Punctuation is one of the biggest sticking points for any writer. "We deal in words, not those pesky things you put between them!" they cry. However, those annoying little dots and marks can make a world of difference in how words are interpreted and how easily a well-crafted story flows for the reader. The difference between a comma and a period is immense and, in the right situation, can change the entire meaning of an exchange, especially in dialog. Take this question:

"Who was that man?" Robert asked.

Now, suppose you have two choices for the answer:

Option 1 - "My love," his wife replied, "it is none of your business."
Option 2 - "My love," his wife replied. "It is none of your business."

To make this a little bit more clear, let's simplify both options down to just what she replies:

Option 1 - "My love, it is none of your business."
Option 2 - "My love. It is none of your business."

It is very easy to see the difference in these two answers now! In option 1, Robert's wife is calling him by an affectionate nickname before reminding him that who the mystery guest was is none of his business. However, in option 2, she is revealing infidelity and telling him that it is not his concern. It is pretty clear that the difference between a comma and a period in this example could change the tone and meaning of an entire story. If the comma is used, as in the first choice, the reader could expect a quiet dinner at home, perhaps with more wheedling from Robert until his wife reveals that the guest was delivering a birthday gift. However, if that were the conclusion to the story with the second example, readers would get very confused! After all, once a declaration like that is made, arguments and sadness seem more appropriate than presents and domestic happiness.

Not every choice will change the meaning as much as in that example, but it is still important to be check that everything is correct. After all, if you get into the habit when it doesn't change the meaning, you can rest assured that you will be far less likely to make a mistake when it really counts! Here are some simple guidelines to get you started choosing proper punctuation with your quotes:

1. This is a very simple step, but one that can be overlooked so easily: Don't forget to close your quotation marks when your speaker is done!

   If your speaker's story goes on into a second paragraph without pause, there is no need for closing marks at the end of the first paragraph. However, the second paragraph should be opened with quotation marks to make it clear that he is still speaking, and when the speech ends, be in in two, three, or ten paragraphs, closing quotation marks are required. Here is an example of the proper way to do this:

   Jennifer put her hands on her hips and began to lecture her brother. "You haven't put an ounce of thought into your classes this year! You were on the honor roll all last year, but the second you got a girlfriend, you stopped studying. Well, now your grades have slipped, and if you aren't careful, you won't be able to get into a decent college!

   "Don't think I've forgotten about football, either! You could have gotten a decent scholarship to play at a good school, but you let your new girlfriend talk you off the team. Well, what exactly are you planning to do now?"

   If there were quotation marks at the end of first paragraph, it would appear as though another character came in to lecture about football. If there are only the two of them in the room, this could get very confusing for the reader.

2. When introducing a quote, check to see if it is a complete sentence or just a fragment:

   • If it is a complete sentence, introduce it with a comma and be sure to capitalize the first word:

     Charles said, "My new baby brother is small, wrinkly, and kinda ugly."

   • Fragments, however, do not require a comma or capitalization:

     Charles described his new brother as "small, wrinkly, and kinda ugly."

   • A fragment can also be placed in the middle of the sentence. If this happens, the proper punctuation is the same as it would be if the sentence were not a quote:

     Without the quotation marks: Charles described his new brother as small, wrinkly, and kinda ugly when he first saw the infant.
     Therefore, with quotation marks: Charles described his new brother as "small, wrinkly, and kinda ugly" when he first saw the infant.

     Without the quotation marks: Charles described his new brother as small, wrinkly, and kinda ugly, much to his mother's dismay.
     Therefore, with quotation marks: Charles described his new brother as "small, wrinkly, and kinda ugly," much to his mother's dismay.

   • As a side note, when you introduce a quote, it is generally considered a good idea to be sure that it makes sense. What I mean by this is that you can say the quote. You can shout it, scream it, whisper it, murmur it, or even exclaim it. What you can't do is smile it, dance it, or stand it up. Here is how that applies to your writing:

     • Generally regarded as acceptable:

       I screamed, "You don't understand!"
       I whispered, "You don't understand."

     • Examples of how to improve other introductions:

       I smiled, "You don't understand."
       Better: I smiled. "You don't understand."

       I stood up, "You don't understand!"
       Better: I stood up. "You don't understand!"

       The easiest rule of thumb for this is to ask yourself, "Is this an independent clause? If I say 'I stood up,' can that stand alone?" If the answer is yes, let it stand alone. If the answer is no, connect it with a comma as in the first bullet.

3. However, quotes can be introduced from any point: beginning, middle, or end. How do you deal with punctuation then? Let's try it with this example:

   "Samantha, be a dear and fetch us a red wine. It would be nice to have some variety tonight."

   With this sentence, we can cover several possibilities:

   The hostess called, "Samantha, be a dear and fetch us a red wine. It would be nice to have some variety tonight."

   "Samantha," the hostess said, "be a dear and fetch us a red wine. It would be nice to have some variety tonight."

   "Samantha, be a dear and fetch us a red wine," the hostess ordered. "It would be nice to have some variety tonight."

   "Samantha, be a dear and fetch us a red wine." The hostess turned to me and explained, "It would be nice to have some variety tonight."

   "Samantha, be a dear and fetch us a red wine. It would be nice to have some variety tonight," the hostess requested.

4. What happens if one of your characters is repeating something their professor told them or mocking their husband? Here, you will need to quote something inside quotation marks. To do this, you simply choose the single quotation mark:

   My classmate leaned over and whispered, "He said, 'One example of a list is a shopping list.' You should pay closer attention!"

   My classmate leaned over and whispered, "You should pay closer attention! He said, 'One example of a list is a shopping list.'"

   Though the single quote followed immediately by the double quote is grammatically correct, its appearance tends to make authors balk. If this is the case for you, rearranging your quote to resemble the first example is the easiest way to get around that.

5. Special Cases: What to do with more complicated syntax

   • Sometimes, your quotation marks may mean something other than a direct quote; for example, they are a common way to indicate irony or disbelief. Despite this alternative use, the same punctuation rules apply:

     The war was started in the name of "peace."

     The war was started in the name of "peace," and it raged for over a decade.

   • However, if your quote is followed by a colon or semicolon, these always go outside the quotation marks:

     There are only three things you need to get started writing "the big one": a pen, some paper, and enough patience to let yourself make mistakes.

     The quarterback said that the opposing team "just played better tonight"; the team blames his faulty leadership.

   • If you have a question mark or exclamation point, its usage depends on whether or not it applies to the quote. For example:

     Where are the markers?
     Don asked, "Where are the markers?"
     In this simple example, the quote is the question; the question mark belongs with the quote, inside the quotation marks.

     Pluto is no longer a planet.
     Did he just say, "Pluto is no longer a planet"?
     Here, the quote "Pluto is no longer a planet" is not a question; the main sentence is the question. Therefore, the question mark should be attached to the main sentence instead of the quote - put it outside the quotation marks.

     I can't believe that's a cow!
     Johnny exclaimed, "I can't believe that's a cow!"

     School is canceled today.
     I was so excited to hear Principal Arnolds say, "School is canceled today"!
     In this example, Principal Arnolds is not the one happy about school being canceled; the narrator is. The exclamation mark goes outside of the quotation marks to indicate that the excitement belongs to the main sentence, not the quote.