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Quoting speech and thoughts

Punctuating direct speech: Student problems

The two most common mistakes made are ending a quoted statement without any punctuation (except quotation marks), and ending a quoted statement with a full stop instead of a comma:

"If you can get through the keyhole, you can get into this bottle[ ]" said Granny.
"If you can get through the keyhole, you can get into this bottle." said Granny.
"If you can get through the keyhole, you can get into this bottle," said Granny.

Here is an example of what a text that did not observe the conventions of punctuating direct speech might look like:

Granny Gong decided she would probably have to be very clever if she wanted to get rid of GrumpyGhost. GrumpyGhost she said how did you get into our apartment? Oh, very easily replied GrumpyGhost. That wasn't the answer that Granny wanted. Instead she asked but GrumpyGhost did you come through the door? Of course not! exclaimed the ghost gruffly. I came through the keyhole.

The text becomes very difficult to read without the distinctive punctuation of direct speech. Here is one way of correctly punctuating this text:

Granny Gong decided she would have to be very clever if she wanted to get rid of GrumpyGhost. "GrumpyGhost," she said. "How did you get into our apartment?" "Oh, very easily," replied GrumpyGhost. That wasn't the answer that Granny wanted, so she asked: "But GrumpyGhost, did you come through the door?" "Of course not!" exclaimed the ghost crossly. "I came through the keyhole."

Here is a summary of the punctuation features of direct speech:

Punctuation of direct speech
		comma or colon after the quoting clause:
		Mr Gong said, "The depression could bring heavy rain." or Mr Gong said: "The depression could bring heavy rain."
		quoted clause enclosed in inverted commas (single or double):
		"The depression could bring heavy rain." or 'The depression could bring heavy rain.'

		upper case initial for the first word of the quoted clause:
		"The depression could bring heavy rain."

For more information on the grammar of indirect speech, see Grammar: Sentence: Quoting and reporting speech and thoughts: Reporting speech and thoughts