Punctuation Before Quotation Marks Based on Grammar
The Quotation Mark
Rulebase Summary
Base the punctuation in front of quotation marks on the grammar in the sentence rather than on the quotation marks themselves. The quoted word may be the object of a preposition (no comma), a direct object (no comma), an essential appositive (no comma), or other grammatical role that determines whether punctuation precedes the quote.
Examples
Q. Did she use the word, "terminated"?
Q. Did she use the word "terminated"?
No comma — 'terminated' is the direct object of 'use.'
A. He referred to it as, "a total loss."
A. He referred to it as "a total loss."
No comma — quoted phrase is the object of 'as.'
Transcript Notes
Because punctuation before quoted words is based on grammar rather than on the quotes themselves, it turns out that quoted words rarely need punctuation in front of them. The quoted word is usually functioning as the object of a preposition, a direct object, or an essential appositive — none of which take a comma before them.
Style Guide References (1)
BGGP