Direct Quotes:
* Direct quotes are the exact words someone said or wrote. Use double quotation marks (" ") for direct quotes.
* Example: "I'm going to the store," she said.
Indirect Quotes:
* Indirect quotes report what someone said or wrote, but don't use the exact words. You don't use quotation marks for indirect quotes.
* Example: She said she was going to the store.
Punctuation with Speech Marks:
* Periods and commas always go inside the closing quotation mark.
* Example: "I'm going to the store," she said.
* Question marks and exclamation points go inside the closing quotation mark if they are part of the quoted material.
* Example: "Are you coming with me?" she asked.
* Question marks and exclamation points go outside the closing quotation mark if they are part of the entire sentence, but not the quoted material.
* Example: Did she say, "I'm going to the store"?
Single Quotation Marks:
* Single quotation marks (' ') are used for quotes within quotes.
* Example: He said, "She asked me, 'What do you want to eat?'"
Other Uses:
* Speech marks can also be used to indicate titles of short works, like poems, songs, or articles.
* Example: I just read the poem "The Raven."
Important Note:
* In American English, double quotation marks are used. In British English, single quotation marks are used for direct quotes, with double quotation marks for quotes within quotes.
* It's always good to be consistent in your choice of quotation marks throughout a piece of writing.
Let me know if you have any more questions!