Learning the basic rules of quotes and punctuation associated with quotes will lead to more coherent writing. Even the exceptions aren't too difficult to master.
Quotation marks are most often used to set off direct quotes (usually speech) from the rest of the writing. They are also used to set off titles of poems, short stories, television episodes, scenes from movies, and other short works.
While knowing when to use quotation marks is not usually too difficult, knowing whether to punctuate inside or outside of the quotation marks can sometimes be problematic.
Commas and Periods Placement
A period or comma closing a quote should always be placed within the quotation marks, even single quotation marks.
Liz said, "I just want to get to work."
"Well considering he said 'I don't love her,' I don't think you have anything to worry about," Josh said.
The road sign said "Bridge may ice in cold weather."
Question Mark Placement
A question mark almost always follows the same rules as commas and periods.
"When does the shipment come in?" Jack asked.
The exception, however, is when the actual sentence is a question but the direct quote is not. Only one question mark should be used, outside of the quotation marks, marking that the entire sentence is a question. No period or comma should be placed within the final quote.
Similarly, if a piece (poem, story, episode) is in quotes, but the sentence is a question, the question mark should appear outside of the quotes.
Do you agree with the saying "There's no such thing as a stupid question"?
Which do you find more interesting, " Good Country People" or "A Good Man is Hard to Find"?
If both the sentence and quote within the sentence are questions, only use one question mark, placed inside of the quotes.
Did Daniel specifically ask, "Did you cheat on me?"
Interrupted Quotes
When a quote is interrupted by a dialogue tag or action, use similar punctuation as mentioned above. If the sentence or question continues after the break, use a comma instead of a period before the opening quotation marks, and lowercase the first letter of the continued sentence.
"I really like the opening band," Sasha said. "They remind me of a group from my hometown."
"On your way home," Linus said, glancing at his watch, "could you pick up the dry cleaning?"
When Not to Use Quotation Marks
Don't use quotations for indirect quotes.
Janet said she would finish the paper by Tuesday night.
Robert asked if he could stay with you during the hurricane.
Also, don't use quotes for information quoted for more than three to four lines (depending on the format of writing). Longer quotes (known as block quotes) should be indented.
Learning how to punctuate quotes can be challenging, but by learning the basic rules and practicing them in everyday writing, they can become second nature. Try to notice the punctuation in reputable books and documents to naturally learn where and when to use quotation marks in your writing.
The copyright of the article How to Punctuate Quotes in Editing is owned by Megan B. Wyatt. Permission to republish How to Punctuate Quotes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
I don't have a comment so much as a question. How do you use quotes when
two people are speaking with one another and one of them interupts the
other?
Jan 2, 2009 11:29 AM
Megan B. Wyatt :
When two people are conversing and one interrupts, use ellipses (three
dots)instead of a period at the end of the first person's statement. Then,
start a new paragraph with open quotes to write the interrupter's
statement. Here's an example:
As she put on her mascara,
Jessica looked up innocently at Maria, "Can't you just come with me
for a little while, just until..." "Jessie, we've been
through this a hundred times before. I'm not going. Period."
Hope this helps! :)
Jan 13, 2009 2:13 PM
Guest :
this website is very good! i have a pop quiz in englis 2morrow and i am
stuck! i am goin 2 bookmark this page!!! love you whoever made this
webpage!
Feb 1, 2009 12:52 PM
Wanda Lauerman :
Hello Megan,
I am studying a novel to better understand
punctuation around quotes, but the following has me confused:
#1
“Although,” Fran said as Jerry went back to the suit rack, “there’s a lot
here to be considered.”
#1 “Let me guess,” he said. “That was
not what you wanted to hear. Am I right?”
First Question: There
are commas after the first part of both quotes, but why is there a comma
after the break in #1, and a period after the break in #2? I believe both
breaks are fragments, yes?
Second Question: The quote in #1
resumes with a lowercase t, and the quote in #2 resumes with a capital
T.
Is this all correct use of punctuation around quotes?
Many thanks for your help!
Feb 1, 2009 5:27 PM
Megan B. Wyatt :
Wanda,
Great question! "Let me guess" is technically a
sentence, although many people often punctuate it as an introductory
clause, so it needs a period before the interrupting action. The new
sentence, although related to the opening sentence therefore needs a
capital letter.
Another example with a longer first sentence
would be: "Judy, where did you put the remote?" Sam asked as he
felt beneath the couch cushions. "Nevermind. I found it."
The first example is only a word, with interruption, followed by
the rest of the sentence, so it is set off in commas and is lowercased
after the interruption.
I think you're on the right track; just
be sure to check for sentences that could be mistaken as fragments in the
first quote.
Hope this helps! :)
Feb 2, 2009 11:33 AM
Wanda Lauerman :
Megan,
Thank you for such a quick response! Your explanation is
easy to understand and will help keep the creative going instead of
bottle-necking and possibly undermining that energy. I really appreciate
it.
Jul 18, 2009 3:38 PM
Guest :
In the following example, should the comma appear inside or outside the
closing quotation mark: When a child is asked, "What are you
thinking?," the likely answer is "Nothing."
