In another question I asked, I used quotes to demark specific terms, but after I posted the question, I wondered if I'm doing it right.
Usually, when quoting something a person says, the quotation mark goes after the comma or period, like so:
"This is my opinion," she said.
However, I sometimes use quotes not to represent something said by anyone, but instead for delineating a set term or phrase to make it clear that those words go together and none of them should be mistaken for a part of the rest of the sentence. Like this:
Should I say "stand up", "standup", or "stand-up"?
This looks weird to me:
Should I say "stand up," "standup," or "stand-up"?
... but maybe I'm wrong about the rules.
Is it correct to use quotes in this way? And if so, are the quotes positioned correctly relative to the other punctuation marks?
Are there other alternatives for delineating terms without the use of quotes?