Return to GrammarUse quotation marks to enclose a person's exact words, which is called a direct quotation.
ex. - "You can't handle the truth!" - Jack Nicholson
A direct quotation begins with a capital letter.
ex. - "You can't handle the truth!" - Jack Nicholson
When an expression interrupts a quoted sentence, the second part of the quotation begins with a small letter.
ex. - "I'm going now," he yelled, "and I won't be back until morning."
A direct quotation is set off from the rest of the sentence by a comma, a question mark or an exclamation point, but not a period.
ex. - "Look out!" he shouted.
A period or a comma is always placed inside the closing quotation marks.
ex. - "I'm going now," he yelled, "and I won't be back until morning."
A question mark or an exclamation point is placed inside the closing quotation marks when the quotation itself is a question or an exclamation. Otherwise, it is placed outside.
exs. - "What is the difference between Salt Lake City and Miami?" asked Jim.
and Did the teacher say "number four"?
When you write dialogue (conversation) begin a new paragraph each time you change speakers.
When a quotation consists of several sentences, place quotation marks at the beginning and at the end of the whole quotation.
Use single quotation marks to enclose a quotation within a quotation.
ex. - Kevin wanted to know, "Did the teacher say 'number four'?"
Use quotation marks to enclose titles of short works such as short stories, poems, articles, songs, episodes of television programs, and chapters and other parts of books.
exs. - "The Raven", "Under the Boardwalk", "How to Make a Taco"
1. Use other words: mentioned, asked, yelled, offered, commented.
2. Turn the quotation into a question.
3. Include a statement indicating the mood of the speaker.
ex. "I don't know," she crinkled her nose, "Do you think I should?"
4. Vary the placement of the word "said": start with it, end with it, put it in the middle.
5. Leave it out.
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