Quotation Marks

1. Quotation Marks It’s a little tricky. 

2. Direct Quotations • Use quotation marks to enclose a direct quotation – a person’s exact words. • Ex: Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” • A direct quotation usually begins with a capital letter, but when writing only part of a quoted sentence, do not begin the quotation with a capital letter unless the person you are quoting capitalized it or if it is the first word in your sentence. Example: A film critic called the movie “a futile attempt.”

3. Direct Quotations, continued • When a quoted sentence is interrupted by an expression that identifies the speaker, the second part of the quotation begins with a lowercase letter. • Example: “When we do the best that we can,” explained Helen Keller, “we never know what miracle is wrought in our life.” • But…if the second part of a divided quotation is a new sentence, it begins with a capital letter. • Example: “Please don’t open the door!” Albert shouted. “We’re developing film.”

4. Direct Quotations, continued • A direct quotation is set off from the rest of the sentence by a comma, a question mark, or an exclamation point, but never by a period. • Examples: “Please read chapter six,” requested Mrs. Jones. • “Who is the president of the club?” asked Mary. • “We won the game!” shouted the cheerleader.

5. More • When used with quotation marks, other marks of punctuation are placed according to the following rules: • Commas and periods are placed inside closing quotation marks. “Generosity is the flower of justice.” • Semicolons and colons are placed outside closing quotation marks. “Mary,” my grandmother said, “you should do your homework”; then she reminded me to wash the dishes.

6. Still learning 3. Question marks and exclamation points are placed inside closing quotation marks if the quotation is a question or an exclamation. Otherwise, they are placed outside. Ex: The teacher asked, “Where is your book?” Ex: Did FDR say, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”? 4. In a sentence that ends with a quotation, only one end mark is needed. Ex: Have you ever asked yourself, “Where will I go to college?”

7. Dialogue • When writing dialogue, begin a new paragraph every time the speaker changes and enclose each speaker’s words in quotation marks. • Ex: “Don’t just stand there,” said John, “but tell me the answer to the question.” “No way,” answered Lisa. “You’re a creep for asking me to cheat!” “Forgive me,” begged John.

8. Quoting Long Passages • When quoting a passage that consists of more then one paragraph, place quotation marks at the beginning of each paragraph and at the end of only the last paragraph in the passage. • Long passages quoted from a published source is often set apart from the rest of the text by indenting the quoted passage.

9. Quotations within a quotation • Use single quotation marks to enclose a quotation within a quotation. • Ex: Mrs. Smith said, “Christine, please tell us what Alexander Pope meant when he said, ‘To err is human, to forgive divine.’”

10. Titles • The following short works require quotation marks: • Short stories • Short poems • Essays • Articles • Songs • Episodes of television series • Songs • Chapters of books

11. Correct or obnoxious? • Sarcasm and irony speak for themselves; therefore, it is unnecessary to put quotation marks for such use. Remember quoting and emphasis are 2 different things. Also, putting words in quotes sometimes send the message that your reader doesn’t have appropriate intellect to understand what you are writing. • Correct: A “sound shadow” is the area behind an obstruction where the loudspeaker can’t be heard. • Obnoxious: I still remember his last “good” idea.