Direct Quotations

Front

What is a direct quotation?

Back

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

Front

How do you punctuate a direct quotation at the end of a sentence?

Back

Place a comma before the closing quotation marks if the sentence continues after the quote.

Front

What is a dialogue tag?

Back

A dialogue tag is a phrase that attributes the spoken words to a speaker, such as 'said' or 'asked.'

Front

Where do quotation marks go in a sentence?

Back

Quotation marks should be placed before the first word of the quote and after the last word of the quote.

Front

What is the correct punctuation for a quote followed by a dialogue tag?

Back

The quote should end with a comma inside the quotation marks if followed by a dialogue tag.

Front

How do you format a question in a direct quotation?

Back

If the quoted speech is a question, the question mark goes inside the quotation marks.

Front

What is the rule for using quotation marks with exclamations?

Back

If the quoted speech is an exclamation, the exclamation mark goes inside the quotation marks.

Front

What is the correct way to write a quote that is interrupted by a dialogue tag?

Back

The first part of the quote ends with a comma, the dialogue tag follows, and then the quote continues with a capital letter.

Front

How do you indicate a quote within a quote?

Back

Use single quotation marks for the inner quote and double quotation marks for the outer quote.

Front

What should you do if a quote is a complete sentence?

Back

Start the quote with a capital letter and end it with appropriate punctuation inside the quotation marks.