“Quotation Marks” And Writing Dialogue

Use quotation marks to enclose a direct quotation—a person’s exact words. Example: “I am going to the grocery store,” said Dad.

Do not use quotation marks for an indirect quotation—a rewording of a direct quotation. Example: Mom asked Dad if he had gone to the store this afternoon.

A direct quotation begins with a capital letter. Example: Abe Lincoln said, “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.”

When the expression identifying the speaker interrupts a quoted sentence, the second part of the quotation begins with a small letter. Example: “What are some of the things,” asked Mrs. Perkins, “that astronauts discovered on the moon?”

A direct quotation is set off from the rest of the sentence by a comma, a question mark, or an exclamation point, but not by a period. Example: “I’ve just finished reading a book about Harriet Tubman,” Alison said.

A period or comma is always placed inside the closing quotation marks. Example: Mr. Aaron said, “The story is set in Fresno, California.”

When you write dialogue, begin a new paragraph each time you change speakers. Example: “I am very tired,” Mike said to his mom. “That is understandable,” she said, “especially after a long day of work.”

DOES YOUR DIALOGUE LOOK LIKE THIS? “How do I write dialogue?” asked Marty as he was walking out of class. “It is easy!” replied Sarah. “All you have to remember is the correct punctuation.” “I know,” replied Marty, “but I need practice.” He looked dejected. Sarah tried to console him and said, “Cheer up, Marty! I will help proofread your short story. We’ll make it perfect.”

Other Uses for Quotation Marks Use quotation marks to enclose titles of short works such as short stories, poems, articles, songs, and chapters and other parts of books. Examples: “The Dinner Party” “Greensleeves” “Casey at the Bat”