Do you know what quotation marks mean?? nm

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The only time that I would transcribe these words were if they are a direct quote from the patient and then they would need to go in quotation marks.  I have always done this in this manner, but did find information on it in a MT guide book that I have on hand.

I even have a couple of doctors who dictate quotation marks incorrectly, over and over.  They'll say things like:  The patient said he quote feels better *quote period*

Transcribed, that would be:  The patient said he "feels better".   (Note the period outside of the ending quotation mark.  Doesn't it look... wrong?  It is!) 

It should be:  "feels better." (with the period, THEN the ending quotation mark) 

The rule (from my handy Webster's Grammar Guide) is that the period and comma are always placed before *ending* quotation marks. 

I see this mistake all the time on this board and in internal company memos, which really drives me crazy.  I hate to see it incorrectly because the more you see things done the wrong way, the more that way starts to look right!

Quotation marks confuse me sometimes too, because there are rare (IMO) times when the punctuation (like a question mark, for example) does go on the outside of the quotation mark, *depending on the material being quoted.*  But that's why I have a grammar reference book.  

nm