Does punctuation go inside or outside parenthesis?

This is a tricky one, as it depends on the specific punctuation mark and the sentence structure. Here's a breakdown:

General Rule:

* Periods and commas ALWAYS go INSIDE the parentheses if the parenthetical phrase is a complete sentence.

* Periods and commas ALWAYS go OUTSIDE the parentheses if the parenthetical phrase is not a complete sentence.

Examples:

* Inside: "The cat (who was very grumpy) sat on the windowsill."

* Outside: "The cat sat on the windowsill (a grumpy one, at that)."

Other Punctuation:

* Question marks and exclamation points go INSIDE the parentheses if they belong to the parenthetical phrase.

* Question marks and exclamation points go OUTSIDE the parentheses if they belong to the main sentence.

Examples:

* Inside: "What did you do with the money (you promised you'd save it!)?"

* Outside: "Did you see the cat (it was huge!)?"

Exceptions:

* If the parentheses are used to enclose a citation, the punctuation goes outside the parentheses.

* If the parentheses are used to enclose a number, the punctuation may go inside or outside depending on the style guide.

In Summary:

The best way to ensure you're punctuating correctly is to consider the parenthetical phrase's role within the sentence and apply the general rules accordingly. If in doubt, consult a style guide or a grammar expert.