Grammar Power

I can show respect for my readers and for my own ideas by writing in formal American English.

Punctuation and Quotation

Overview:
When you quote a source, you must use quotation marks as long as the quote is fewer than 40 words. You will usually incorporate the quote into your own sentence:
Marcus Aurelius said that everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact.

When you incorporate the quote into your own sentence, some punctuation will go inside the quotes and some will go outside the quotes. If no punctuation is necessary in your sentence, no punctuation goes inside OR outside the quotes.

Comma the Kitten You cant go outside, I said.

She wants to go outside the quotes, but shes not allowed!

Puppy the Period You cant go outside either.

What if he got run over by the rest of the sentence????

Exclamation Point Elephant Elephants should be outside!

Unless they were in the original sentence AND you are ending your own sentence.

Exception with Elephant Example

This elephant just had the cutest baby in the known universe!

Question Mark Koala Dont question marks belong outside too?

Indeed they do, except when they are in the same situation as the elephant.

Exception with Koala Example

One might ask, Is this actually the cutest baby in the known universe?

Crocodile Colon
Items after a colon make a list:
Lazy, apathetic, dull, drowsy, slothful, comatose, unconcerned, lackadaisical crocs STILL belong outside.

Semicolon Sea Lion They are incredible creatures;

but you wouldnt want one in your bathtub. Outside!

No punctuation necessary You can set your punctuation free when it makes sense to do so.

Quote Within a Quote

Big Bertha said, And then Luella whispered, I heard Berthas had a hip enhancement. Can you believe it? With my girlish figure?

OR: And then Luella whispered, I heard Berthas had a hip enhancement.
Double quotes on the outside, single quotes on the inside, with puppy periods and kitty commas COMPLETELY inside.

Summary
Kitten commas and puppy periods stay INSIDE quotation marks, even if they werent in the original quote. Elephant exclamation points, koala question marks, crocodile colons and sea lion semicolons go OUTSIDE quotation marks, UNLESS they belong to the quote AND make sense in your sentence. If your sentence needs no punctuation, do not punctuate the sentence either inside OR outside the quotes. Double quotes go on the outside, single quotes on the inside if theres a quote within a quote.

PART TWO: Punctuation Before Quotation Marks

She said, Hello.

If you say, She said, you are creating dialogue.

You need a comma after says or said, and a capital letter for the first word of the quote.

He explained it this way: What follows is a long explanation.

If your quote explains something at length, you are once again creating dialogue as long as you use said or explained, etc. After the colon (NOT a semicolon), you still need a capital letter to start the quote.

They said that he never really cared about her.

When you use that, your sentence continues without dialogue.

You do not need any punctuation before the quote, or a capital letter to start the quote.

RULE NUMBER ONE:

YOUR sentence is the one that counts! Make it right!

Thank you for watching!