The MLA and Punctuation

Due to the copious amounts of essays I have been writing over the past few weeks, the correct use of punctuation has been a hot topic. It’s time to put the topic to bed. Below is how it actually should be used.

1. The Ending Punctuation in a Quotation Debate

Regardless of what the quotation is, according to the MLA, the ending punctuation should always go after the last parenthesis. For example:

“Billy went to the store” (Smith 123).

“The meaning of life is”.Â

Additionally, as shown in the last example, ending punctuation cannot be added to a quotation where it does not already reside.

2. Single Word QuotationsÂ

In this case, the puncuation always stays on the inside of the quotations. If you ask me, this looks very weird. Tough luck for me

Her mouth said “Yes,” but her look said, “No.”Â

I was on JokeCenter.com and found a good joke on how important punctuation is.

An English professor wrote the words, “Woman without her man is nothing” on the blackboard and directed his students to punctuate it correctly. The men wrote: “Woman, without her man, is nothing.” The women wrote: “Woman! Without her, man is nothing.”