Correct or Not?
"The message arrived a moment ago, Sir," the aide said cautiously. "They won't be sending us any more reinforcements, I'm afraid."
Correct! There are quotation marks around each portion of the dialogue that's being broken up with a dialogue tag. All punctuation is properly placed.
"I've heard enough" he said before quietly leaving the room.
"I've heard enough," he said before quietly leaving the room.
When attaching a piece of dialogue to a dialogue tag, you need a comma (if the dialogue doesn't end with a question mark or an exclamation point).
Standing at just 5'4", James Madison was the shortest of the founding fathers.
Rule: Use quotation marks to indicate inches.
I didn't have the authority to order those soldiers out of the city, Hutchinson said.
"I didn't have the authority to order those soldiers out of the city," Hutchinson said.
Correct! The speaker of this sentence doubts that Mr. Burr has any ideals, so he places the word "ideals" in quotation marks to signify his feeling of sarcasm/doubt.
Washington strikes an imposing figure. If I had to guess, I'd wager he's 6'2 tall.
Washington strikes an imposing figure. If I had to guess, I'd wager he's 6'2" tall.
We use quotation marks to signify inches.
Rule: Quotation marks go around a nickname when the nickname is presented alongside a person's actual name.
I fear, he said wearily, we don't have the supplies necessary to last another week out here. The man looked exhausted.
"I fear," he said wearily, "we don't have the supplies necessary to last another week out here." The man looked exhausted.
You should see what kind of slander they write about me in that newspaper rag, "The National Gazette."
Incorrect! Quotes are used for smaller works, like individual chapters, poems, songs, etc. An entire newspaper is a large work and should be italicized.
"I won't vote for the assumption," Madison said tentatively "but neither will I block it."
"I won't vote for the assumption," Madison said tentatively, "but neither will I block it."
It is a comma and not a period because the dialogue tag interrupts one continuous sentence, not two separate ones.
Burr had very "noble intentions" when he established the Manhattan Company.
Rule: Use quotation marks to signify sarcasm or doubt when using a word/phrase/sentence.
A massacre? The soldier waved his hand dismissively. I fail to see how five dead men constitute a massacre.
"A massacre?" The soldier waved his hand dismissively. "I fail to see how five dead men constitute a massacre."
Mason rushed into the room towards us. "I asked Mr. Burr if it was true, if he killed Hamilton!" The man took a moment to catch his breath, then continued. "He said to me,"Yes, and I don't regret it.""
Incorrect! Whenever you place a quote within a quote, the inside quote uses apostrophes ('), not quotation marks.
Corrected: Mason took a moment to catch his breath, then continued on. "He said to me, 'Yes, and I don't regret it.'"
"And do you know what happened then" Monroe asked me. "Hamilton challenged me to a duel for revealing his affair! We settled the matter as gentlemen, of course"
"And do you know what happened then?" Monroe asked me. "Hamilton challenged me to a duel for revealing his affair! We settled the matter as gentlemen, of course."
What do you mean when you say the battle was "a close call"?
Two Rules:
1.) Place quotations around a quoted phrase
2.) Question marks and exclamation points go outside the quotation marks when the ? or ! is part of your sentence.
Washington chose both Hamilton and Jefferson for his cabinet. I've been told they get on like cats and dogs.
Washington chose both Hamilton and Jefferson for his cabinet. I've been told they "get on like cats and dogs."
OR
I've been told they get on "like cats and dogs."