EXAMPLES: The following are phrases that have punctuation marks errors when using quotation marks. All examples taken from Sean Gracey's paper "Suppress Our Thoughts?"

INCORRECT:  When Milton says, ". . . books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are; nay, they do preserve as in a vial the purest of efficacy and extraction of that living intellect that bred them," (3) he is thinking along the same wave length that most people would say when the issue of censorship has not been brought up.

 INCORRECT: In this day of technology we are at a point where we can access an unbelievable amount of information, every thing form today's weather to how to make a bomb from 'The Anarchists Cookbook'.

 INCORRECT: Milton agrees with Bertin's when he says: "...on the other hand, unless wariness be used, as good almost kill a man as kill a good book.  Who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image; but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself, kills the image of God, as it were in the eye.  Many a man lives a burden to the earth; but a good book is the precious life-blood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life." (3)

 INCORRECT: A Question posted on the internet by Newtimes .com asks, "Why do sitcoms feel the need to cast the gayness of their male characters with such broad Caricature"?   (Newstimes.com).

 OFFICIAL RULES:

According to the Bedford Handbook these are the main rules when using quotation marks.

• "Use single quotation marks to enclose a quotation within a quotation."
• "Always place periods and commas inside quotation marks."
• "In the Modern Language Association’s style of parenthetical in-text citations, the period follows the citation in parentheses."
• "Put colons and semicolons outside quotation marks"
• "Put question marks and exclamation points inside quotation marks unless they apply to the whole sentence."

SOURCE: Hacker, Diana.  The Bedford Handbook.  5^th ed. Boston: St. Martin's. 1998.

TRANSLATION:

• Single quotation marks are use when you have a quote inside another quote.
• Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks when you aren't using parenthetical documentation. When youare using parenthetical documentation, periods occur after the documentation because it is the last word.
• Colons and semicolons are arbitrary so they are placed outside quotation marks. Question marks and exclamation points stay inside the quotation marks unless they are relevant to the entire sentence. When trying to decide where to place the punctuation mark, ask yourselves this question: Whose question or sentence is it?  If it is your words, then you must place the question or exclamation marks on the outside of the quotation marks. However, If it is the person's words whom you are quoting, question or exclamation marks are placed on the inside of the quotation marks.

CORRECTIONS:

INCORRECT:  When Milton says, ". . . books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are; nay, they do preserve as in a vial the purest of efficacy and extraction of that living intellect that bred them," (3) he is thinking along the same wave length that most people would say when the issue of censorship has not been brought up.

CORRECTED: When Milton says, ". . . books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are; nay, they do preserve as in a vial the purest of efficacy and extraction of that living intellect that bred them" (3), he is thinking along the same wave length that most people would say when the issue of censorship has not been brought up.

EXPLANATION: The writer placed the comma inside the quotation marks that is incorrect.  He is using parenthetical documentation so the comma and all other punctuation occur after the documentation.

 INCORRECT: In this day of technology we are at a point where we can access an unbelievable amount of information, every thing form today's weather to how to make a bomb from 'The Anarchists Cookbook'.

CORRECTED: In this day of technology we are at a point where we can access an unbelievable amount of information, every thing from today's weather to how to make a bomb from "The Anarchists Cookbook."

EXPLANATION:  The writer placed the comma incorrectly Commas are always placed inside quotation marks unless you are using parenthetical documentation.

 INCORRECT: Milton agrees with Bertin's when he says: "...on the other hand, unless wariness be used, as good almost kill a man as kill a good book.  Who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image; but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself, kills the image of God, as it were in the eye.  Many a man lives a burden to the earth; but a good book is the precious life-blood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life." (3)

CORRECTED: Milton agrees with Bertin's when he says: "...on the other hand, unless wariness be used, as good almost kill a man as kill a good book.  Who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image; but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself, kills the image of God, as it were in the eye.  Many a man lives a burden to the earth; but a good book is the precious life-blood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life" (3).

EXPLANATION: In this example the writer is using parenthetical documentation.  The period needs to be outside of the documentation.

 INCORRECT: A Question posted on the internet by Newtimes.com asks, "Why do sitcoms feel the need to cast the gayness of their male characters with such broad Caricature"?   (Newstimes.com).

CORRECTED: A Question posted on the internet by Newtimes.com asks, "Why do sitcoms feel the need to cast the gayness of their male characters with such broad Caricature?" (Newstimes.com).

EXPLANATION: Since the question is not the writers he must place the question mark inside the quotes to show that he is not asking the question.

HOW TO FIND AND FIX ERRORS WITH QUOTATION MARKS:

1) Ask a peer or friend to review your grammar.

2) Use "control F" on Microsoft Word for Windows to find and replace grammar mistakes.

3) Use the grammar correction program on your computer.

Note: Be careful of this program; sometimes grammar correction is not always correct.

4) Use a search engine through the internet to find a grammar web site.

5) If your school offers a writing center, use it for any questions or concerns you may have about grammar.

6) Use a grammar book to review certain grammar issues you may have.

7) Ask for suggestions from another teacher.

8) Read your paper out loud.  Sometimes this may help you to determine if you placed question marks and exclamation points in the correct positions.  Reading out loud will make it easier to determine whose words are associated with the correct punctuation.

Additional Resources:

Relevant sections in the Bedford Handbook: 

See section 37c (470) and 37f (471-473) for information on uses of quotation marks.

On-line Resources:

" Grammar Slammer Online." http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000102.htm

" Guide to Grammar and Writing."  http://ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/quotation.htm

" HyperGrammar." http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/qmarks.html