Mekita Rivas, SNR communications associate, publishes a biweekly feature called "Grammar Guru."
Every other week, the Grammar Guru will share writing tips to help make your work as polished as possible. Some of these tips may address common spelling errors, while others will examine the many nuances of the English language.
Grammar Guru Tip #20
Using punctuation marks with quoted material can be a source of confusion. Remember, periods and commas always belong inside quotation marks.
Example:
NOT: The famous Shakespeare line, "To be, or not to be", resonates with many people.
BUT: The famous Shakespeare line, "To be, or not to be," resonates with many people.
Pro tip: Question marks, colons (:) and semi-colons (;) are treated differently. If the punctuation is part of the quoted material, it goes inside the quotation marks. If not, it goes outside.
Example:
The attorney asked his client, "Did you lie?"
Who originally sang "Georgia on My Mind"?
Need some grammar guidance? The UNL Style Guide (http://unlcms.unl.edu/ucomm/styleguide/) is a great resource for all university employees. If you have writing questions that the style guide doesn't answer, feel free to email the Grammar Guru at mrivas@unl.edu.