Commas in dialogue

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Commas in quotations that begin a sentence

When a quoted statement occurs at the beginning of a sentence, omit the period before the closing quotation mark and use a comma instead.

"I don't want to be admitted," the patient emphatically stated.

Commas in quotations that end a sentence

When a quoted statement, question or exclamation comes at the end of a sentence, a comma precedes the opening quotation mark.

The patient was very emphatic when he said, "I don't want to be admitted."