comma at the end of the inner quotation goes inside the single closing quotation mark: Greg said, “The sign on the door read ‘Closed,’ so we went home.”
Note. British publications usually place the comma outside the closing quotation mark unless the comma belongs to the quoted words.
See also commas with quoted speech; colon and semicolon with quotation marks; comma; quotation marks: single / double; commas with other punctuation.
Examples
Use “I’ll call you tomorrow,” Mike said. (Commas that end quoted speech go inside closing quotation marks.)
Use Amy’s text said only “running late,” and the meeting started without her. (Commas go inside closing quotation marks even when they belong to the surrounding sentence rather than to the quoted words.)
Avoid The manager called the plan “ambitious”, and the team agreed. (The comma after ambitious is incorrect, because commas go inside closing quotation marks even when they are not part of the quoted words. Write The manager called the plan “ambitious,” and the team agreed.)
Avoid “Dinner is ready.” David said. (The period after ready is incorrect, because quoted speech followed by the words that identify the speaker takes a comma, not a period. Write “Dinner is ready,” David said.)
Avoid “Do you need a ride?,” Sarah asked. (The comma after the question mark is incorrect, because no comma follows a question mark or exclamation point that ends quoted speech. Write “Do you need a ride?” Sarah asked.)