Quotation Marks Rules
Rule 1
Use quotation marks to set off a direct quotation only.
Examples:
"When will you be here?" he asked.
He asked when you will be there. (This is an indirect quote, so no quotation marks are needed.)
Rule 2
Use quotation marks before and directly after a speaker's exact words.
Example:
The lifeguard told the swimmers, "Please move down between the green flags."(You do not need to put quotes around the first part of that sentence because those words are not spoken aloud.)
Rule 3
Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks.
Examples:
The sign changed from "Walk," to "Don't Walk," to "Walk" again within 30 seconds.
She said, "Be careful."
Rule 4
Use a comma to separate the speaker's exact words from the sentence's other parts.
Example: "Please move down between the green flags," the lifeguard told the swimmers.
Rule 5
A direct quotation begins with a capital letter.
Example: Mikestated, “Honesty is its own reward."
Rule 6
If a direct quotation that is a full sentence is broken up into two parts because the speaker is identified, the second part begins with a lowercase letter.
Example: "Since the flowers are starting to bloom," said Chris, "we should not step into the garden."
Note: If the second part of a direct quotation is a complete sentence, start that part with a capital letter. Insert a period after the speaker is identified.
"This is beautiful!" responded Mrs. Green. "Keep it going!"
Rule 7
If a person's exact words are more than a single sentence and are not divided, use only a single set of quotation marks to mark the beginning and end of the words spoken aloud.
Example: "Waves gently lapped the shore, and children played in the sand. It was a relaxing day at the beach," the man reported.
Rule 8
Use a question mark or an exclamation mark (instead of a comma) within the closing quotation marks if the quote is a question or exclamation.
Example:
"Is this the correct tool?" the assistant asked the machinist.
"Move away now!"the soldier screamed to his comrade.
Rule 9
When you are writing dialogue, start a new paragraph each time the speaker changes.
Example:
"We need to remodel the upstairs bathroom," Mom told Dad.
He asked her, "How much do you think this job will cost us? I think that I will probably be able to do most of the work."
"Great!" Mom replied. "Let's talk about the project again tomorrow."
Rule 10
Use the “quote within a quote” technique when:
1)quoting evidence from a text, where dialogue is included.
Example: On page 33 of Number the Stars, the passage states that Annemarie, “waved to Ellen, who waved happily back. ‘Lucky Ellen,’ Annemarie said to Kirsti.”
Start by quoting the text with regular double quotations; then put the dialogue in single quotations. At the end of the textual evidence, use double quotation marks.
2) one character is directly quoting another character.
Example: “And then he said, ‘Mind your own business.’ The nerve!” Janie fumed.
Use double quotes for the main dialogue, and single quotes for the quote-within-a-quote.