Jul 20, 2009 3:50 PM
Guest :
What do you do with this sentence? The handout is located on the right
side of the page under "Current Trainings." Is this
correct, or should the quotation be after the punctuation at the end of a
sentence?
Jul 26, 2009 2:36 PM
Megan B. Wyatt :
In both of the above questions, the quotes are punctuated correctly. :)
Sep 4, 2009 7:19 AM
Guest :
I have a question. Can you start a new paragraph within the quotation
marks?
Sep 4, 2009 11:07 AM
Megan B. Wyatt :
That's a good question. I'm a bit ashamed not to have included this in the
original article, lol. You can begin a new paragraph with a set of quotes.
To do this, do not use closing quotation marks after the paragraph, but DO
use opening quotation marks at the start of the new paragraph. For
example:
"Pretend like this is somebody talking and talking
and talking... He's still talking but he decides to change the topic.
"It is still him talking right here because the other dialogue
was never closed. He continues talking until readers see this closing
punctuation."
Hope that helps! :)
Sep 14, 2009 1:27 PM
Guest :
Is it possible that a sentence can have the puntuation mark after the
quotation marks? (Like "?)
Sep 14, 2009 1:31 PM
Megan B. Wyatt :
Yes, this is possible. Please refer to the second section "Question
Mark Placement" in the article for the rules and exceptions of when
the question marks should appear outside of the question mark. :)
Sep 16, 2009 2:26 AM
Guest :
Megan! I need help with what has rightly been termed elsewhere as "The
question mark/comma/quotation mark debacle."
What to do
with a sentence like this: "In practice, my conversational skills
weren’t much more than a few stock phrases like “How are you?” “Good
Afternoon,” (which I was mispronouncing, thereby actually greeting people
by saying, “Beautiful Japanese”; maybe they thought I was referring to
myself) and the often-used and soon perfected, “I don’t know how to speak
Tagalog yet.”
1) Should a comma follow "like"? 2)
What about "How are you?" It's part of a series and needs to be
separated, but should it be "'How are you?,' 'Good afternoon,'"
OR "'How are you?', 'Good afternoon'"? 3) Should the comma
be inside the quotes or after the closing parenthesis, as in "'Good
afternoon,' (which...myself) and the..." OR "'Good afternoon'
(which ... myself), and the...." 4) If you wouldn't mind taking a
look at my other punctuation also, I'd be much obliged :).
But
to get back to that question mark/comma/quotation mark issue, here's
another example:
"My favorite hymn, "Where Can I Turn
For Peace?" has a beautiful bass line." Should this be
"My favorite hymn, "Where Can I Turn For Peace?," has a
beautiful bass line." OR "My favorite hymn, "Where
Can I Turn For Peace?", has a beautiful bass line"?
Very sorry for the lengthy question, but this deal with quoted questions
in a series or subordinate clause has been driving me crazy. If the quoted
material ends with an exclamation mark, would it be the same also? Thanks
in advance!
Greg
Sep 16, 2009 8:41 AM
Megan B. Wyatt :
Greg,
Wow! You've been seriously thinking about quotation mark
placement, lol. Good for you. I'll try my best to answer your questions.
1) No, a comma should not follow "like." 2) Because
this is a complicated series of quoted sayings, it is best to use
semicolons to separate the sayings instead of commas. Place the semicolons
between quoted sayings. But honestly, I think you'd be better off not using
a series of quotes within quotes. You could rewrite the sentence since the
last item in the series is already separated from the rest of the list. 3) I think the comma (or semicolon) would be better suited outside of the
parenthetical information because it is related to the previous saying,
although using an em dash might be less confusing than parenthesis. 4)
All of the quoted sayings within the actual speech should only use single
quotation marks, not double quotation marks. Because this is such a
complicated quote, you might consider altering the wording to make the
punctuation less cumbersome.
Here's how I would write what you
are saying, but this is just my way of simplifying it and shouldn't be
accepted at the "right" or "only" way of writing
it...
"In practice, my conversational skills weren’t much
more than a few stock phrases like 'How are you?' and 'Good Afternoon' —
which I was mispronouncing, thereby actually greeting people by saying,
'Beautiful Japanese.' Maybe they thought I was referring to myself. And
finally, my often-used and soon perfected stock phrase: 'I don’t know how
to speak Tagalog yet.'"
Do you see how the above-written
sentence seems less laden with punctuation? Punctuation's purpose is to
guide readers and shouldn't make itself known... when it does it's
typically because it's confusing or misleading. You want your sentences
easily-read with a natural flow. :)
As far as your second
example goes, I think using em dashes instead of commas would once again
create a less-clunky sentence and reduce reader confusion. If you were to
use commas, however, the comma should be between the question mark and
quotation mark.
"My favorite hymn — 'Where Can I Turn For
Peace?' — has a beautiful bass line."
Hope all of that
helps you! Never be afraid to rewrite something in a simpler fashion. It's
always better to write a simple sentence correctly than to write a
complicated sentence confusingly. That's my golden rule of grammar. =)
Megan
Sep 20, 2009 5:32 PM
Guest :
I am searching desperately for an answer to a seemingly simple question.
