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Punctuation in direct speech

We use inverted commas (also called quotation marks, quotes or speech marks) to indicate direct speech. Double quotes (") are preferred in American English, while single quotes (') are more common in British English:

" I'm coming home late tonight, " she said. (American English) ' I'm coming home late tonight, ' she said. (British English)

If we quote within direct speech, we use the other style for the embedded quotation:

"She said, ' I'm coming home late tonight ', " recalled Jim. (American English) 'She said, " I'm coming home late tonight ", ' recalled Jim. (British English)

As can be seen in the examples above, a comma ( , ) is used at the end of the quotation, before the closing speech mark.

A comma is also used before the quotation if we start the sentence with the reporting clause. In this case the terminal full stop (.) comes before the closing speech mark:

She added , "Don't expect me before 11 . "

If the quotation is a question or exclamation, the terminal marks ( ? and ! ) also come before the closing speech marks:

"Hurry up ! " he shouted. She asked, "Am I late ? "

The quotation normally begins with a capital letter, except if it is interrupted by a reporting clause, in which case the first letter of the continuation is not capitalised:

" I 'm coming home late tonight," she said and added, " d on't expect me before 11."

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Direct speech writing rules in English

7th January 2019 by Andrew 14 Comments

In the above picture, Mark is talking to Jane. The words inside the blue box are the exact words that he speaks.

Here is how we express this:

This is direct speech. Direct speech is when we report the exact words that somebody says.

In this English lesson, you will learn:

• The rules for writing direct speech.
• The correct punctuation.
• Vocabulary to report direct speech.

Reporting clause before the direct speech

The reporting clause of direct speech is the short clause that indicates who is talking. It is the clause that is outside of the inverted commas. It is therefore not the words being spoken.

We can write the reporting clause either before or after the direct speech. If the reporting clause is before the direct speech, we write it as follows:

Grammar rules – If the reporting clause is before the direct speech:

We write a comma (,) before the direct speech. We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a full stop (.) before the closing inverted commas.

Reporting clause before a question or exclamation

If the reporting clause is before a question or exclamation:

We write a comma (,) before the direct speech. We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a question mark (?) before the closing inverted commas. or We write an exclamation mark (!) before the closing inverted commas.

Reporting clause after the direct speech

If the reporting clause is after the direct speech:

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a comma (,) before the closing inverted commas. We write a full stop (.) at the end of the reporting clause.

Reporting clause after a question or exclamation

If the reporting clause is after a question or exclamation:

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a question mark (?) before the closing inverted commas. or We write an exclamation mark (!) before the closing inverted commas. We write a full stop (.) at the end of the reporting clause.

Advanced rules for direct speech

Sometimes we break up the direct speech into 2 parts:

The second part of the direct speech starts with a small letter if it is the same sentence as the first part of the direct speech.

The second part of the direct speech starts with a capital letter if it is a new sentence.

Vocabulary of direct speech

We have several names for the above punctuation marks:

Inverted commas Speech marks Quotation marks Quotes

Other reporting verbs

Here are some other useful reporting verbs:

reply (replied) ask (asked) shout (shouted) agree (agreed) comment (commented) admit (admitted)

They are often used for writing direct speech in books, newspapers and reports. It is more common to use them in reporting clauses after the direct speech.

“I really don’t like her dress,” she commented . “I don’t love you anymore,” he admitted .

Other English lessons

Private online English lessons How to pass the IELTS with a band 8 Adverbs of frequency Indefinite article “a” and “an” The prepositions FOR and SINCE All of our lessons

Direct speech video lesson

Reader Interactions

Matěj Formánek says

3rd November 2019 at 5:54 pm

How about this sentence: I know the satnav is wrong!” exclaimed Zena. – Why the subject and predicate are swapped? It’s sentence from textbook so I’m confused.

17th June 2020 at 4:07 pm

Can we write multiple sentences in direct speech that comes before reporting clause? In case if this is allowed, what punctuation mark should be used after the last sentence?

Example: “I entered the class room. As I did not find anybody there, I left the class room and went to buy a coffee.” explained the student to the teacher for his delay to come to the class.

Should the punctuation mark after the word coffee be comma instead of full stop?

Joaquim Barretto says

14th September 2020 at 1:25 pm

No full stop, but comma after the word coffee.

19th January 2021 at 2:34 pm

HI IM DAISY

courtney says

27th January 2021 at 12:07 pm

Clare Hatcher says

12th March 2021 at 9:55 am

Hello I like the layout of this – very clear. Just wondering if it is correct to use a comma in between two separate sentences in direct speech. I think that now in published material you find this instead. ‘I’m tired,’ she said. ‘Let’s stay at home.’ Would appreciate your thoughts Thanks

27th March 2021 at 8:54 am

If I wrote something with a comma at the end to continue speech like this:

“Hello,” he waved to the new student, “what’s you’re name?”

Do I have to use a capital letter even if I’m continuing with a comma or is it lowercase?

Sylvia Edouard says

30th September 2023 at 9:17 am

Yes, you need to use a capital letter as speech from someone has to start with a capital letter. Always.

15th April 2022 at 12:12 pm

which of the following is correct?

1. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document?”

2. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document,”? (comma inside)

3. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document.”? (full stop inside)

Jan Švanda says

7th September 2023 at 1:31 pm

I presume the quotation is there to specify the exact phrase (for the metadata entry). I also encounter this from time to time, when writing technical documentation. I believe in that case you should write the phrase as it is, proper grammar be damned; beautifully looking documentation is useless if it leads to incorrect results.

