Quotation Marks and their Intriguing and “Strange” History

A topic that can sometimes intimidate students (or their teacher or parents!) is how to use quotation marks in a sentence. Everything seems fine till you need to combine quotation marks with other kinds of punctuation marks, like periods and commas. Then all sorts of pesky questions start arising:

Does the final period go inside or outside the quotation marks? What if the period isn't part of the quotation? And why do they do it differently in different places?

It's enough to drive a teacher crazy!

Luckily, when Marie put together the Basic Cozy Punctuation Course, she insisted on keeping things as clear as possible.

Here, for instance, is her cozy, step-by-step introduction to using quotation marks, complete with a handy trick for remembering which kind of quotation marks go where. Take a peek!

As a writer, I use punctuation marks every day and have learned to use them instinctively, almost without thinking about it.

But as a teacher, I also know how confusing punctuation marks can seem to students and their families.

That's why when we filmed the supplementary videos for the Basic Cozy Punctuation Course I made sure to include explanations for WHY we use punctuation marks the way we do.

Here, for instance, is an excerpt from Lesson 5 of the Basic Cozy Punctuation Course in which I talk about the intriguing and "strange" history of quotation marks, periods, and commas. I think you'll find it interesting.

I hope this finds you and your family well, enjoying the tail end of summer and remaining happy, healthy, and safe.