1. Comma Inside Quotation Marks:
* Direct Quotes: When a comma is part of the quoted material, it goes inside the closing quotation mark.
* *Example:* "I'm going to the store," she said, "but I'll be back soon."
* Dialogue: In dialogue, the comma usually goes inside the quotation marks, even if it's part of a tag (e.g., he said, she asked).
* *Example:* "What do you want to eat?" she asked.
2. Comma Outside Quotation Marks:
* Introductions and attributions: When the comma separates the quoted material from the rest of the sentence, it goes outside the closing quotation mark.
* *Example:* He said, "I'm going to the park."
* Multiple sentences quoted together: If a quotation contains multiple sentences, the comma goes outside the final quotation mark.
* *Example:* "The weather is beautiful today. I'm going for a walk," she said.
3. Exceptions:
* Parenthetical elements: If a comma is part of a parenthetical element within the quotation, the comma remains inside the quotes.
* *Example:* "He said, 'I'm going to the store,' but I'm not sure if he meant it."
* Titles of works: If a quotation is the title of a work (e.g., a book, movie), the comma goes outside the quotation marks.
* *Example:* I just finished reading "The Great Gatsby."
Important Note: American English uses double quotation marks (" "). British English uses single quotation marks (' ').