“You’ll never guess what happened to me yesterday!”
“What?”
“No, you have to guess.”
quotation marks.
For other uses of quotation marks, see Quotation Marks Indicate More than Dialogue
Table of Contents
Exact words spoken
Warning: The American system is different from the British. This page refers to the American way of handling quotations and dialogue.
When using curly quotation marks, the ones that open to the right (“) are for beginning the spoken words. Those that open to the left (”) should finish what is being said.
Examples:
- “Help! Help me!” he yelled.
- (These are his exact words, so they should be inside the quotation marks.)
- He yelled for help.
- (No quotation marks because these are not the exact words he yelled. He did not yell, “For help.”)
- “I won’t be home until tomorrow,” she explained. “My car broke down.”
- (The words she said are inside the quotation marks.)
- She explained that she wouldn’t be home until tomorrow because her car broke down.
- (No quotation marks because these are not the exact words she spoke.)
Dialogue tags
Some are short, and others are more creative. A dialogue tag may have action involved, but it should include a speaking word (“said,” “replied,” “asked,” “queried,” etc., in either the present or the past [or the future, although that would not be common]).
Not every line of dialogue needs a tag. Conversation back and forth between two speakers should have an early tag so the reader knows who is speaking. An extended conversation might have another tag or two later to clarify who is speaking.
A tag before the spoken words should be followed by a comma. The spoken words after begin with a capital letter.
Examples of dialogue tags at the beginning:
- He said, “Tell me you still want to marry me.”
- (Comma after “said.”)
- (Capital “T” to begin what he said.)
- She replied, “Of course, I do, silly.”
- (Comma after “replied.”)
- (Capital “O” to begin what she replied.)
When the dialogue tag comes between two groups of spoken words, the first group should end with a comma (not a period), a question mark, or an exclamation mark inside the closing quotation mark. The ending punctuation follows the tag. The spoken words that follow the tag begin with a capital letter and end with an appropriate ending punctuation. Periods ALWAYS go inside the closing double quotation mark.
Examples of dialogue tags in the middle:
- “Enough,” the best man interrupted. “We don’t have time for this.”
- (“Enough” is followed by a comma inside the closing quotation mark.)
- (The dialogue tag is followed by a period.)
- “We need you two,” the minister poked his head in the door and said. “Everyone is waiting.”
- (The spoken words before the dialogue tag end in a comma inside the closing quotation mark.)
- (The dialogue tag ending in “said” is followed by a period.)
When the tag interrupts the spoken words, a comma before the closing quotation mark ends the beginning spoken words. The tag itself is followed by a comma to indicate the continuing words. Because it follows a comma, the tag and the second part of the spoken words begin with lower-case letters unless either or both begin with a proper noun.
Examples of interrupting dialogue tags:
- “I don’t know,” answered the prospective groom, “if we do want to go through with this.”
- (The groom’s answer is interrupted by the tag.)
- (A comma follows the first part of the groom’s answer.)
- (The tag itself ends with a comma to indicate that more of the answer is coming.)
- “Maybe not you,” the bride whispered, “but I did before now.”
- (What the bride whispered is interrupted by the tag.)
- (The first part of her whisper is followed by a comma.)
- (The tag itself ends with a comma to indicate that more of her thought is coming.)
If an initial dialogue tag is a question or exclamation, the closing quotation mark goes first followed by the question or exclamation mark.
If only the quoted words are a question/exclamation, the question/exclamation mark goes inside the closing quotation marks.
Examples:
- Would you believe he told me, “Whatever you want, I will do”?
- (The whole sentence is the question, so the question mark goes outside.)
- He asked her, “What would you like me to do?”
- (Only what is inside the quotation marks is a question, so the question mark goes inside the final quotation mark.)
- When do you think she will answer, “Yes”?
- (The whole sentence is a question, so the question mark goes outside.)
- She won’t answer until he asks her, “Will you marry me?”
- (Only what is inside the quotation marks is a question, so the question mark goes inside the final quotation mark.)
- He won $500 because he could spell “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”!
- (The entire sentence is an exclamation, so the exclamation mark goes outside the closing quotation mark.)
- After the dog fell into the well, its owner shouted over and over, “Help! My dog has fallen into the well!”
- (What the owner shouted is the exclamation, so the exclamation mark goes inside the closing quotation mark.)
- The private spent ten days in the brig because he called the major, “Captain”!
- (The entire sentence is an exclamation, so the exclamation mark goes outside the closing quotation mark.)
- I didn’t believe Josh when he told me excitedly, “I saw the President! Mom! I saw the President!”
- (The exclamation is what is inside the quotation marks, so the exclamation mark goes inside the closing quotation mark.)
If the question or exclamation mark comes at the beginning or in the middle, the question/exclamation mark replaces the comma.
Examples:
- “What would you like to me do?” he asked her.
