Sentence Continues After the Quoted Material
The Quotation Mark
Rulebase Summary
When there are lead-in words and the sentence continues after the quoted material: if the quoted material is a statement, use a comma inside the quotation mark; if the quoted material is a question, use a question mark inside the quotation mark. In both cases, use appropriate terminal punctuation for the overall sentence.
Examples
A. He said "Drop it." as I walked toward him.
A. He said, "Drop it," as I walked toward him.
Statement quote mid-sentence — comma inside the closing quote.
A. He said "Are you addressing me," turning in my direction.
A. He said, "Are you addressing me?" turning in my direction.
Question quote mid-sentence — question mark inside the quote.
Transcript Notes
This pattern arises when a witness quotes someone and then adds context about what happened next. The punctuation inside the quote depends on whether the quote is a statement or question; the sentence ending depends on the overall sentence type.
Style Guide References (5)
BGGP
BGGP
BGGP
BGGP
BGGP