In this case, I don’t even think this is “direct speech”, the metadata entry isn’t walking around and saying things, the quotation mark is there to indicate precise phrase – similar to marking strings in programming languages. Because of this, I don’t think direct speech rules apply, or at least, they should take back seat. If the expected status includes full stop at the end, the sentence would be:

4. Should the status go missing when the metadata states “Sign & return document.”? (no comma before, since it is not a direct speech; full stop inside, as it is part of the quoted status)

From grammatical perspective the end looks a bit ugly, but again, if this should be technical documentation, that is less important than precision.

A person says

15th August 2022 at 7:16 pm

One extra thing: YOU MUST NOT USE THE WORD SAID IN A REPORTING CLAUSE. EVER. IT’S UNIMAGINATIVE.

no joke, it’s actually discouraged and even close to banned at my school

7th September 2023 at 1:49 pm

This is stupid. You shouldn’t use it in _every_ sentence, there should be variety, but outright banning it doesn’t make sense.

Case in point:

Book: ‘Pride and Prejudice’. Phrase to search: ‘,” said’ (comma, followed by quotation mark, followed by space, followed by word ‘said’). Number of occurrences: 211. Total number of ‘,”‘ (comma, followed by quotation mark) strings is 436, so “said” is used in almost 50% cases of direct speech of this type.

I don’t think it would be right for your school to ban Jane Austin, do you?

blaire says

30th March 2024 at 5:36 pm

How do you use names in direct speech?

Is it: “I really don’t like her dress,” Ashley said. or “I really don’t like her dress,” said Ashley.

I’ve seen both and I’m so confused which one is correct, please help me.

Andrew says

3rd April 2024 at 11:31 am

Hello and thanks for your comment and question.

After the direct speech, both are correct.

Before the direct speech, only the first one is correct:

Ashley said, “I really don’t like her dress.” (correct) Said Ashley, “I really don’t like her dress.” (wrong)

I hope that helps you. Andrew https://www.youtube.com/@CrownAcademyEnglish/

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Direct Speech or Quoted Speech

Introduction to direct speech or quoted speech.

Direct Speech, also known as Quoted Speech, is a common grammatical construction used in both written and spoken language. This tutorial serves as a comprehensive guide to mastering this important literary device. Let's start by understanding what direct speech is.

Table of Contents

Understanding Direct Speech

Direct speech refers to the exact wording of someone's comments or speech as it was spoken. In written text, direct speech usually appears in quotation marks or inverted commas to denote that the words were spoken or written by another person. The actual text of direct speech punctuated with a speech tag, which identifies the speaker and might provide additional context.

• John said, "I love playing football."

In this example, "I love playing football," is the direct speech, and "John said," is the speech tag.

Formatting Direct Speech

Following are some standard rules regarding the formatting and punctuating of direct speech:

Rule 1: Opening and Closing Quotation Marks

Always use opening and closing quotation marks to indicate the start and end of the direct speech portion of the sentence. These could be double (“ ”) or single (‘ ’) quotation marks, depending on the convention of the media or publication.

• "I am going home," said Maria.

Rule 2: Speech Tag Placement

The location of the speech tag can change, depending on the context and the intended effect. It can either be placed before, in between, or after the direct speech.

• She said, "I am tired."
• "I am," he said, "very hungry."
• "Let's go to the park," suggested Tim.

Rule 3: Capitalization and Punctuation

In direct speech, every new spoken line starts with a capital letter. Also, when the speech tag is at the end of the sentence, the quoted sentence should end with a comma, question mark, or exclamation mark but not with a period.

• John said, "Please pass the salt."
• "Where are we going?" asked Mary.
• "What a beautiful view!" exclaimed Susan.

Understanding the Speech Tag

The speech tag typically has two parts: the noun (or noun phrase) that refers to the speaker and the reporting verb (e.g., "said", "asked", "whispered") that characterizes the mode of speech. It's also possible to add adverbial modifiers to describe the manner of speech.

• "I can't wait to play the game," Tom said excitedly.

Overriding Rules in Direct Speech

While the rules mentioned above can guide you in punctuating most direct speeches correctly, some exceptions or overriding rules can alter punctuation and capitalization. Here are some examples:

Rule 1: Interrupted Speech

If the speech tag interrupts the direct speech, both parts of the speech would begin with a lowercase letter, assuming they form a single sentence.

• "I can't," she whispered, "stand to see him upset."

Rule 2: Consecutive Sentences

When a character speaks consecutive sentences, start the second one with a capital letter.

• "Please leave," she said. "I need to be alone."

Concluding Remarks

Mastering direct speech or quoted speech can enhance your writing skills tremendously, helping you write compelling dialogue and effectively integrate quotes in your work. By following the guidelines set in this tutorial, you'll be well on your way to using direct speech like a pro. Happy writing!

Practice Exercises:

• Rewrite the following sentences with appropriate use of quoted speech:
• Sam said that he was too tired to study.
• Jane thought that it was a splendid idea.
• He didn't know where she was going.
• Use direct speech to write a conversation between two characters about their weekend plans.

Related Posts:

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Punctuation

The most common punctuation marks in English are: capital letters and full stops, question marks, commas, colons and semi-colons, exclamation marks and quotation marks.

