Whether you’re writing fiction, a letter to the editor, or a heavily researched report, it is important to know how and when to use quotation marks.
Dialog
In fiction, quotation marks are used exclusively for dialog. That is to say, they surround a character’s spoken words. For example:
I shove the photo in Evan’s face. “Who is she?” I demand.
“Alex,” he says, his face a giant question mark.
And you slipped this into my locker because. . . ?” he actually squirms under my glare
“You said you wanted pictures.”
In this example the character’s spoken words begin and end with quotation marks. Anything outside of the quotation marks tell who is speaking (I demand; he says) or describe the action (I shove the photo in Evan’s face; his face a giant question mark; he actually squirms under my glare).
Ending punctuation is always included in the quote if the speaker’s words make a complete sentence. If the sentence is followed with a dialog tag or description, use a comma to show where the speaker is done speaking. But always, always use some form of punctuation before the ending quotation mark.
Embedded Quotes
Let’s say you are writing a persuasive piece and you want to share the wisdom of an expert who agrees with you. That’s when you use a direct quote. These are always encased in quotation marks. You will also
attribute the quote to the expert either before or after the quotation.
Using an expert’s quote shows the reader that your viewpoint is a valid one shared by an authority. Be careful to pick the most concise quotes possible. That way you can expand on them in your own words.
If you are paraphrasing don’t use quotation marks. Embedded quotes must be the exact words that were spoken.
Quotation marks in Citations
When writing a bibliography, anything that is part of a larger work such as titles of articles, essays, chapters, poems, webpages, songs, and speeches, goes in quotation marks. Titles of books, plays, films, websites, and periodicals appear in italics.
The same is true if you mention one of these in the body of an essay or report. For example, “Let it Go” is a popular song from the film Frozen.
Scare Quotes
Quotation marks can also indicate sarcasm or irony. Sometimes called air quotes or scare quotes, they bring attention to words used to convey a different meaning. For example, I “can’t wait” to lug this five pound backpack home, lets the reader know that’s the last thing I want to do.
Now that you know how to use them, you can feel confident using quotation marks in dialog, embedded quotes and citations.
