USING QUOTATIONS

Electric Company- How to Use Quotation Marks

DIRECT QUOTATIONS Use quotation marks at the beginning and end of a direct quotation. Example: “Orange and black are the Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness,” explained Lucas.

DIRECT QUOTATIONS Use commas to set off explanatory words used with direct quotations (whether they occur at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the sentence). Example: Mark said, “Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes.” Example: “Halloween candy averages,” continued Mark, “average about 2 billion dollars annually in the United States.” Example: “In fact, chocolate candy bars top the list as the most popular candy for trick-or-treaters,” explained Mark.

DIRECT QUOTATIONS If a quotation is a question or an exclamation, place the question mark or exclamation point inside the closing quotation marks. Example: “I can’t believe that Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday!” exclaimed Jenny. If quoted words are part of a question or exclamation, place the question mark or exclamation point outside of the closing quotation marks. Example: Did Jenny say, “Halloween is the 2 nd most commercially successful holiday”?

Commas and periods always go inside closing quotation marks.

INDIRECT QUOTATIONS Do not use quotation marks to set off an indirect quotation. Direct: Todd said, “Many believed that black cats protected magical powers.” Indirect: Todd said that many people believed that black cats protected magical powers.

DIVIDED QUOTATIONS Do not capitalize the first word of the second part of a divided quotation unless it begins a new sentence. Example: “Jack-o-lanterns,” explained James, “originated in Ireland.” Example: “Jack-o-lanterns originated in Ireland,” explained James. “They placed candles in turnips to keep away evil spirits.”

QUOTATION MARKS IN DIALOGUE In dialogue, a new paragraph and a new set of quotation marks signal a change in speakers. Example: “Vampires are real?” asked Billy. “No, but there are real vampire bats,” explained Cindy. “Vampire bats? That sounds pretty intense,” replied Billy. “They live in Central and South America and feed on the blood of cattle, horses, and birds,” said Cindy.

QUOTATIONS IN TITLES Use quotation marks to set off the titles of short works Examples: Book chapters Story Essay Article TV episode Song Poem Use italics for titles of longer works Examples: Book Play Magazine Movie Painting Names of ships, planes, trains

Quo t ations= “ t iny (short) works” Ita l ics= l ong works

QUOTES OR ITALICS? Hocus Pocus (a movie) The Truth of the Salem Trials (an article) Batty Batty (a song) Sorry, Right Number (a play) Goosebumps (a book) Into the Night (a chapter from a book)

QUOTATION PRACTICE Edit the following sentences: 1.Paul said The common brown bat of North America has a life span averaging 32 years. 2.they are natural enemies of night-flying insects remarked Lilly They help control the mosquito population. 3.Did you go trick-or-treating last year asked David 4.Did Mark shout Boo 5.If we were easily scared explained Lilly he would have frightened us.

TELL-TALE HEART 1.Divide the story into 6 major scenes 2.Divide your paper into 6 squares (fold once vertically and three times horizontally) 3.Choose a character from the story and create your own dialogue to explain the scene 4.The scenes MUST be in the order of events in the story 5.Correctly use QUOTATION MARKS in each square

1 “The eye must go!” he shouted