What are the rules for punctuating a direct quote?
Proper Punctuation – Quotes
- If you start by telling who said it, use a comma and then the first quotation mark.
- If you put the quote first and then tell who said it, use a comma at the end of the sentence, and then the second quotation mark.
- Punctuation always goes inside the quotation marks if it is a direct quote.
Does colon go inside or outside quotation marks?
Punctuating Around Quotation Marks
| Punctuation mark | In relation to closing quotation mark, place it… |
|---|---|
| Colon | Outside |
| Question mark or exclamation point (part of quoted material) | Inside |
| Question mark or exclamation point (not part of quoted material) | Outside |
| Quotation within a quotation + period or comma | Inside |
How do you quote multiple quotes in a sentence?
For a direct quotation of two or more sentences with the attribution at the beginning of the first sentence, put a colon, not a comma, after the attribution and place the quotation in double quotation marks. She said: “The motorcycle slid sideways and skidded about 100 feet.
When you have a question outside quoted material and inside quoted material?
Rule – When you have a question outside quoted material AND inside quoted material, use only one question mark and place it inside the quotation mark. Example: Did she say, “May I go?”
How do you separate a list of quotes?
This is simple. If you’re using American English, put the commas inside the quotation marks. If you’re using British English, put the commas outside the quotation marks.
Do you use three quotation marks?
Using quotes within quotes When you’re quoting something inside of an existing quote, you should use single quotes within the quote. As you can see in the example above, the closing quotations almost look like three marks. That’s what it looks like when you have a single quote next to a double quote.
How do you use colons?
Colons follow independent clauses (clauses that could stand alone as sentences) and can be used to present an explanation, draw attention to something, or join ideas together….Colons
- To announce, introduce, or direct attention to a list, a noun or noun phrase, a quotation, or an example/explanation.
- To join sentences.