Using Quotes in Your Writing

1. Using Quotes in Your Writing Marlena Simmons English 1H

2. Use Quotation marks to show a person’s exact words Direct Quote • “Is English my favorite class of the day?” Mike asked. Indirect Quote • Mike told Andrew that English was his favorite class.

3. A direct quote starts with a capital letter • “What is your favorite class?” Andrew asked. • Mike excitedly replied, “English class, of course!”

4. When a quote is divided by a phrase, the second part begins with a lower case letter • “I agree,” said Andrew, “that’s my favorite class of the day too!”

5. Commas and periods that end the quote are always placed inside the quotation marks • “I wish I had two periods of English,” Mike sighed. • With a wishful glance, Andrew said, “Me too.”

6. Use a comma to introduce a quote. This comma goes outside the quote! • When talking about her love of literature, Nicole gushed, “Shakespeare is my favorite writer!”

7. All quotes should be tied to your writing; they should clearly fit with the rest of the paragraph! • Introduce them! Quotes should not just suddenly appear. • Incorrect - “In order to get into high school, you had to take a pretty big test.” • Correct - Florence explained, “In order to get into high school, you had to take a pretty big test.”

8. Vary the Words you Use to Introduce a Quote Instead of “said,” try… • Explained • Whispered • Declared • Claimed • Believed • Remarked • Admitted • Assumed • Confessed • Complained • Joked • Implied • Suggested • Warned

9. Provide your own insights and observations about how the interviewee said the quote or how he/she looked or acted at this point. • With a glimmer in her eye, she explained… • Quietly, she admitted… • His face got serious as he remembered… • She leaned closer to me, and, as if revealing a deep secret…