Period Placement with Single Quotation Marks Inside Double
The Period
Rulebase Summary
When single quotation marks are nested inside double quotation marks at the end of a sentence, place the period inside the single quotation mark. The closing punctuation sequence is: period, single quote, double quote.
Morson's Rule 8 · p.5 BGGP Quotes.32 · p.125
Examples
✗
A. She testified "He kept saying 'I didn't do it'".
✓
A. She testified "He kept saying 'I didn't do it.'"
Period inside single quotes, then close double quotes.
✗
A. The document was titled "Summary of 'Key Findings'".
✓
A. The document was titled "Summary of 'Key Findings.'"
Period goes inside single quotes, then close double quotes.
Style Guide References (2)
Morson's
Rule 8
Page 5
BGGP
Quotes.32
Page 125