Why do American English rules dictate that periods and commas always go before closing quotation marks?

Question

Why do American English rules dictate that periods and commas always go before closing quotation marks?

Answer 1

The comma, even though no longer within the above instance, could be part of the sentence that is in fees. For this reason, it have to be within the quotations. If, nonetheless, you had been to assert: i could not seem to appreciate when Liz yelled, "hey, where are you going?", due to the fact that of the shrillness of her voice. In that example, the comma is showing that what Liz mentioned is an interjection into the principal sentence, and as a result, the comma goes on the external.

Answer 2

I use both. Nobody notices.

Answer 3

Whenever we have to use a question mark or an exclamation point with a sentence that ends in a quotation, we follow the dictates of logic in determining where the question mark or exclamation point goes. If it is part of the quotation itself, we put it inside the quotation marks, and if it governs the sentence as a whole but not the material being quoted, we put it outside the quotation marks.







~Have you read the assigned short story, "Flowering Judas"?







~No, but I did finally get around to reading last week's assignment, "Where Are They Now?"







When it comes to commas and periods, though, logic doesn't enter into the equation, at least not in the United States. Universal American usage places commas and periods inside the quotation marks, regardless of logic.







~"Diane," she said, "put the book down and go outside for a little while."







~"I will in a minute," she replied, "as soon as I finish this chapter."







And just why, you may ask, do they belong there? Well, it seems to be the result of historical accident. When type was handset, a period or comma outside of quotation marks at the end of a sentence tended to get knocked out of position, so the printers tucked the little devils inside the quotation marks to keep them safe and out of trouble. But apparently only American printers were more attached to convenience than logic, since British printers continued to risk the misalignment of their periods and commas.