In speaking, we use pauses and the pitch of the voice to make what we say clear. Punctuation plays a similar role in writing, making it easier to read.

Punctuation consists of both rules and conventions. There are rules of punctuation that have to be followed; but there are also punctuation conventions that give writers greater choice.

Punctuation: capital letters (B, D) and full stops (.)

We use capital letters to mark the beginning of a sentence and we use full stops to mark the end of a sentence:

W e went to France last summer. W e were really surprised that it was so easy to travel on the motorways.

T he Football World Cup takes place every four years. T he next World Cup will be held in South Africa. I n 2006 it was held in Germany.

We also use capital letters at the beginning of proper nouns. Proper nouns include personal names (including titles before names), nationalities and languages, days of the week and months of the year, public holidays as well as geographical places:

D r D avid J ames is the consultant at L eeds C ity H ospital.

They are planning a long holiday in N ew Z ealand.

Can she speak J apanese?

The next meeting of the group will take place on T hursday.

What plans do you have for C hinese N ew Y ear?

We use capital letters for the titles of books, magazines and newspapers, plays and music:

‘ O liver’ is a musical based on the novel ‘ O liver T wist’ by Charles Dickens.

The S traits T imes is a daily English language newspaper in Singapore.

They are performing Beethoven’s S ixth S ymphony.

In addition to closing sentences, we also use full stops in initials for personal names:

G. W. Dwyer

David A. Johnston, Accountant

Full stops are also used after abbreviations, although this practice is becoming less common:

Noun phrases

Punctuation: question marks (?) and exclamation marks (!)

We use question marks to make clear that what is said is a question. When we use a question mark, we do not use a full stop:

Why do they make so many mistakes ?

A: So you’re Harry’s cousin ? B: Yes. That’s right .

We use exclamation marks to indicate an exclamative clause or expression in informal writing. When we want to emphasise something in informal writing, we sometimes use more than one exclamation mark:

Oh no !!! Please don’t ask me to phone her. She’ll talk for hours !!!

Exclamative clauses

Punctuation: commas (,)

We use commas to separate a list of similar words or phrases:

It’s important to write in clear, simple, accurate words.

They were more friendly, more talkative, more open than last time we met them.

We do not normally use a comma before and at the end of a list of single words:

They travelled through Bulgaria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland.

American English does use a comma in lists before and :

We took bread, cheese, and fruit with us.

We use commas to separate words or phrases that mark where the voice would pause slightly:

I can’t tell you now. However, all will be revealed tomorrow at midday.

We had, in fact, lost all of our money.

James, our guide, will accompany you on the boat across to the island.

Separating clauses with commas

When main clauses are separated by and , or , but , we don’t normally use a comma if the clauses have the same subject. However, we sometimes use commas if the clauses have different subjects:

They were very friendly and invited us to their villa in Portugal. (same subject)

Footballers these days earn more money but they are fitter and play many more matches. (same subject)

It was an expensive hotel in the centre of Stockholm, but we decided it was worth the money. (different subjects)

When a subordinate clause comes before the main clause, we commonly use a comma to separate the clauses. However, we do not always do this in short sentences:

If you get lost in the city centre, please don’t hesitate to text us or phone us.

If you get lost just phone us.

When we use subordinate or non-finite comment clauses to give further details or more information, we commonly use commas to separate the clauses:

You do need to wear a darker jacket, if I may say so.

To be honest, I thought they were very very rude.

Commas and relative clauses

We use commas to mark non-defining clauses. Such clauses normally add extra, non-essential information about the noun or noun phrase:

The ambulance, which arrived after just five minutes, took three people to the hospital immediately.

Hong Kong, where the first ASEAN meeting was held, is a very different city now.

The same is true for non-finite clauses:

The storm, lasting as it did for several days, caused serious damage to villages near the coast.

We don’t use commas to mark defining clauses:

Barcelona was the Spanish city that was selected for the Olympic Games.

Not: … the Spanish city, that was selected …

Commas and speech forms

We commonly separate tags and yes-no responses with commas:

They are going to the party, aren’t they?

No, thank you. I’ve already eaten too much.

We also usually separate vocatives, discourse markers and interjections with commas:

Open the door for them, Kayleigh , can you. Thanks. (vocative)

Well , what do you think we should do about it? (discourse marker)

Wow , that sounds really exciting. (interjection)

We use commas to show that direct speech is following or has just occurred:

He said in his opening speech, ‘Now is the time to plan for the future.’ (or He said in his opening speech: ‘Now is the time to plan for the future .’)

When the direct speech is first, we use a comma before the closing of the quotation marks:

‘We don’t want to go on holiday to the same place every year,’ he said impatiently.

Reported speech

Punctuation: colons (:) and semi-colons (;)

We use colons to introduce lists:

There are three main reasons for the success of the government: economic, social and political.

We also use colons to indicate a subtitle or to indicate a subdivision of a topic:

Life in Provence : A Personal View

We often use colons to introduce direct speech:

Then he said : ‘I really cannot help you in any way.’

We commonly use a colon between sentences when the second sentence explains or justifies the first sentence:

Try to keep your flat clean and tidy : it will sell more easily.

We use semi-colons instead of full stops to separate two main clauses. In such cases, the clauses are related in meaning but are separated grammatically:

Spanish is spoken throughout South America; in Brazil the main language is Portuguese.