When do you use a comma instead of a period at the end of a
dialogue quote? For example, The patrons walked around the room.
"To your left you will find a place to sit," Lance said.
In the above statement I used a comma to end the dialogue quote. When
you use a period at the end of the quote? Or should I use a period
instead?
-Pati Bartlett
Sep 20, 2009 8:32 PM
Megan B. Wyatt :
Pati,
Use a comma if there is a dialogue tag (a phrase with
he/she said/exclaimed/murmured/etc). If nothing follows the quote, use a
period, or if a complete sentence follows the quote use a period.
"Hang on a second," Janie said. "Hang on a
second." "Hang on a second." Janie finished writing
then looked up at her friend.
Sep 21, 2009 1:27 PM
Guest :
I have a question regarding direct quotes (as in a research essay)For
example, the following quote: Paul is terrified by his father’s
expectations of a simple, predictable life working in a large firm like the
other men in the neighborhood “…mere rivets in a machine they seemed to
Paul” (246). Should there be a comma after neighborhood? Also: Using the money he has stolen to procure fashionable new clothes and a
posh hotel suite, Paul is free to play the role he has imagined for himself
“…he was exactly the kind of boy he had always wanted to be” (245). Should there be a period or a comma after himself? Thanks for your
help!
Sep 21, 2009 2:04 PM
Megan B. Wyatt :
Excellent questions. It would be better if you could work your quotes more
organically into the sentences. In your examples the quotes begin abruptly,
interrupting the sentence that precedes it. The quotes are related and make
valid points, but try rewriting them to something of this effect:
Paul is terrified by his father’s expectations of a simple, predictable
life working in a large firm like the other men in the neighborhood. He
views them as “mere rivets in a machine” (246).
Using the money
he has stolen to procure fashionable new clothes and a posh hotel suite,
Paul is free to play the role he has imagined for himself, being
"exactly the kind of boy he had always wanted to be” (245).
By working the quotes into the sentences themselves, readers can follow
your points much more easily and the quotes will not reveal themselves as
readily.
:) Megan
Sep 23, 2009 6:55 PM
Guest :
hello! i'm using a word in a sentence that for all intents and purposes,
i've made up... do i use "the word i made up." or "the
word i made up". just not sure where to put the period. thanks so much, in advance, for your help.
Sep 23, 2009 7:48 PM
Megan B. Wyatt :
The period should come before the quotation marks: "the word you made
up."
:) Meg
Sep 23, 2009 8:59 PM
Guest :
hey, thanks for the help with the word i made up:)
Sep 28, 2009 11:39 AM
Guest :
What a super site! I have been unsuccessful in searching for punctuation
help for the following, a list of questions in a sentence... the test
involved eight questions, for example, How does this relate to that? where
do I put these shoes? What time will they arrive?
Sep 28, 2009 2:23 PM
Megan B. Wyatt :
There's a few ways you can write questions in a series. You can write each
question separately as you did in your example, but instead of a comma
leading to the questions, I would use a colon (:) after the words "for
example."
You could also write the questions with the
numbers before each question to help readers follow the eight questions.
Oct 14, 2009 9:26 AM
Guest :
How to use periods in case of a reference after quotation marks. For
example: “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has
put in His own authority.” (Acts 1:7). Is this correct?
Oct 14, 2009 2:12 PM
Megan B. Wyatt :
You're close! Just take out the period before the quotation marks.
“It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in
His own authority” (Acts 1:7).
Oct 18, 2009 6:21 AM
Guest :
Thank you for all your help on this site! If you are ending a sentence
with the quoted title of a short work of art (e.g., you are using quotation
marks to distinguish it), and the title includes a question mark but your
sentence is not a question, how do you punctuate the end of the
sentence?
I enjoyed reading "Shall We Walk?".
Oct 20, 2009 7:51 AM
Megan B. Wyatt :
This is correct. :)
I enjoyed reading "Shall We
Walk?".
Oct 28, 2009 11:35 AM
Guest :
Megan, Should the comma go inside or outside the quotation marks?
Thank you.
Many people feel that life expectancy is "all in
the genes", and that the aging process is little affected by our
living habits.
Oct 28, 2009 3:45 PM
Megan B. Wyatt :
It should go on the inside of the quotation marks, but to be quite honest,
you don't really need a comma there to begin with. :)
Nov 5, 2009 6:41 PM
Guest :
Hi Megan - Here's an example I haven't been able to find a definitive
answer to online: "Is the party over?" she asked. OR "Is the party over?" She asked. All the examples I see
have proper names (capitalized) instead of pronouns. Thanks, Chris
Nov 5, 2009 7:28 PM
Megan B. Wyatt :
All dialogue tags should be lowercased (unless, as you've mentioned it is a
proper noun beginning the tag). Only capitalize what follows the quotation
when it is a complete sentence (She glanced at her watch.) and not a tag
(he said, she declared, she asked in annoyance, etc).
Sep 10, 2008
