Quotations

Front

What is a direct quotation?

Back

A direct quotation is the exact words spoken or written by a person, enclosed in quotation marks.

Front

How should punctuation be placed in a direct quotation?

Back

Punctuation marks such as commas and periods should be placed inside the quotation marks.

Front

What is the correct way to format a direct quotation that is a question?

Back

If the direct quotation is a question, the question mark should be placed inside the quotation marks if it is part of the quoted material.

Front

What is the correct way to write a direct quotation that includes a speaker tag?

Back

A direct quotation with a speaker tag should have a comma before the opening quotation mark, e.g., "I love reading," she said.

Front

How do you indicate a quote within a quote?

Back

Use single quotation marks for the inner quote, e.g., "He said, 'Let's go to the park.'"

Front

What is the rule for capitalizing the first word in a direct quotation?

Back

The first word of a direct quotation should be capitalized if it is a complete sentence.

Front

What is the correct way to write a direct quotation that is a command?

Back

A command in a direct quotation should be enclosed in quotation marks and followed by a comma if there is a speaker tag, e.g., "Close the door," he said.

Front

What is the difference between a direct quotation and an indirect quotation?

Back

A direct quotation uses the exact words of the speaker, while an indirect quotation paraphrases the speaker's words without quotation marks.

Front

How should you format a direct quotation that is longer than one sentence?

Back

For longer quotations, use a block quote format, which does not use quotation marks and is indented.

Front

What is the correct way to write a direct quotation that includes a dialogue?

Back

Each new speaker's dialogue should start on a new line and be indented.