1. Quotation Marks
* Double quotes (" "): Most common in American English.
* Single quotes (' '): Common in British English.
2. Comma (,)
* Use a comma before the quotation marks when the speaker's words are introduced by a phrase like "he said" or "she asked".
* Example: "I'm going to the store," she said.
3. Period (.)
* Place the period inside the closing quotation marks if the entire sentence is spoken.
* Example: He said, "I'm happy to help."
4. Question Mark (?)
* Place the question mark inside the closing quotation marks if the question is part of the quoted speech.
* Example: "Are you coming to the party?" she asked.
5. Exclamation Point (!)
* Place the exclamation point inside the closing quotation marks if the exclamation is part of the quoted speech.
* Example: "This is amazing!" he exclaimed.
6. Colon (:)
* Use a colon after an introductory phrase that leads directly into quoted speech.
* Example: He announced: "The meeting will begin at 10:00 AM."
7. Multiple Sentences
* When a quote spans multiple sentences, use quotation marks around each sentence.
* Example: "I'm tired," she said. "I think I'll go to bed early."
8. Dialogue Tags
* Phrases like "he said," "she asked," or "they exclaimed" are called dialogue tags.
* They can go before, after, or even within the quoted speech.
Example:
"I'm so hungry," she said, "I could eat a horse."
Important Note: Punctuation rules for direct speech can differ slightly between American and British English. Be sure to check the style guide for your specific writing context.