Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation: Speech

[Alanna Elensar]

In all kinds of writing, quotation marks are used very often. They go before and after something that is being said. The punctuation included in whatever it was being said goes inside the quotations, as the following punctuation is part of the speech.

The regular rules for grammar do apply when someone is speaking, and they pause in their speech, whether you notice it or not. The first letter of the first word to be said should always be capitalized.

As a rule of thumb, you'll want to make a new paragraph for someone speaking. If it is the same person talking without anyone talking between their words, you can leave the speech on the same line.

Examples:

--Lana's eyes narrowed at the quivering teenager in front of her, and she clenched her fists in anger.

"How could you do that to me?!" she yelled, finally slamming her clenched hands against the wood table. "It was on purpose too!"


--"He was walking his dog, and then--" Danny laughed hysterically before being cut off.

"This actually happened?!" Carson interjected, howling as well.

"YES!" Danny cried, tears streaming down his face.


What you do NOT want to do:

--Lana's eyes narrowed at the quivering teenager in front of her, and she clenched her fists in anger. "how could you do that to me" she yelled, slamming her clenched hands against the wood table. "it was on purpose too"!

--"He was walking his dog and then--"Danny laughed hysterically before being cut off. "This actually happened?!" Carson interjected, howling as well. "YES!"

Does this make sense? I hope so, there is a very clear difference between the examples I have given.

Thanks for reading this lesson, I hope you got a better understanding about how to use speech correctly in your writing =) Thank you!

[shade]

Also, you missed one thing Emily. Speech can be at the end of a sentence, but when a new person starts talking, you start a new paragraph. That's the basic idea.

[Alanna Elensar]

I said that.

[Alanna Elensar]

And I quote-- 'As a rule of thumb, you'll want to make a new paragraph for someone speaking.'

[shade]

But someone can speak at the end of a paragraph, and you just need to say that for each different character talking, you should put a new paragraph, not for each time someone talks.

[Alanna Elensar]

I did!! 'As a rule of thumb, you'll want to make a new paragraph for someone speaking. If it is the same person talking without anyone talking between their words, you can leave the speech on the same line.'

And I illustrated it in the examples. Stop trying to find fault with whatever I do!

[shade]

Ok, Ok, sorry, sheesh.

[Alanna Elensar]

-rolls eyes-