Where do you put the comma when using quotation marks?

Where do you put the comma when using quotation marks?

In the United States, the rule of thumb is that commas and periods always go inside the quotation marks, and colons and semicolons (dashes as well) go outside: “There was a storm last night,” Paul said.

Why the Oxford comma is necessary?

The Oxford comma is the comma placed before the conjunction at the end of a list of things. For example, in “the flag was red, white, and blue”, the Oxford comma would be the one appearing before “and”. Proponents of the Oxford comma say it’s necessary for removing ambiguity in sentences.

Do you put punctuation before or after parentheses?

If only part of the sentence is parenthetical, then you put the final punctuation outside of the parenthesis: I enjoy breakfast (sometimes). If the entire sentence is parenthetical, then you put the punctuation inside the parenthesis.

How do you cite parentheses in APA?

In parentheses begin with “as cited in”. Then, add the last name of the author of the secondary source followed by the year of publication. Be sure to include a comma between the author’s name and the publication date. End with a period if at the end of a sentence.

Why does AP style not use the Oxford comma?

Use of the Oxford comma is stylistic, meaning that some style guides demand its use while others don’t. AP Style—the style guide that newspaper reporters adhere to—does not require the use of the Oxford comma. The sentence above written in AP style would look like this: Please bring me a pencil, eraser and notebook.

Are parentheses unprofessional?

Parentheses ( ) are used to enclose nonessential or supplemental information in a sentence. Parentheses are always used in pairs; you must have both an opening and a closing parenthesis. In formal academic writing, it is a good practice to use parentheses sparingly.

Why is the Oxford comma so controversial?

This practice is controversial and is known as the serial comma or Oxford comma, because it is part of the house style of Oxford University Press.” There are cases in which the use of the serial comma can avoid ambiguity and also instances in which its use can introduce ambiguity.