Quotation marks and apostrophes

Direct quotes and commas

Quotation marks indicate someone’s exact words. A tag is a writer’s introduction to a quote of someone’s direct words, such as he said. If the tag comes before a quoted sentence, it ends with a comma, and the first word of the quote is capitalized.

Dan said, “Let’s sit outside with our cappuccino.”

If the tag comes after a quote that is a full sentence, it is punctuated with a comma instead of a period:

“I planted peas today,” said Samir.

However, when a quoted sentence ends with a question mark or exclamation mark, it is not replaced by a comma.

“Do you have any plans yet?” asked Amy.

“It’s my birthday!” squealed Cecilia.

Notice that the tag following a quoted question or exclamation is not capitalized. The quoted sentence is only one component of the overall sentence, so the exclamation mark and question mark are treated as if they are commas.

Practice question

“I thought Hamnet was terrific!” Exclaimed Lisa. “Have you seen it yet?”

Choose the correct answer:

a. NO CHANGE
b. “I thought Hamnet was terrific”! exclaimed Lisa. “Have you seen it yet?”
c. “I thought Hamnet was terrific!” exclaimed Lisa. “Have you seen it yet.”
d. “I thought Hamnet was terrific!” exclaimed Lisa. “Have you seen it yet?”
e. “I thought Hamnet was terrific!” exclaimed Lisa. “have you seen it yet?”

Correct answer:

When the quoted material is not a complete sentence, don’t put a comma before it, and don’t capitalize the first word of the quote. The quoted words simply blend into your own sentence.

I’ve always been attracted to “the road less traveled” because I hate traffic jams.

Practice question

The prologue of Romeo and Juliet explains that the “misadventur’d piteous overthrows” of the play’s titular “star-crossed lovers” begin when their parents’ “ancient grudge” breaks out anew.

Choose the correct answer:

a. NO CHANGE
b. The prologue of Romeo and Juliet explains that the “misadventur’d piteous overthrows,” of the play’s titular “star-crossed lovers,” begin when their parents’ “ancient grudge,” breaks out anew.
c. The prologue of Romeo and Juliet explains that the “misadventur’d piteous overthrows” of the play’s titular, “star-crossed lovers” begin when their parents’ “ancient grudge” breaks out anew.
d. The prologue of Romeo and Juliet explains that the “misadventur’d piteous overthrows” of the play’s titular “star-crossed lovers” begin when their parents’, “ancient grudge,” breaks out anew.
e. The prologue of Romeo and Juliet explains that the “Misadventur’d piteous overthrows,” of the play’s titular “star-crossed lovers” begin when their parents’ “ancient grudge” breaks out anew.

Correct answer:

Quotes with question marks and exclamation marks

Although periods and commas always go inside quotation marks, that is not the case with exclamation marks and question marks.

If the quote itself is a question or exclamation, the end punctuation goes inside the quotation marks. However, if the overall sentence is a question or exclamation, the end punctuation belongs outside the quotation marks.

Simon asked, “Will this be on the test?”

Do you agree that “the early bird gets the worm”?

“The early bird gets the worm” is a statement rather than a question; the question is “Do you agree (with the statement)?”

Scare quotes

When quotation marks are used to indicate disagreement or irony, they are called scare quotes.

Mr. Nasit told our class how “terribly sorry” he was to make us study for the test during the Super Bowl. Then he refused to postpone it.

Here, the quotation marks indicate that Mr. Nasit is not actually sorry for making his students miss the game.

Scare quotes do not necessarily indicate an exact quote.

Practice question

What counts as “clean” for my little brother is what everyone else calls filthy. He once told my mother that he didn’t need to wash his hands because “I washed them yesterday”.

Choose the correct answer:

a. NO CHANGE
b. What counts as clean for my little brother is what everyone else calls filthy. He once told my mother that he didn’t need to wash his hands because “I washed them yesterday.”
c. What counts as “clean” for my little brother is what everyone else calls filthy. He once told my mother that he didn’t need to wash his hands because “I washed them yesterday.”
d. What counts as “clean” for my little brother is what everyone else calls filthy. He once told my mother that he didn’t need to wash his hands because I washed them yesterday.
e. What counts as “clean” for my little brother is what everyone else calls filthy. He once told my mother that he didn’t need to wash his hands because "I washed them yesterday.

Correct answer:

Apostrophes and contractions

When a contraction is formed, an apostrophe indicates that one or more letters have been left out.

Contractions
it is → it’s
you are → you’re
they are → they’re
who is → who’s

Practice question

“I’m going to the beach this weekend,” Melvin said to his friend Max. “Your invited, if you’d like to come.”

Select the correct version of the sentence.

a. NO CHANGE
b. “I’m going to the beach this weekend,” Melvin said to his friend Max. “You’re invited, if you’d like to come.”
c. “Im going to the beach this weekend,” Melvin said to his friend Max. “You’re invited, if you’d like to come.”
d. “I’m going to the beach this weekend,” Melvin said to his friend Max. “You’re invited, if youd like to come.”
e. “I’m going to the beach this weekend,” Melvin said to his’ friend Max. “You’re invited, if you’d like to come.”

Correct answer:

Possessive apostrophes

Apostrophes do not form ordinary plurals: write two cats, not two cat’s. Personal possessive pronouns (its, your, their, his, hers, ours, theirs, whose) never take an apostrophe. Don’t confuse them with the contractions that sound the same: it’s = it is, you’re = you are, they’re = they are, who’s = who is.

If a noun is singular, simply add an apostrophe and an s. Singular nouns that end in s usually take apostrophe + s as well (Chris’s, the boss’s).

Mary’s coat is new.

Chris’s house is across town.

If a noun is plural, add an apostrophe after the s or -es plural ending. Do not add another s. If a plural noun does not end in s (such as men, children, or people), add apostrophe + s, as you would for a singular noun.

The teachers’ lounge is upstairs.

The men’s department is on the second floor.

Practice question

The children’s bus stop is in front of the Clarks house, three houses down from ours. Everyone’s kids take shelter on their porch on rainy days.

Select the correct version of the sentence.

a. NO CHANGE
b. The children’s bus stop is in front of the Clarks’ house, three houses down from ours’. Everyone’s kids take shelter on their porch on rainy days.
c. The childrens’ bus stop is in front of the Clarks’ house, three houses down from ours. Everyone’s kids take shelter on their porch on rainy days.
d. The children’s bus stop is in front of the Clarks’ house, three houses down from ours. Everyone’s kids take shelter on they’re porch on rainy days.
e. The children’s bus stop is in front of the Clarks’ house, three houses down from ours. Everyone’s kids take shelter on their porch on rainy days.

Correct answer:

Exam tip: Not every quotation or apostrophe sentence contains an error. If a sentence already follows every rule in this chapter, the correct choice may be “no error”—don’t force a correction onto a sentence that’s already punctuated correctly.

Commas get their own dedicated treatment in the upcoming Commas chapters, and semicolons and colons are covered in the next chapter, Colons and dashes.