Mastering Quotation Marks: A Guide to Proper Usage and Punctuation

1. Italics (underlining) • Titles ( big ones or the whole thing) • A book not a chapter • A newspaper not an article • A CD title not a song • A novel not a short story

2. Letters, Numbers and Words When they refer to themselves or they are foreign. The number 13 is my favorite. I have a problem with the word hate. My Uncle Tom called me a dupa.

3. Quotation MarksTitles • Remember Big and Little • Big / The whole = Italics/Underlining • Little/ A part of it= Quotation marks

4. Direct Quotes • What’s a speaker tag? • Zoe said or said Frank

5. Only enclose the exact words, not a paraphrase “I don’t want a sandwich,” said Frank. Frank told me he didn’t want a sandwich.

6. Capitalization If the direct quotes is at the beginning of a sentence capitalize it. Rita said, “My mother’s sandwiches stink.” “My mother’s sandwiches stink,” said Rita, “and so does her breath.”

7. Commas If the speaker tag comes first the commas doesn’t go in the quotes. If the tag is last the comma goes in the quotes Jordan said, “The ice cream isn’t frozen yet.” “The ice cream isn’t frozen yet,” said Jordan.

8. End Marks Periods They come at the end of sentences So if a quote is the end of a sentence the period stays in Carlos said, “ Today is a good day to die.” “Today is a good day to die,” said Carlos.

9. Question marks and exclamation marks If they’re part of the quote place them inside the quotation marks. “Dude, you’re crushing my skull!” Jake screamed. Jake asked, “ Dude, are you crushing my skull?”

10. Dialogue New Paragraph for each time the speaker changes.

11. Long Passages Indent the whole thing 5 spaces and leave quotes off

12. Quotes within Quotes Use single with in

13. Irony and Sarcasm Use them