Run-on sentences

[Carol]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "sistermagpie" <sistermagpie at ...> wrote:
>
> > Carol responds:
> > Thanks. As you can see, I did comment on one of them. BTW, in American English (as opposed to British English) the quotation marks follow the period even if you're just quoting a word or phrase, so the correct way to end your sentence on run-ons would be "run-on sentence." Sorry to be picky, but you asked for commentary!
> 
> Magpie:
> Thanks, Carol! I always think that's right but lately have gotten insecure about quotations after periods. I must have been reading British English texts and it got into my head that I was doing it wrong!
> 
> -m
>
Carol responds:

You're welcome. Glad I could help. I should mention that the rule applies only to periods and commas. Question marks and exclamation points can go inside or outside the quotation marks depending on whether they're part of the quoted material/dialogue or part of the sentence itself. Just to make it confusing. . . .

Carol, noting that specialized disciplines like linguistics have slightly different rules but they're not applicable here