Semi-colons are not commonly used in contemporary English. Full stops and commas are more common.

Punctuation: quotation marks (‘…’ or “…”)

Quotation marks in English are ‘…’ or “…”. In direct speech, we enclose what is said within a pair of single or double quotation marks, although single quotation marks are becoming more common. Direct speech begins with a capital letter and can be preceded by a comma or a colon:

She said, “ Where can we find a nice Indian restaurant? ” (or She said: ‘Where can we find a nice Indian restaurant?’ )

We can put the reporting clause in three different positions. Note the position of commas and full stops here:

The fitness trainer said, ‘Don’t try to do too much when you begin.’ (quotation mark after comma introducing speech and after full stop)

‘ Don’t try to do too much when you begin ,’ the fitness trainer said. (comma before closing quotation mark)

‘ Don’t try to do too much ,’ the fitness trainer said , ‘ when you begin. ’ (commas separating the reporting clause)

When we use direct speech inside direct speech, we use either single quotation marks inside double quotation marks, or double quotation marks inside single quotation marks:

“ It was getting really cold, ” he said, “ and they were saying ‘ When can we go back home? ’”

Jaya said, ‘ They were getting really excited and were shouting “ Come on! ”’ .

We commonly use question marks inside the quotation marks unless the question is part of the reporting clause:

‘Why don’t they know who is responsible?’ they asked.

So did they really say ‘We will win every match for the next three weeks’?

We also use single quotation marks to draw attention to a word. We can use quotation marks in this way when we want to question the exact meaning of the word:

I am very disappointed by his ‘ apology ’ . I don’t think he meant it at all.

NEW ‘ WAR ’ OVER NORTH SEA FISHING PLANS

We sometimes use quotation marks to refer to the titles of books, newspapers, magazines, films, songs, poems, videos, CDs, etc:

There’s a special report all about it in ‘ The Daily Mail ’ .

We can use italics instead of quotation marks for these citations:

There’s a special report all about it in The Daily Mail.

Articles or chapters within books, or titles of short stories, are normally punctuated by single quotation marks:

The longest chapter in the book is the last one called ‘ The Future of Africa ’ .

Punctuation: dashes ( – ) and other punctuation marks

Dashes are more common in informal writing. They can be used in similar ways to commas or semi-colons. Both single and multiple dashes may be used:

Our teacher – who often gets cross when we’re late – wasn’t cross at all. No one could believe it!

Just wanted to thank you for a lovely evening – we really enjoyed it.

Brackets have a similar function to dashes. They often add extra, non-essential information:

Thriplow ( pronounced ‘Triplow’ ) is a small village in the eastern part of England.

We use brackets around dates and page numbers in academic writing:

Heaton ( 1978 ) gives a convincing explanation of how hurricanes are formed ( pages 27–32 ) .

We often use forward slashes in internet addresses and to indicate and/or in academic references:

You can find the figures you need on www.bbc.co.uk / finance

Binks (1995/1997) has already researched this aspect of Roman history.

Punctuation: numerals and punctuation

In British English the date is usually given in the order day, month, year.

We use full stops in dates. Forward slashes or dashes are also commonly used:

Date of birth: 1.8.1985 (or 1/8/1985 or 1–8–1985 )

In American English the day and the month are in a different order so that 8 January 1985 is written as follows:

1–8–1985 (or 1/8/1985 or 1.8.1985 )

We don’t usually punctuate weights and measures and references to numbers:

4kg (4 kilograms)10m (10 metres) 5m dollars (5 million dollars)

Commas are used in numbers to indicate units of thousands and millions:

7,980 (seven thousand, nine hundred and eighty)

11,487,562 (eleven million, four hundred and eighty-seven thousand, five hundred and sixty-two)

We use full stops, not commas, to indicate decimal points:

6.5 (six point five)

We can punctuate times with full stops or colons:

The shop opens at 9.30. (or 9:30)

Saying email and internet addresses

When we speak email and web addresses, we say each word separately. To avoid confusion, we sometimes spell out each letter of a word:

[email protected] = Hannah dot reeves at l-i-t dot com

miles_hotel.com/home = miles underscore hotel dot com forward slash home

www.theplace.org = www dot theplace (all one word) dot org

Symbols and typographic conventions

Word of the Day

spin your wheels

to waste time doing things that achieve nothing

Alike and analogous (Talking about similarities, Part 1)

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• Jul 7, 2022

British English and American English: The Use of Quotation Marks

Updated: Jun 17, 2023

Separated by a Common Language: British English (BrE) and American English (AmE)

In general, in both American English (AmE) and British English (BrE) , quotation marks are used to mark:

Direct speech (someone’s exact words)

Words of special emphasis

Titles of literary and artistic works

Sneer and irony remarks

British English and American English: Quotation Marks vs. Inverted Commas

While Americans prefer the term quotations marks , Brits use the term inverted commas . Another difference is that AmE uses double quotes , while BrE prefers single quotes.

Quotations Within Quotations

AmE predominantly uses double marks “…” , while usage in BrE is divided, though British manuals tend to favor single marks ‘...’ . AmE and BrE use both kinds of quotes for formatting quotations within quotations.

Example 1 : A quotation within a quotation :

Whichever kind of quotes is not used for the main quotation is then used for the quotation within:

AmE (quoted material): I heard “ Keep out ” being shouted .

BrE (quoted material): I heard ‘ Keep out ’ being shouted .