- (The question mark inside the closing quotation mark takes the place of the comma that would precede the dialogue tag.)
- Her voice cracked as she yelled, “You couldn’t possibly believe that!” and she ran out of the room.
- (The exclamation mark inside the closing quotation mark takes the place of the comma that would precede the dialogue tag.)
But what if the question inside the quotation marks ends a question? Use the inside question mark only.
The same would be true for a quoted exclamation inside an exclamation.
Examples:
- Do you remember who asked, “What do I do now?”
- (Both the sentence and the spoken words are questions.)
- (The question mark goes inside the closing quotation mark.)
- I know he never said that! He would never have said, “I can’t do that!”
- (Both the sentence and the spoken words are exclamations. )
- (The exclamation mark goes inside the closing quotation mark.)
Exception:
Sometimes the spoken words serve as a subject or an object in the sentence. In that case, commas surrounding it are not necessary.
Examples:
- “You won’t ever leave” was the thought hanging over all of us.
- (“You won’t ever leave” is the subject of the sentence. )
- (No comma required.)
- Threatening “This is the end” brought the whole conversation to a stop.
- (“This is the end” is the object of “threatening.”)
- (No comma required.)
Action tags
An action tag has no “speaking” words. It identifies the speaker by telling what he/she/it did, not what he/she/it said/asked/exclaimed.
It should be within the same paragraph as the words spoken. If necessary for identification, it should be close enough to the beginning that the reader recognizes who is speaking.
Periods and commas always go inside the closing double quotation mark. ALWAYS! Every time! Regardless!
If the action tag comes before or after the spoken words, the tag and the spoken words each end with an ending punctuation mark (period, question mark, exclamation mark). Each begins with a capital letter. They are separate sentences and should be treated as such.
Examples:
- The groom dropped to his knees. “Tell me you still want to marry me.”
- “Of course, I do, silly.” She raised him and gave him a big, slurpy kiss.
- “Stop! We don’t have time for this.” The best man grabbed them each by the hand.
- The minister poked his head in the door. “People are waiting!”
If the action tag interrupts the spoken words, then it gets tricky.
If the action cuts off the speech, then terminate the speech with an em dash inside the closing quotation mark. That would occur when another character speaks and interrupts, when something external happens, or even when the character interrupts him/her/itself. The first letter of the tag should be capitalized as a separate sentence.
Examples:
- The groom dropped to his knees. “Tell me you still—”
- She raised him and gave him a big, slurpy kiss.
- (The groom’s request was interrupted when she raised him.)
- (The dash indicates the interruption.)
- (“She raised him …” is a separate sentence, so the first letter is capitalized.)
- “Stop! We don’t have—” The ring box clattered to the floor as he raised his hand.
- (The ring box clattering to the floor interrupted the best man.)
- (The dash indicated the interruption.)
- (“The ring box …” is a separate sentence, so the first letter is capitalized.)
- “So do you or—” She put her hand over her mouth to stop her question.
- (Putting her hand over her mouth interrupted her question.)
- (The dash indicated the interruption.)
- (“She put …” is a separate sentence, so the first letter is capitalized.)
Thinking/wondering
Consistency is important as some writers feel that too much italicized text makes for difficult reading.
If using quotation marks and the reader needs to know that these words are not spoken aloud, an appropriate dialogue tag will clarify the silence of the words.
Examples:
- When should I go? she wondered.
- (Italicized thought with an optional dialogue tag. The first letter of the dialogue tag is in lower case, unless it begins the sentence.)
- When should I go? She looked at her watch.
- (Italicized thought with an action tag. The first letter of the action tag is capitalized.)
- “When should I go?” she wondered.
- (Thought in quotation marks, not italicized, needs a dialogue tag to indicate to the reader that nobody else hears this.)
Periods and commas
A period or comma may go outside a closing single quotation mark, but only if it comes inside the closing double quotation mark.
Examples:
- “That can’t be true,” he said, raising his eyebrows.
- (Comma inside the closing quotation mark.)
- “That’s what they told me,” she replied, shrugging her shoulders.
- (Comma inside the closing quotation mark.)
- “Well, I don’t believe it.” He turned to walk away.
- (Period inside the closing quotation mark.)
- “Whether you believe it or not doesn’t matter. It’s what happened.” She sighed and left the room.
If the spoken question or exclamation comes before the dialogue tag, the question mark or the exclamation mark goes inside the closing quotation mark.
NO COMMA FOLLOWS the closing quotation mark.
The rest of the sentence is punctuated normally: a period for a statement, a question mark for a question, or an exclamation mark for an exclamation.
Examples:
- “May I go now?” the child asked.
- (Question mark after the question and before the closing quotation mark.)
- (Period after the dialogue tag because it is a sentence.)
- “Help!” she yelled in my ear!
