Writing dialogue or quotes in nonfiction and fiction would be unintelligible without quotation marks
Clouds dawdled across wide blue expanse of the sky. Too much sun for me. Well, I like the sun; it gives me such a glorious golden color. The sun gives me nothing but freckles and red skin and it makes me itch. The sun moved behind a cloud, breaking through in a glorious splash of gold. You should stay out of the sun. Why do you think I'm wearing this long-sleeved shirt and wide-brimmed hat? Have you considered moving to a colder, wetter climate? Hasn't everyone?
Without dialogue tags, like "he said" and "she said," it's impossible to tell who is talking and where the dialogue begins and the exposition ends.
As with all grammar and punctuation, here are some simple rules for using quotation marks.
When to Capitalize
Like the animals on Noah's ark, quotation marks come in pairs: one at the beginning and one at the end of the quoted or dialogue. If you use quotation marks at the beginning of a sentence or bit of dialogue, make sure to use them at the end, on the outside of the period.
The first word of the quote should be capitalized if it is a complete sentence.
Mariah pulled down the brim of her hat. "Too much sky for me."
When dialogue is contained within the sentence, the first word is not capitalized.
Martin was quite fond of the sun, saying it gave him "such a glorious golden color."
Interrupted Quotes and Dialogue
When quotes and dialogue are interrupted mid sentence, the second half of the dialogue or quote is not capitalized. Both halves of the quoted text are contained within pairs of quotations marks (remember Noah's ark).
"The sun," Mariah said, scratching her arms, "gives me nothing but freckles and red skin and it makes me itch."
All punctuation within the quoted text comes before the ending quotation mark, as in the above noted example. The text of the sentence (Mariah said, scratching her arms,) is set apart from the quotation by a comma and between the quotation marks.
Leave In The Quoted Source's Errors
When quoting a source that uses the wrong word or contains a spelling error, [sic] is added after a space and followed by the punctuation before the ending quotation mark. Translated from the Latin, sic means "thus," "so," or "just as that." It tells the reader that you have copied or quoted the text exactly, errors and all.
In a letter from the governor he stated, "There is no need for alarm. The snow-covered bodies were mannekins and the blood was food coloring. No one was injured [sic]."
How Many Quotes and How Much Dialogue to Use
When writing research papers or articles, use quotes sparingly. When writing fiction, use dialogue and quotations freely. Watch grammar and punctuation carefully to be accurate and understood. Use quotation marks properly, get out of the way and let the characters speak.
Separate Speakers Get Separate Paragraphs
Blocks of dialogue can be confusing, so separate each speaker into a separate paragraph.
The sun moved behind a cloud, breaking through in a glorious splash of gold. "You should stay out of the sun, Mariah."
"Why do you think I'm wearing this long-sleeved shirt and wide-brimmed hat?"
Martin stretched his arms wide and turned his face to the sun with a blissful smile. "Have you considered moving to a colder, wetter climate?"
"Hasn't everyone?"
"Not me. I prefer sun to snow and interminable rain."
"Maybe it's time to consider that job in Seattle. My hair will frizz, but I'll get rid of the freckles and redness," Mariah rubbed her arms, "and the itching."
Dialogue and quotes add interest to writing. Use them correctly and readers will have no trouble understanding or getting into the flow of the story or article. Learning the rules of correct sentence structure doesn't have to be difficult and using grammar and punctuation correctly makes writing accessible.