AmE (double, single): “ I heard ‘ Keep out ’ being shouted ,” he said .

BrE (single, double): ‘ I heard “ Keep out ” being shouted ,’ he said .

British English and American English: Quotation Marks Combined with Other Marks and Ban on Double Punctuation

Like parentheses , quotation marks can co-occur with other marks of punctuation, with many similarities and some significant differences between AmE and BrE . The similarities can be formulated as a few general rules, applicable to both AmE and BrE.

British English (BrE) and American English (AmE): Similarities

👉 rule no. 1: avoid double punctuation ..

Punctuation marks follow a certain hierarchy : An exclamation point is the strongest, then comes a question mark, which is followed by a period:

comma < dash < colon < semicolon < period < question mark < exclamation point

weaker << ----------------------<<-----------------------<< stronger

If a quotation is a complete sentence (a declarative statement, a question, or an exclamation) and falls at the end of a larger sentence, avoid double punctuation : Choose the stronger of the marks.

If the same mark of punctuation is required for both the quotation and the sentence as a whole, the quotation’s mark takes precedence.

Example 2 : A quoted interrogative sentence within a declarative sentence :

Original quotation: What, me worry ?

Reporting clause: My father's catchphrase is […] .

AmE: My father’s catchphrase is “ What, me worry ?”

BrE: My father’s catchphrase is ‘ What, me worry ?’

Example 3 : A quoted declarative sentence within an interrogative sentence :

Original quotation: I’ll help out .

Reporting clause: Did you say […] ?

AmE: Did you say , “ I’ll help out ”?

BrE: Did you say , ‘ I’ll help out ’?

Example 4 : A quoted exclamatory sentence within a declarative sentence :

Original quotation: Hello !

Reporting clause: Every time you see her, Paula screams […] .

AmE: Every time you see her, Paula screams , “ Hello !”

BrE: Every time you see her, Paula screams , ‘ Hello !’

Example 5 : A quoted declarative sentence within a exclamatory sentence :

Original quotation: I am quitting .

Reporting clause: I cannot believe he said […] !

AmE: I cannot believe he said , “ I am quitting ”!

BrE: I cannot believe he said , ‘ I am quitting ’!

Example 6 : A quoted interrogative sentence within an interrogative sentence :

Original quotation: Will Joe be there ?

Reporting clause: Why did Mary ask […] ?

AmE: Why did Mary ask , “ Will Joe be there ?”

BrE: Why did Mary ask , ‘ Will Joe be there ?’

Example 7 : A quoted exclamatory sentence within an interrogative sentence :

Original quotation: Watch out !

Reporting clause: Who yelled […] ?

AmE: Who yelled “ Watch out !”

BrE: Who yelled ‘ Watch out !’

👉 Rule No. 2: The main clause cannot have an internal period (full stop), while the direct-speech clause can.

💥 The terminal mark ( period ) of the direct speech clause cannot be duplicated in the main clause and is therefore replaced with a comma :

Original quotation: I don’t know .

Reporting clause: She said and stormed out of the room .

AmE: “ I don’t know ,” she said and stormed out of the room.

BrE: ‘ I don’t know ,’ she said and stormed out of the room.

💥 The direct speech clause, however, can have an internal period (full stop):

Original quotation: I don’t know . Does it matter ?

Reporting clause: She replied […]

AmE: She replied , “ I don’t know . Does it matter ?”

BrE: She replied , ‘ I don’t know . Does it matter ?’

Original quotation: Yes , we will . It’s a good idea .

Reporting clause (comment): He said.

AmE: “ Yes ,” he said , “ we will . It’s a good idea .”

BrE: ‘ Yes ,’ he said , ‘ we will . It’s a good idea .’

British English and American English: Differences

Rule No. 2 specifically applies to sentences with introductory and interrupting quotations, with some AmE and BrE differences :

Introductory Quotations

1. If the introductory quotation is a declarative statement , its terminal mark ( period ) is turned into a comma , while the comma intonation between the clauses is omitted to prevent double intonation.

Original quotation: I love you very much .

AmE: “ I love you very much ,” he said.

BrE: ‘ I love you very much ,’ he said.

2. If the introductory quotation is an exclamatory or interrogative statement:

Original quotation: I love you very much !

AmE: “ I love you very much !” he said .

BrE: ‘ I love you very much !’ he said.

Closing Quotations

1. With a closing quotation, the comma after the reporting clause signals a comma intonation (+ pause). The quotation’s period takes precedence over the reporting clause’s period:

AmE: He said , “ I love you very much .”

BrE: He said , ‘ I love you very much .’

2. If the closing quotation is exclamatory or interrogative :

AmE: He said , “ I love you very much !”

BrE: He said , ‘ I love you very much !’

Interrupted Quotations

If the quotation is interrupted by the reporting clause, the interrupting reporting clause is marked with comma intonations on both sides, marked in writing with enclosing commas .

💥 The comma intonation before the reporting clause is placed outside the closing punctuation mark in BrE and inside the closing punctuation mark in AmE :

AmE: “ I love you ,” he said , “ very much .”

BrE: ‘ I love you ’, he said , ‘ very much .’

The comma before the reporting clause does not belong to the original quotation.

💥 If the quotation has internal punctuation , both AmE and BrE have the comma before the reporting clause placed inside the closing punctuation mark:

Original quotation: I love you, Maya, very much .

