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Inside or Outside the Quotation Marks? is a free printable Grade 5 English worksheet on where each punctuation mark goes around a quotation in US style, aligned to Common Core standard L.5.2. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Inside or Outside the Quotation Marks?

L.5.2

NameDate

Circle the right answer.

1.In "After lunch," said Mrs. Park, "we will start," why does we begin with a small letter?
  • A.It is not a name
  • B.The second part carries on the same sentence
  • C.Quotations never begin with a capital
2."Stop" yelled Jo — Jo's word is shouted. Where does the exclamation point go?
  • A.At the very end, after Jo
  • B.Outside the closing quotation mark
  • C.Inside the closing quotation mark
3.Grandma's words are Where are my keys, and "asked Grandma" comes after them. What goes after keys?
  • A.A comma inside the closing quotation mark
  • B.A question mark inside the closing quotation mark
  • C.A question mark after Grandma
4.In US style, where do a comma and a period go when they meet a closing quotation mark?
  • A.Always outside it
  • B.Inside only if the quotation is a question
  • C.Always inside it
5.In Lena whispered, "The baby is asleep," which mark comes straight after whispered?
  • A.A comma
  • B.No mark at all
  • C.A period
6.Did the coach say "two more laps" — the whole sentence is a question, but the coach's words are not. Where does the question mark go?
  • A.Before the opening quotation mark
  • B.Inside the closing quotation mark
  • C.Outside the closing quotation mark
7.Mia said, "The bus is here" — the sentence ends after here. Where does the period go?
  • A.Inside the closing quotation mark
  • B.After the word said
  • C.Outside the closing quotation mark
8.The words "Look out" are followed by "shouted Sam" and the sentence ends. What goes after Sam?
  • A.A period
  • B.An exclamation point
  • C.A comma

LessonPrint · L.5.2 · Set 6 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Inside or Outside the Quotation Marks?

Set 6. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.The second part carries on the same sentence
  2. 2.Inside the closing quotation mark
  3. 3.A question mark inside the closing quotation mark
  4. 4.Always inside it
  5. 5.A comma
  6. 6.Outside the closing quotation mark
  7. 7.Inside the closing quotation mark
  8. 8.A period

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to L.5.2 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.