- (Exclamation mark after the exclamation and before the closing quotation mark.)
- (Exclamation mark after the dialogue tag because it too is an exclamation.)
Otherwise, if only the dialogue tag is a question or an exclamation, the question mark or exclamation mark goes outside the closing quotation mark.
No period goes before the closing quotation mark. One ending punctuation mark is all the sentence is allowed.
Examples:
- Did he really say, “I’m going to rob a bank”?
- (Comma after the dialogue tag.)
- (No punctuation between the end of the spoken words and the closing quotation mark.)
- (Question mark after the closing quotation mark.)
- I can’t believe he really said, “I’m going to rob a bank”!
- (Comma after the dialogue tag.)
- (No punctuation between the end of the spoken words and the closing quotation mark.)
- (Exclamation mark after the closing quotation mark.)
- What did the clerk say when he told her, “I’m robbing this bank”?
- (Comma after the dialogue tag.)
- (No punctuation between the end of the spoken words and the closing quotation mark.)
- (Question mark after the closing quotation mark.)
- The clerk screamed when he told her, “I’m robbing this bank”!
- (Comma after the dialogue tag.)
- (No punctuation between the end of the spoken words and the closing quotation mark.)
- (Exclamation mark after the closing quotation mark.)
When the spoken words are a question or exclamation, the question mark or exclamation mark go inside the closing quotation mark. It serves to notify the reader of both the dialogue tag and the spoken question or exclamation.
No period follows the closing quotation mark. One ending punctuation mark is all the sentence is allowed.
Examples:
- They never asked me, “Can we borrow the car?”
- (Comma after the dialogue tag, “They never asked me”)
- (Question mark after the question but before the closing quotation mark.)
- Just before the ball went out of the park, the pitcher yelled, “Catch it!”
- (Comma after the dialogue tag, “the pitcher yelled”)
- (Exclamation mark after the exclamation but before the closing quotation mark)
- Did they ever ask me, “Can we borrow the car?”
- (Comma after the dialogue tag, “Did they ever ask me”)
- (Question mark after the question but before the closing quotation mark.)
- (The question mark after the spoken question serves double duty, working for both questions.)
- We LOST the game because the infielder yelled back, “I can’t!” Cut him from the team!
- (Comma after the exclamatory dialogue tag.)
- (Exclamation mark after the exclamation but before the closing quotation mark.)
- (The exclamation mark after the exclamation serves double duty, working for both exclamations.)
Single quotation marks
Single quotation marks are ONLY used to quote someone speaking within spoken words, within what is already dialogue, within double quotation marks. It may be the speaker quoting him/herself.
Examples:
- On one knee, the young man asked, “If I ask you to marry me, will you say, ‘Yes’?”
- (“Yes” is not a question, so the single quotation mark [‘] goes before the question mark. What he asks is a question, so the question mark [?] goes inside the closing quotation mark [“].)
- She replied, “If I say, ‘Yes,’ will you ask me?”
- (Commas always go inside the closing double quotation marks, so “Yes” is followed by the comma [,] and then the closing single quotation mark [‘].)
When the speaker is making a lengthy speech of more than one paragraph, begin the first paragraph with an opening quotation mark, but do not put a closing quotation mark until the end of the speaker’s words.
Not all dialogue is limited to a few sentences. Sometimes the speaker delivers a “speech” of more than one paragraph.
Each new paragraph should begin with an opening quotation mark.
Example (each paragraph shortened)
- “I can’t tell you how much …
- “Then he hit me with a …
- “And I responded with …”
All paragraphs begin with an opening quotation mark. First and second do NOT end with a closing quotation mark; only the last one does.
Example:
- The chef turned to his new assistant. “Let me explain to you exactly how I want the dishes washed.
- “First, you will rinse them thoroughly in warm, not hot, water to remove all the remains of the food.
- “Then you will stack them neatly in the dishwasher. Glasses go on top, plates go below.
- “After you have run the dishwasher, you will hand dry them with a clean towel.
- “Do you understand?“
(First, second, third, fourth, and fifth paragraphs have opening quotation marks. Only the last [fifth] paragraph has closing quotation marks.
An exclamation mark may accompany the question mark if the intention is to use an interrobang.
A question mark is an ending punctuation. It may follow the period after an abbreviation.
Examples:
- “What do we do now?” asked the little boy.
- (No comma after the spoken words. The question mark does the job by itself.)
- “Nothing! Absolutely nothing!” replied his brother.
- (No comma before the dialogue tag. The exclamation mark is sufficient.)
- “Nothing?! Really?! But how do we find Nate Jr.?”
- (Interrobang indicates the little boy’s disbelief.)
- (The period to indicated the abbreviation of Junior is followed by the question mark.)
- “He’ll find us. We’re in his favorite place.”
Image Credit: Photo by Mihai Surdu on Unsplash