AmE: “ I love you , Maya ,” he said , “ very much .”

BrE: ‘ I love you , Maya ,’ he said , ‘ very much .’

The comma before the reporting clause belongs to the original quotation.

American english: convenience & aesthetics, 👉 rule no. 3: in ame, always keep a comma or a period inside the closing quotation mark, even if it does not belong to the original quotation..

This rule holds true for any kinds of quotations: labels , definitions , titles of works , citations or sentence fragments , and complete sentences :

AmE (label) : Sign your name wherever you see an “ X .”

AmE (label) : The package was labeled “ Fragile ,” but that meant nothing to your delivery crew.

AmE (definition) : In Spain, one with free time will dar un paseo , literally “ give a stroll ,” until it is time to resume the workday.

AmE (title) : My favorite poem is Edgar Allan Poe’s “ The Raven .”

AmE (title) : Sandor’s study , “ Criteria for Evaluating Staff Efficiency ,” is now available online.

AmE (citation) : Selma thinks the magazine looks “ fresh ” and “ crisp .”

AmE (citation) : All she said was “ No .”

AmE (direct speech) : “ Let’s go over the details again ,” she said.

AmE (direct speech & label) : Mr. Poston said , “ Please let me see all the orders marked ‘ Rush .’”

British English: Logic & Consistency

👉 rule no. 4: in bre, punctuate according to the logic of the sentence..

If the quoted material is not a complete sentence, then a comma or a period should remain outside the closing quotation mark. In other words, a punctuation mark (e.g., an exclamation point, question mark, dash, or parentheses) should remain outside the closing quotation mark unless it belongs to the quotation.

BrE (label) : Sign your name wherever you see an ‘X’.

BrE (label) : The package was labeled ‘ Fragile ’, but that meant nothing to your delivery crew.

BrE (definition) : In Spain, one with free time will dar un paseo , literally ‘ give a stroll ’, until it is time to resume the workday.

BrE (title) : My favorite poem is Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘ The Raven ’.

BrE (title) : Sandor’s study , ‘ Criteria for Evaluating Staff Efficiency ’, is now available online.

BrE (citation) : Selma thinks the magazine looks ‘ fresh ’ and ‘ crisp ’.

BrE (citation) : All she said was ‘ No ’.

BrE (direct speech) : ‘ Let’s go over the details again ’, she said.

BrE (direct speech & label): Mr. Poston said , ‘ Please let me see all the orders marked “ Rush ”’.

Logic, Logics, Logistics

Nothing is more personal than logic! Expectedly, punctuating according to logic has its caveats.

👉 Rule No. 5: For BrE publications, follow the BrE conventions to punctuate sentence fragments, but AmE for direct speech sentences with complete quotations.

In theory, the position of the period depends on whether the quoted sentence is a complete one. However, it is not always clear whether a quotation is a complete sentence.

Let's consider an example:

Original quotation: It cannot be done .

Reporting clause: I have often heard you say […]

The quotation seems to be a complete sentence that starts with a capital letter. So, many BrE publishers (especially in fiction and journalism ) follow a rule of thumb that, if the quotation contains a grammatically complete sentence starting with a capital letter, the period should remain inside the closing quote (as in AmE ):

👉 BrE (preferred in fiction): I have often heard you say ‘ It cannot be done .’

Yet, one can argue that the main sentence suggests an allusion (demonstrated by the lack of a comma intonation after say ) rather than a direct quotation, which is how the British Standard BS 5261–1:2000 recommends interpreting it, especially for nonfiction texts:

👉 BrE (standard & nonfiction): I have often heard you say ‘ It cannot be done ’.

Furthermore, in much modern British fiction and journalism, a comma is formatted as in AmE :

👉 BrE (preferred in fiction): BrE: ‘ I love you ,’ he said , ‘ very much .’

To put it shortly:

BrE (standard, nonfiction): ‘ Father ’, he said , ‘ is looking well today , as if nothing happened ’.

BrE (fiction): ‘ Father ,’ he said , ‘ is looking well today , as if nothing happened .’

Bre (standard, nonfiction): ‘ father is looking well today ,’ he said , ‘ as if nothing happened ’., bre (fiction): ‘ father is looking well today ,’ he said , ‘ as if nothing happened .’, sentences and sentence fragments.

Be careful not to confuse a complete sentence with a sentence fragment:

Example 8 : A quoted exclamation within an interrogative sentence:

Original quotation: Fire !

Reporting clause 1: Which of you shouted […] ?

Reporting clause 2: The commander asked [...] .

AmE: The commander asked , “ Which of you shouted ‘ Fire !’?”

BrE: The commander asked , ‘ Which of you shouted “ Fire !”?’

British English and American English: Internal Semicolon/Colon

Another difference between AmE and BrE is the treatment of a semicolon in the middle of the quoted sentence.

👉 Rule No. 6: BrE tends to reflect the quotation's internal semicolon in the direct speech sentence (if interrupted in that place), whereas AmE prefers to replace it with either a comma or a period .

Example 9 : A quotation with an internal semicolon is interrupted by a reporting clause at the place of the semicolon:

Original quotation: It cannot be done ; we must give up.

Reporting clause: He said.

AmE: “ It cannot be done ,” he said . “ We must give up .”

AmE: “ It cannot be done ,” he said , “ we must give up .”

BrE: ‘ It cannot be done ,’ he said ; ‘ we must give up .’

