Learn how to use quotation marks for direct and indirect quotes, dialogue, titles, irony, and more. Find out when to use single or double quotation marks and how to punctuate them correctly.
Learn the convention of placing a comma or period before or after a quotation mark in US and UK punctuation. Find out the reasons, examples, and sources for this practice.
Learn how to punctuate quotation marks correctly in American and British English. Find out where to put commas, periods, and quotation marks in dialogue, titles, block quotations, and more.
“Bran,” [Jon] said, “I’m sorry I didn’t come before.” When to skip the comma. In certain cases, you can skip the comma when introducing a quotation. First, skip the comma if the quotation is introduced by a conjunction like “that,” “whether,” or “if.” Following that guidance, I might write sentences like this:
A comma is placed within the quotation marks to introduce a direct quote. If the description of the quote’s speaker is placed after the quotation, a comma is always placed within the quotation marks. ... play, and create better than ever before with the apps you love and Microsoft Copilot by your side. Try for free . Topics in this article. Tags.
Learn how to use commas with quotation marks in American and British English. See examples, rules, and exceptions for single and double quotes, periods, question marks, and exclamation points.
Learn the rules and exceptions for using commas and colons before quotations. Find out when to use quotation marks for reported speech and when not to.
A. Commas commonly appear before quotation marks—for instance, there is a strong convention of using a comma after expressions like “He said” or “She asked.” There may be a widespread belief that the comma is required before a quotation, although there isn’t necessarily a grammatical reason for one. If a quotation is short or if a ...
Learn how to use quotation marks correctly and how to place commas, periods, and other marks with them. Find out the rules for run-in and block quotations, quotes within quotes, and other uses of quotation marks.
Use a comma to introduce a quotation after a standard dialogue tag, a brief introductory phrase, or a dependent clause. ... Put commas and periods within quotation marks, except when a parenthetical reference follows. He said, "I may forget your name, but I never forget a face." History is stained with blood spilled in the name of "civilization."
In American English, before closing quotation marks; in British English, after. Introducing Dialogue with Commas: Use a comma before quotation marks, unless the material fits into the sentence’s flow. Commas with Interrupted Quotations: Commas set off interruptions like “he said.” Placement varies between American and British English.
Learn how to use quotation marks correctly and punctuate them consistently. Find out when to place a comma inside or outside quotes, and see examples of different types of punctuation marks with quotations.
When the Quotation Marks Surround a Title. When the quotation marks surround a title (and not an actual quote), treat the noun like any other noun. Just pretend the quotation marks aren’t there at all. As The Chicago Manual of Style says, “Commas are used or omitted as they would be with any other noun.”
When you include quoted material or dialogue in a sentence then you should precede it with a comma unless it fits into the flow of the sentence seamlessly, e.g. The President said that there is "no smoking gun" to be found. In these cases, the sentence would be syntactically correct without the quotation marks, and you are just using the quotation marks to show that the quote is a direct quote.
Quotation marks come in pairs, one before and one after the quoted text. The quoted text itself should never either start or end with a comma. So the answer is you can only put a comma before the quote mark that introduces a quote, or after the quote mark that terminates a quote. –
Master the art of punctuation with our guide on 9 Quotations Rules to Perfect Your Writing Punctuation. Learn essential techniques for using quotation marks, dialogue, and indirect speech, while avoiding common mistakes. Improve clarity, consistency, and professionalism in your writing with these expert tips, enhancing readability and grammatical accuracy across all written content.
APA 7 follows the American convention: place commas and periods inside quotation marks, except when a parenthetical reference immediately follows the quote. ... The placement rule is the same for single and double quotation marks: in American English the period stays inside; in British English it moves outside unless it belongs to the quote. ...
American style requires that a period or a comma come before the closing quotation mark (as outlined in the AP Stylebook, the Chicago Manual of Style, MLA Style, and APA Style). Punctuation goes inside the quotation marks when quoting a direct phrase that ends the sentence or quoting something within a sentence.
