Use Quotation Marks for Direct Quotations
The Quotation Mark
Rulebase Summary
Use quotation marks to set off direct quotations — the speaker's exact words.
When a direct quotation is divided into two parts by an interrupting expression like 'he said,' 'I replied,' or 'she answered,' end the first part with a comma inside the closing quotation mark, place a comma after the interrupting expression, open the quotation marks around the second part, and do not capitalize the first word of the resumed quotation unless it is a proper noun or 'I.' If the two parts are independent clauses with no conjunction between them, use a period after the interrupting expression and before the resumed clause.
Examples
A. She said I never saw him before.
A. She said, 'I never saw him before.'
Direct quotation — set off with quotation marks and a comma.
A. 'No, I cannot change that' he said 'and I will never yield.'
A. 'No, I cannot change that,' he said, 'and I will never yield.'
Comma inside the closing quote and after the interrupting expression; lowercase 'and' resuming the quote.
Transcript Notes
When a witness recalls a long exchange, paragraph the words of one speaker from the words of the other for easier reading. The witness is sworn to tell the truth — use quotation marks as much as possible for clarity.
Style Guide References (1)
Morson's