Example 10: A quotation with an internal colon is interrupted somewhere else:

Original quotation: The truth was “ simple ”: Dan was guilty .

Reporting clause: She said.

AmE: “ The truth ,” she said , “ was ‘ simple ’: Dan was guilty .”

BrE: ‘ The truth ’, she said , ‘ was “ simple ”: Dan was guilty .’

More Examples: Quotations as Words, Phrases, or Complete Sentences

Example 11 : The quotation contains a grammatically complete declarative sentence :

AmE: She said , “ You are just in time .”

BrE: She said , ‘ You are just in time .’

Example 12 : A quotation contains a grammatically complete declarative sentence :

AmE: “ You are just in time ,” she said.

BrE: ‘ You are just in time ,’ she said.

Example 13 : A declarative sentence with an interrupting label :

AmE: He couldn’t spell “ mnemonic ,” and therefore failed to reach the finals.

BrE : He couldn’t spell ‘ mnemonic ’, and therefore failed to reach the finals.

Example 14 : A declarative sentence ends with a quoted phrase :

AmE: He’d apparently just been trying to “ help one of my patients .”

BrE : He’d apparently just been trying to ‘ help one of my patients ’.

Example 15 : A quotation of a proverb :

AmE: He believed in the proverb “ Dead men tell no tale .”

BrE (fiction) : He believed in the proverb ‘ Dead men tell no tale .’ BrE (nonfiction) : He believed in the proverb ‘ Dead men tell no tale ’.

Example 16 : An exclamatory sentence ends with a title :

Title: Cities Are for Walking

Main clause: She loved the article […] !

AmE: She loved the article “ Cities Are for Walking ”!

BrE: She loved the article ‘ Cities Are for Walking ’!

Example 17 : An interrogative sentence ends with a title :

Title: Neighbours

Main clause: Did you watch the last episode of […] ?

AmE: Did you watch the last episode of “ Neighbours ”?

BrE: Did you watch the last episode of ‘ Neighbours ’?

Example 18 : A sentence ends with a quotation that has an abbreviation in the end:

AmE: Gloria said , “ You can call as early as 6:30 a.m .”

BrE: The article read , ‘ She also kept dogs, cats, birds, etc .’

Example 19 : A quoted complete sentence is interrupted by a reporting clause :

Original quotation: Go home to your father.

AmE: “ Go home ,” he said ,“ to your father .”

BrE: ‘ Go home ’, he said , ‘ to your father .’

Example 20 : A quoted complete sentence with internal comma is interrupted by a reporting clause :

Original quotation: Father , you’re looking well today.

AmE: “ Father ,” he said , “ you’re looking well today .”

BrE: ‘ Father ,’ he said , ‘ you’re looking well today .’

Example 21 : A quotation, which contains two complete declarative sentences, is interrupted by a reporting clause :

Original quotation: I need to visit the mall. The party is tomorrow, but I have no balloons .

Reporting clause (comment): Aunt Emma said.

AmE: “ I need to visit the mall ,” said Aunt Emma . “ The party is tomorrow , but I have no balloons .”

BrE: ‘ I need to visit the mall ,’ said Aunt Emma . ‘ The party is tomorrow , but I have no balloons .’

Example 22 : A quoted sentence with a reference in parentheses :

AmE: As Oliver wrote , “ No single organism can survive that sort of assault ” ( 56 ).

BrE: As Oliver wrote , ‘ No single organism can survive that sort of assault ’ ( 56 ).

Example 23 : A quoted sentence with a reference in parentheses :

AmE: Oliver wrote , “ No single organism can survive that sort of assault ” ( 56 ), but this microbe proved him wrong.

BrE: Oliver wrote , ‘ No single organism can survive that sort of assault ’ ( 56 ), but this microbe proved him wrong.

Example 24 : A quotations with internal quotation and a semicolon :

AmE original quotation: Have you any idea what “ red mercury ” is ?

BrE original quotation: Have you any idea what ‘ red mercury ’ is ?

AmE: “ Have you any idea ,” he said , “ what ‘ red mercury ’ is ?”

BrE: ‘ Have you any idea ’, he said , ‘ what “ red mercury ” is ?’

Example 25 : A quotations with internal quotation and a semicolon :

AmE original quotation: A conviction was “ inevitable ”; Dan would go to jail .

BrE original quotation: A conviction was ‘ inevitable ’; Dan would go to jail .

AmE: “ A conviction ,” she said , “ was ‘ inevitable ’; Dan would go to jail .”

BrE: ‘ A conviction ’, she said , ‘ was “ inevitable ”; Dan would go to jail .’

Example 26 : A quotations with internal ellipsis :

Note that, when used emphatically (as a marker of hesitation or a trailing thought), ellipsis does not form double punctuation.

Original quotation: Um … um ….

Reporting clause: Charles said […] .

AmE: “ Um … um …,” said Charles .

BrE: ‘ Um … um …,’ said Charles .

• English Punctuation
• English Grammar

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Quotation Marks and Direct Quotations

• Guide to Punctuation
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• Why Learn to Punctuate?
• The Full Stop, the Question Mark and the Exclamation Mark
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DIRECT SPEECH | English writing lesson and exercises

In this tutorial learners are going to learn English writing lesson about direct speech.

Before we further proceed, watch the video here about DIRECT SPEECH | English writing lesson and exercises in English class.

