In quotation marks, how should a comma be correctly used?

The correct use of a comma with quotation marks is exemplified in the chosen option, where the comma is placed inside the quotation marks before the closing quote. In this case, the sentence reads: ''He said it was funny,'' Emily replied.

This structure follows standard grammatical conventions in American English, which dictate that when a quotation is followed by a speech tag—like "Emily replied"—the comma should appear before the closing quotation marks. It serves to indicate a pause and helps clearly separate the spoken words from the narration that follows.

Understanding this rule helps maintain clarity in writing, ensuring that readers can easily differentiate between the quoted speech and the narrative portion of the sentence.