Quotation marks show someone speaking — Language, 4–6
In a story, quotation marks can show the exact words a character says. They help you tell the narrator’s words apart from a character’s voice.
Quotation marks hold spoken words
Quotation marks look like little pairs of signs around words: “Come here.” They tell you that these are the words a person or character says, not just the words telling the story. The words inside can be a sentence, a question or an excited shout.
Why show the exact words?
A storyteller can say, “Leo was hungry,” or show Leo’s own words: “I need a sandwich.” These do not feel the same. Quotation marks let a reader hear a character’s choice of words and notice whether the character sounds worried, funny or cross.
Finding who speaks
Read this tiny story: Mia opened the door. “Hello!” said Ben. First, the words outside the marks tell what happened. Next, the words inside “Hello!” are Ben’s exact words. The exclamation mark shows strong feeling, while the quotation marks show that Ben is speaking.
Not every name is speaking
You might put quotation marks around a character’s name whenever the character appears, because that person is important in the scene. That is an understandable idea, but the marks are for the words actually said aloud. In “Sam carried the cup,” Sam is acting; in “I carried the cup,” Sam is speaking.
Making a character’s voice clear
Quotation marks help in books, comics and messages when you want to show what someone really said. They also help when you retell a conversation: “I saw a fox,” said Noor. The reader can tell Noor’s words from the words around them.
Keep exploring
Other languages
Loading MyLeoNes™…