Attribution Commas and periods go inside quotation marks. Question marks go inside if when applies to quoted matter only, outside if apply to the whole sentence: –Who wrote “Gone With the Wind”? –He asked, “How long will it take?”

Attribution Use commas with attribution when you have direct quotes: –“I like being here,” he said. –While grammatically correct, avoid putting attribution at start of direct quote: He said, “I like being here.” Instead, “I like being here,” he said.

Attribution Use commas with attribution like “according to” –According to school officials, attendance is down. –Attendance is down, according to school officials.

Attribution Use commas when attributions come after, not before, a paraphrase: –Jackson said the Badgers look strong. –The Badgers look strong, Jackson said. –See: Roxy’sRoxy’s

Attribution With multiple-sentence quotes, put the attribution after the first sentence: –“I like our chances,” the coach said. “We can will all our games.” –Not: “I like our chances. We can win all our games,” the coach said.

Attribution The basics: –A period follows the attribution: “I like you,” he said. “Do you like me?” –A comma almost always proceeds the attribution: –Don’t use an exclamation point and a comma: Wrong: “Oh boy!,” the child said.

Attribution Copy editors need to pay close attention to quotes. They are a key area to look at when you need to trim: –Does the quote add to the story? –Does it repeat something already said? –Could you paraphrase the direct quote to shorten it? –Check out SoftwareSoftware

Attribution Double-check attribution: –Do you have the right person attributed? –Is the attribution clear? –Is it needed?