QUOTATION MARKS

DIRECT QUOTATIONS

• Direct quotations represent a person's exact speech
• A direct quotation may also represent a person's thoughts
• A direct quotation is enclosed in quotation marks (" ")
• Use a comma or colon after an introductory expression
• Use a comma, question mark, or exclamation mark when followed by a concluding expression

INDIRECT QUOTATIONS

• Indirect quotations report general meaning
• An indirect quotation does not require quotation marks

EXAMPLES OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT QUOTATIONS

• Pete asked, "What time is the game?"
• "It seems unlikely," Gail said.
• Pete asked what time the game would begin.
• Gail thought that it was unlikely.

OTHER PUNCTUATION MARKS WITH QUOTATION MARKS

• Always place a comma or quotation mark inside the final quotation mark
• Always place a semicolon or colon outside the final quotation mark.
• Use the meaning of the whole sentence to determine the placement of exclamation and question marks.

Examples

• "It is unlikely," Ed said, "that it will rain."
• Len observed, "I think I can fix this bike"; then he explained the problem.
• Beth asked,"Will you be ready by 3:00?"
• He exclaimed,"I think I just broke my leg!"

QUOTATION MARKS IN SPECIAL SITUATIONS

• Use single quotation marks for a quotation within a quotation.
• Use three ellipsis marks in a quotation to show that words have been omitted.
• When writing dialogue, begin a new paragraph with each new speaker.
• For quotations longer than a paragraph, put quotation marks at the beginning of each paragraph
• and at the end of the final paragraph.

EXAMPLES

• Mr. Salvin asked,"What poem begins, 'This is the forest of primeval'?"
• The famous line "Not by bread alone..." appears in both Luke and Deuteronomy.

UNDERLINING

• Underline the titles of books, plays, periodicals, newspapers, and long poems
• Also underline the titles of movies, radio and TV series, long musical compositions, and works of art.
• You should also underline the names of individual land, sea, and space craft.
• Underline foreign words not yet accepted into English
• Numbers, symbols, letters, and words used to name themselves, as well as words you want to stress.

QUOTATION MARKS

• Use quotation marks around the titles of short written works.
• Also use quotation marks for episodes in a series, songs, and parts of long musical compsitions.
• Do not underline or place quotation marks in the names of sacred writing and their parts.
• Also you would not use either of these for the titles of government charters, alliances, acts, etc.

EXAMPLES

• Great Expectations (novel)
• Los Angeles Times (newspaper)
• "Annabel Lee" (poem)
• "The Open Boat" (short story)
• The Acts of the Apostles (sacred writing)