How to Use Quotation Marks in Story Writing

By | August 22, 2022

When students write their academic assignments, they have to follow certain rules. Some of them are relatively free. The others must be fulfilled exactly as demanded. Thus, placing a quotation into quotation marks is one of the rules, which cannot be violated. Otherwise, you’ll commit a mistake that will deprive you of important grades. Quotations can be used in any piece of writing including storytelling.

It’s not always easy to insert quotations correctly. There are certain rules, which explain how to do that in the right way. These rules cannot be violated at any rate! Many students cannot memorize them or simply don’t understand how to write them correctly. Commonly, they use professional essay writing help provided by services from https://www.advancedwriters.com. This is a trustworthy and legit academic writing service, which helps to write different papers online. Besides, its expert writers help to make correct quotations. Of course, it’s better to learn the rules on your own.

Some people mistakenly think that quotations shouldn’t be used in non-scientific papers similar to story writing. Why do they think so? Well, we all know that scientifically-based projects must be supported with the official evidence that is pointed out with the help of quotations. Non-scientific papers aren’t obliged to include research. Nevertheless, many students use them because they want to make their stories stand out from the crowd. Using quotes, you insert an expert opinion of some outstanding writer, scholar, philosopher, etc. Thus, you strengthen something important in your text and it automatically draws the attention of your readers. Therefore, even if you write a simple story, as well as a personal statement, narrative, descriptive or reflexive essay, you should learn how to use quotation marks correctly. We’ll teach you the right way.

Begin with a Capital Letter

The first rule you should never forget is to capitalize the first letter of any direct citation you make. The standard sources are:

  • Books;
  • Articles;
  • Studies;
  • Journals, etc.

Besides, direct citations must be circled out with citation marks from both sides. For example, you should write after the following manner: Pollen says, “You can eat whatever you want as long as you make it yourself.” Obligatorily memorize this simple but important demand.

Consider Comma Placement

Another important rule to remember is related to commas. You should put a comma each time you make a full quote. Don’t forget that commas shouldn’t be counted as the part of the quotation marks. It always goes before them. For example: Like Tolkien wrote in his book, “For nothing is evil in the beginning.”

Lowercase Issue

Sometimes, writers use citations in the middle of the sentence. This case differs from the common citation placement and has a different demand you should know about. In case you’re citing a source within a sentence, you should lowercase its first letter. Mind that it can be used if you use only some part of a long citation, but not its full version. Thus, you may write in the following way: Tolkien wrote in his book a lot about the good and evil things “there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair,” meaning there is always an equal equivalent and it’s up for us to decide which path to choose.

Add Punctuation When It’s Necessary

You should remember another important rule about punctuation. It’s required to add all the punctuation means within your quotation if they really should be there. These are:

  • Commas;
  • Periods;
  • Exclamation marks;
  • Dashes;
  • Question marks, etc.

Even quotation marks should appear inside your marks if they are present in the literary source you’re using. Here are several examples:

Bilbo Baggins said, “I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.”

Ernest Hemingway once wrote, “There is no friend as loyal as a book.”

Put the Marks around Common Sayings

Many students forget to place quotation marks around clichés, proverbs, and other common sayings. These parts of speech should be highlighted as well. Consider the following samples:

Everyone knows the saying, “What goes around comes around.”

This issue reminds us of one well-known proverb, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”

Underline a Separate Part to Emphasize Its Value

Some people don’t know that it’s allowed to mark a phrase or even a single word in their stories. This method is also known as scare quotes. They aren’t applied frequently. Nevertheless, their impact is huge and immediately gets the attention of the readers. You can write: He smartly revealed his “little” trouble. Thus, the word “little” means “big”.

Take into account our recommendations and tips. They will surely help you to make a captivating story with quotations stated correctly. Accordingly, you won’t be deprived of important grades.

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