Quotation Marks

Quotation marks (also called speech marks) are punctuation marks that show the exact words someone says. They look like this: " "

What You'll Learn

In this lesson, you will:

• Understand what quotation marks are and why we use them
• Recognise where to place quotation marks around spoken words
• Write simple sentences that show what someone said using speech marks

When to Use

1. Showing what someone says out loud: Mum said, "Let's go to the hawker centre."
2. Writing dialogue in a story: "I found a frog!" shouted Ali.
3. Quoting what someone told you: The teacher said, "Please take out your books."
4. Writing the exact words on a sign or notice: The sign read, "No running by the pool."

How to Form

Basic Structure of a Quoted Sentence

A quoted sentence has three parts:

Put together: Mei Ling said, "I love reading."

Speaker Tag at the Start

When the speaker tag comes first, follow this pattern:

Speaker + said, + "Spoken words."

• Ali said, "The water is very cold."
• Mrs Tan asked, "Who wants to go first?"
• Dad shouted, "Be careful!"

Speaker Tag at the End

When the speaker tag comes last, follow this pattern:

"Spoken words," + said + Speaker.

• "I am hungry," said Ravi.
• "Can we play now?" asked Siti.
• "Stop right there!" shouted the guard.

Key Rules

1. Quotation marks come in pairs: Always use an opening mark " and a closing mark ". If you open them, you must close them. Think of them like a door -- you open it and you must shut it.

2. Only the spoken words go inside the marks: The speaker tag (who said it) stays outside. Right: Ali said, "I am tired." Wrong: "Ali said, I am tired."

3. Start the spoken words with a capital letter: The first word inside the quotation marks always begins with a capital letter, even if it comes in the middle of a sentence. Example: She whispered, "Don't wake the baby."

4. The full stop goes inside the closing quotation mark: When the speaker tag is at the start, the full stop at the end goes inside the quotation marks. Example: He said, "I will be there on time**.**"

5. Use a comma to separate the speaker tag from the spoken words: When the speaker tag comes first, place a comma before the opening quotation mark. Example: Mum said**,** "Dinner is ready."

Common Mistakes

Clue Words

Words that tell you someone is speaking (reporting verbs)

said, asked, shouted, whispered, replied, cried, exclaimed, called

Phrases that introduce speech

told him, told her, called out, said to me, answered

Punctuation clues inside quotation marks

full stops (.), question marks (?), exclamation marks (!) -- these go inside the closing quotation mark

Tip: Whenever you see a reporting verb like "said" or "asked," check whether quotation marks are needed. If you are writing the person's exact words, the answer is yes!

Practice Tips

1. The pair check: After you write quotation marks, count them. You should always have an even number -- every opening mark needs a closing mark. Go through your work and match each pair.

2. The speaker tag test: Cover the words inside the quotation marks. What is left should tell you who is speaking and how they said it. If the speaker tag is mixed inside the quotation marks, something is wrong.

3. Read it out loud: Read your sentence aloud. Only the words inside the quotation marks should sound like someone talking. Everything outside should sound like the narrator describing the scene.

4. The capital letter check: Look at the first word after each opening quotation mark. It should start with a capital letter. If it does not, fix it.

Quick Reference

Punctuation Placement