How to Punctuate Quotes in a List (Comma Placement)

When you are trying to list your quotes, you need to know where the punctuation comes in. It’s actually a little more detailed than you might have realized at first. This article will explain all you need to know about how to punctuate quotes.

How to Punctuate Quotes in a List

You should punctuate quotes by adding a comma at the end of each one when it comes in a list. The comma typically comes before the quotation mark, and this is in accordance with many common style guides like MLA, APA, and The Chicago Manual of Style.

The only time when you might choose to place the comma outside of the quotation mark is when you are following British English rules. Funnily enough, it seems like American English (and most style guides) places commas inside the quotes while British English places them outside.

If you’re not sure how a list of quotes might look on the page, you can refer to this sentence:

• She said “no,” “maybe,” and “yes,” all at the same time.

This one is a very simplistic style. It is just referring to three different things that someone said, but you can treat those three options as part of a longer list. As you can see, the commas come at the end of the quote but not before the quotation mark.

The comma isn’t a part of the quote. It’s something that was added after the fact to show that you’re making a list. That’s why it is up for debate as to whether the comma comes before or after.

When the Quote Already Has Punctuation

You may not need to include anything extra when the quote already has punctuation. If the punctuation comes in the middle of the quote, you should include a comma at the end. If you find that the quote ends with a period, it’s best to replace it with a comma.

Generally, if the quote is part of its own sentence, it will come with a period after it. However, if you are not trying to end a sentence, you might find it better to replace that period with a comma to show that it’s part of a list in a new sentence.

For the most part, the comma should always come inside the quotation marks. This matches common English style guides like The Chicago Manual of Style and AP Style, so it’s important that you follow these rules when using multiple quotes.

• “The donkey took the lamb,” “the cabbage was stolen,” and “my feet hurt” are all simple quotations that don’t make sense in his novel.
• I told him, “you could have been there,” “you wanted to see it,” and “you didn’t need to know.” He was very confused by what I had to say.
• The writer mentioned “the net worth of the kingdom,” “the problem with the economy,” and “the issues henceforth” as problems to discuss.

As you can see, the commas still come at the end of the quotation before the quotation marks are closed. It’s best to replace periods with commas, but otherwise, the rules stay fairly consistent.

When the Quote Doesn’t Have Punctuation

If the quote doesn’t have its own punctuation, you should add your own. If you include it as part of a list, it’s helpful to split each quote with a comma to show that it’s a different part of the list. Without commas, the list wouldn’t make sense.

Imagine if you’re listing anything else in your writing. You would always include commas:

• I like apples, pears, and grapes.

If you were to remove the commas, it would sound very strange:

• I like apples pears and grapes.

Without punctuation, it sounds like someone is rushing through whatever they’re saying.

The same rules apply when quotations are used. Even if they don’t have their own punctuation, it’s appropriate to add your own to make sure your list flows in a smooth way.

• I told them “they needed to change,” “the people wanted more,” and “the kingdom is burning.” I think I got the point across.
• “There it is,” “their ham,” and “they’re going away” are all examples of how similar pronunciations can affect people’s spelling.
• They mentioned “the grapes of wrath,” “to kill a mockingbird,” and “of mice and men.” Apparently, they’re novels, but I haven’t read them.

UK vs. US

In American English, the comma always comes inside the quotation marks. In British English, the comma always goes outside the quotation marks. These rules are made very clear based on the language you are using and writing with.

American English follows general style guides and rules when it comes to this. They include the commas inside the quotation marks to help split up the flow of the list that the quotes are supposed to be a part of.

• They were talking about it by saying, “he wanted to do that,” “she needed to go,” and “why couldn’t we stay?”

Some people argue that the commas shouldn’t be inside the quotes. After all, the commas are an addition. They are not part of the original quote, so it doesn’t make sense to include them.

That’s where the British English rules come in. Unless the comma is a main part of the quote, it should always come on the outside of the quotation mark. This helps to establish that the comma is not a key part of the quote, and it is only used to split up the list.

• The quotes to mention are “you should have kept it a secret”, “the problem is not all that it seems”, and “maybe there was more to do”.

As you can see, the commas (and the period at the end of the sentence) are included outside of the quotation mark. In British English, this is much more common to show that it’s not part of the main quote.

Other Alternatives

You don’t just have to use commas to split up quotations in a list. You can also use things like formatting to help you establish when different quotes are used. These alternatives are some of the best available:

• Italics for each quote
• Separate line for each quote
• Bullet points
• Numbered list