Direct Quotations

Front

What are direct quotations?

Back

Direct quotations are the exact words spoken by a person, enclosed in quotation marks.

Front

When should you use quotation marks?

Back

Quotation marks are used to indicate the beginning and end of a direct quotation.

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 'exclaimed'.

Front

How do you punctuate a direct quotation that is part of a sentence?

Back

Place a comma before the opening quotation mark and a period or comma inside the closing quotation mark.

Front

What is the correct placement of quotation marks 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 an example of a correctly punctuated direct quotation?

Back

"I love reading books," said Sarah.

Front

How do you handle punctuation when a quotation is followed by a dialogue tag?

Back

The punctuation at the end of the quotation should be inside the quotation marks, followed by the dialogue tag.

Front

What happens if a quotation is interrupted by a dialogue tag?

Back

The first part of the quote ends with a comma, the dialogue tag follows, and the second part of the quote begins with a lowercase letter.

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 what the speaker said.

Front

How do you quote a question or exclamation?

Back

If the quoted material is a question or exclamation, the question mark or exclamation point goes inside the quotation marks.