Using Commas Before Quotation Marks

All right, I understand that you use a comma before the quotation mark when dealing with words like said or told. For example, "Yes," he said. What if you're using a word like laugh? Would it be "Yes," he laughed or "Yes." he laughed? What about words like assured or corrected?
The reason I'm asking is because I was told two different things, and I want to clear it up.
Thank you for your time.