So, if we want to write what is happening here, then this is how we write.

            He said “ Let’s go to the mall .”

Direct speech.

Direct speech is when we report the exact words that somebody says.

In this lesson you will learn:

The rules for writing direct speech.

The correct punctuation.

Vocabulary to report direct speech.

And finally, at the end of the lesson there are some exercises for practice.

Reporting clause before the direct speech

“He said” is before the direct speech, so the rules are;

If the reporting clause is before the direct speech:

            We write a comma (,) before the direct speech.

            We write the exact words inside the inverted commas .

            The first letter is a capital letter .

            We write a full stop (.) before the closing inverted commas .

Reporting clause before a question or exclamation

If the reporting clause is before a question or exclamation:

            We write a question mark ( ? ) before the closing inverted commas .

                or an exclamation mark ( ! ) before the closing inverted commas .

Reporting clause after the direct speech

If the reporting clause is after the direct speech:

The first letter is a capital letter .

We write a comma (,) before the closing inverted commas .

We write a full stop (.) at the end of the reporting clause .

Reporting clause after a question or exclamation

If the reporting clause is after the question or exclamation .

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas .

We write a question mark ( ? ) before the closing inverted commas .

Advanced rule

Sometimes we break up the direct speech into 2 parts:

The second part of the direct speech starts with a small letter if it is the same sentence as the first part of the direct speech.

The second part of the direct speech starts with a capital letter if it is a new sentence.

Inverted commas

Speech marks

Quotation marks

Other reporting verbs

            Here are some other useful reporting verbs.

            They are often used for writing direct speech in books, newspapers and reports.

            It is more common to use them in reporting clauses after the direct speech.

            reply (replied)            ask (asked)                comment (commented)                  

agree (agreed)          shout (shouted)        admit (admitted)

Which of the following sentences are written correctly?

So, that’s the end of the lesson, I hope you enjoyed it. Don’t forget to subscribe, share, like and let me know your thoughts and questions, love to hear from you.

For more readings

• FAIL – 5 different meanings + expression
• T he difference between “a little” and “little”
• Matter – English noun, verb and expressions
• When to use “a little” and “a few”: English Grammar Rules
• Compound Words: English Vocabulary
• The difference between MUST and HAVE TO

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Direct Speech in English

Direct speech is a crucial aspect of the English language that every speaker of the language must understand. In this reference, we will explore everything you need to know about direct speech, including its definition, examples, punctuation rules, and common mistakes.

What is Direct Speech?

Direct speech is a type of speech that involves the exact words spoken by a person or character. It is also known as quoted speech or speech marks. Direct speech is used to convey a message or conversation directly from the speaker to the listener.

For example, " I am going to the market, " said John. In this sentence, the exact words spoken by John are quoted, and the sentence is enclosed by speech marks.

How is Direct Speech Different from Indirect Speech?

Direct speech is different from indirect speech in that it directly quotes the exact words of the speaker.

Indirect speech involves paraphrasing or reporting the speaker's words. For example, " John said that he was going to the market. " In this sentence, the speaker's words are not quoted directly, but rather reported indirectly.

Examples of Direct Speech and How to Identify It in a Sentence

Direct speech can be identified in a sentence by the use of speech marks or quotation marks.

For example, " I am going to the market, " said John. In this sentence, the words spoken by John are enclosed by speech marks.

Other examples of direct speech include " I love you, " said Mary, and " Can you help me? " asked Mark.

Direct Speech Punctuation Rules

Direct speech follows specific punctuation rules that must be observed to convey the correct meaning of the sentence.

The first word of the direct speech sentence is capitalized, and the sentence is enclosed by speech marks. If the direct speech sentence ends with a full stop, exclamation mark, or question mark, the punctuation mark is placed inside the speech marks.

For example, " What is your name? " asked Tom. If the direct speech is followed by a reporting clause, the reporting clause is separated from the direct speech by a comma. For example, " I am going to the market, " said John.

Direct Speech in Different Tenses

Direct speech can be used in different tenses to convey different meanings.

• " I am going to the market, " said John ( present tense ).
• " I went to the market, " said John ( past tense ).
• " I will go to the market, " said John ( future tense ).

The tense used in direct speech depends on the tense of the original words spoken.

Direct Speech vs Reported Speech: Similarities and Differences

Direct speech and reported speech are similar in that they both convey a message or conversation. However, the main difference between them is that direct speech directly quotes the speaker's exact words, while reported speech paraphrases or reports the speaker's words.

• " I am going to the market, " said John (direct speech).
• " John said he was going to the market " (reported speech).

Common Mistakes

Let's take a look at what to avoid:

• Forgetting to enclose the words spoken by the speaker in speech marks. This mistake can make it difficult to identify direct speech in a sentence.
• Forgetting to capitalize the first word of the direct speech sentence. Both of these mistakes can be avoided by following the correct punctuation rules for direct speech.
• Remember to change the tense of the original words spoken, if necessary. For example, "I am going to the market," said John (direct speech). "John said he was going to the market" (reported speech). In this example, the verb tense has been changed from present tense to past tense when reporting John's words.

Direct speech helps us to directly quote the words spoken by a speaker. Use the correct punctuation rules for direct speech, and make sure that the first word of the direct speech sentence is capitalized. Soon, you'll effortlessly use it in your own English speech without even thinking.

Check out more references below if you want to learn more!

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