Where does the period belong in the following sentence?

Question

She said, "I'm going to the store." OR
She said, "I'm going to the store".

Answer 1

To quote from the Government Printing Office Style Manual:

8.141. The comma and the final period will be placed inside
the quotation marks. Other punctuation marks should be placed inside the quotation marks only if they are a part of the matter quoted.

INSIDE the quotation marks. That answer about using two periods was the most ridiculous I've seen in a long time.

However, there are differences in style between US and UK on what goes where with quotation marks. Both would punctuate the sentence above in the same way, but otherwise (from Wikipedia):

Contents of quotations: Americans are taught to put commas and periods inside quotation marks, whereas British people will put the punctuation inside if it belongs to the quote and outside otherwise. This means that direct speech retains punctuation inside the quotation marks in BrE also, with a full stop changing into a comma if followed by explanatory text.

Carefree means "free from care or anxiety." (American style)
Carefree means "free from care or anxiety". (British style)

Answer 2

In writing direct speech, the quotation/speech marks must always come last so the first sentence above is correct.

Answer 3

The first statement is correct. The period should be inside the quotation mark.

Answer 4

Inside the quotation marks.

Answer 5

Inside the quotation marks.

Answer 6

Neither, or rather both. She said, "I am going to the store.".
The first full stop (Period) finishes the quote, the second finishes the sentence.

Answer 7

Outside the speech marks, at the end of the sentence.

Answer 8

maximum editors those days could say the era ought to interior the "close quote" mark (as on your 2nd occasion). yet in older texts, incredibly British ones, the era after the citation mark (as on your first occasion) is in many cases seen.

Answer 9

"I'm going to the store."

Pick up any novel and see for yourself.

.

Answer 10

after the last quotation

actually barb is right!

its before AND after the last quote!