How do I use them?

Used to quote exactly what someone says. In this case, the quotations marks go around the word or phrase. Examples: Sarah smiled and said, "Yes." I looked up from my desk and said, "No, you can't have a cookie."

Indirect quotations are when you reference what someone said, but you’re not quoting them exactly. In this situation, no quotation marks are needed. Examples: He wondered whether Sarah would say yes. I looked up from my desk and told him no, he couldn't have a cookie.

Commas and periods ALWAYS go before the quotation marks. Squiggly said, “I hate packing for a vacation.” “I hate packing for a vacation,” said the yellow snail.

Other punctuation marks, such as exclamation points and question marks, are placed according the context of the quotation In this sentence, the whole thing is a question, so the question mark goes after the closing quotation mark: Did she ask you whether you enjoyed U2’s song “Pride”? However, in this sentence only the part in quotation marks is a question, so the question mark goes inside the closing quotation mark: I love Peter, Paul and Mary’s song “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”

With semicolons, colons, asterisks, and dashes, we get back to a simple rule. They always go outside the closing quotation mark. I loved the song “Where have all the flowers gone?”; it’s insightful and moving. “Where have all the flowers gone?”: A Moving and Insightful Song. One of Peter, Paul and Mary’s greatest hits is “Where have all the flowers gone?”* I love “Where have all the flowers gone?”--it’s insightful and moving.

1. Mary is trying hard in school this semester, her father said. 2. No, the taxi driver said curtly, I cannot get you to the airport in fifteen minutes. 3. I believe, Jack remarked, that the best time of year to visit Europe is in the spring. At least that's what I read in a book entitled Guide to Europe.

1. “Mary is trying hard in school this semester,” her father said. 2. “No,” the taxi driver said curtly, “I cannot get you to the airport in fifteen minutes.” 3. “I believe,” Jack remarked, “that the best time of year to visit Europe is in the spring. At least that's what I read in a book entitled Guide to Europe.”

4. My French professor told me that my accent is abominable. 5. She asked, Is Time a magazine you read regularly? 6. Flannery O'Connor probably got the title of one of her stories from the words of the old popular song, A Good Man Is Hard to Find.

8. Yesterday, John said, This afternoon I'll bring back your book Conflict in the Middle East; however, he did not return it. 9. Can you believe, Dot asked me, that it has been almost five years since we've seen each other? 10. A Perfect Day for Bananafish is, I believe, J. D. Salinger's best short story. 11. Certainly, Mr. Martin said, I shall explain the whole situation to him. I know that he will understand.