- "I will go to the store," she said.
(Direct quote enclosed in quotation marks.)
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Quotation Marks show us which words are part of a conversation or something that someone has said. They show when someone is talking. Quotation marks work in pairs - they are used at the beginning and the end of a quote to separate it from the rest of the writing. You might hear them go by two other names: quotes or inverted commas.
Rules for using the Quotation Marks
Rule 1: Use quotation marks to separate a direct quote (word-for-word) from the rest of the sentence.
- I replied, "I will join you!"
(Direct quote enclosed in quotation marks.)
- Matthew told his mother, "I love spending time with you!"
(Direct quote enclosed in quotation marks.)
Rule 2: Use a comma to introduce a quote after words like said, asked, or exclaimed. Quotation marks follow a comma unless they are at the beginning of a sentence.
- She said, "I finished my homework."
("Said" is followed by a comma before the quote.)
- Mom asked, "Did you clean your room?"
("Asked" is followed by a comma before the quote.)
- Mrs. Smith exclaimed, "It's time for a pop quiz!"
("Exclaimed" is followed by a comma before the quote.)
Rule 3: Always keep any punctuation that is part of the quote inside the quotation marks.
- "The story starts in a cold, dark, scary forest," said the storyteller.
(Commas within the quote remain in the quote.)
- "Look out! It's a tornado!" shouted Dorothy.
(Exclamation points within the quote remain in the quote.)
- Stephen asked, "Do you know the way to the beach? I'm lost."
(Question mark and period within the quote remain in the quote.)
Rule 4: Use quotation marks when writing the titles of books, films, magazines, plays, songs, poems, article titles, and chapters. Remember, either quotes or italics are customary for these titles.
- I watched "Finding Nemo" with my sister.
(Film title - use quotation marks)
- My favorite book is "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
(Book title - use quotation marks)
- "Gone with the Wind" is both a book and a movie.
(Book/film title - use quotation marks)
Rule 5: Single quotation marks, or single inverted commas, are used when we use quotation marks within quotation marks.
- He asked, "Would you like to read 'Where the Wild Things Are'?" (Book title inside a quote - use single quotation marks inside double quotation marks)
- Billy said, "I asked my mom, and she said, 'No.'" (Quotation inside a quotation - use single quotation marks inside double quotation marks)
- "He proposed and I said, 'Yes!'" exclaimed Sarah. (Quotation inside a quotation - use single quotation marks inside double quotation marks)
The Quotation Marks
The handy chart below helps remember the rules and uses of the quotation marks.
| NAME | Punctuation Mark |
USAGE | EXAMPLE |
| Quotation Mark (Inverted Commas) |
double " " single ' ' |
|
|
