Important SAT Update: Transition to Digital SAT
Effective December 3, 2023, the traditional paper-and-pencil format of the SAT has been discontinued. Starting in 2024, all students are required to take the Digital SAT, ushering in substantial changes in duration, format, material coverage, and question types. This shift to the Digital SAT represents a departure from traditional testing methods. It is crucial for students, educators, and test-takers to acquaint themselves with the new examination structure. Read more about the Digital SAT here.
Several questions on the SAT exam require students to know where commas should be placed in relation to quotations:
Before the beginning of the quotation, commas should be placed after the last word, which is usually a verb.
When the quotation occurs in the middle of the sentence, commas should be placed before and after the quotation. Likewise, if a quotation doesn’t end a sentence, a comma should be placed just after the quotation as well.
Note: the comma after the quotation in the above example is placed inside the quotation mark.
Sometimes the quotation is interrupted with information about who said it, in which case a comma should be placed on either side of the interruption.
Although this type of question doesn’t appear often on the SAT, knowing where to place commas makes such questions much easier and improves the grammar of your own writing. For more practice with comma placement or other types of punctuation, use the released tests provided by the College Board or practice online with exam-like questions at websites like UWorld.
