Grammar: The importance of “Quotation Marks”

Colleen JacksonEnglish Grade 8

Objectives of this Activity

• Throughout the year, our class has been learning and reviewing grammar.

• This activity is designed to help you 1. Correctly use punctuation and capitalization2. Improve sentence fluency, grammar, and usage3. Demonstrate understandings of the grammatical

conventions of the English language

Quotation Marks• Quotation marks are

used to represent someone else’s exact words.– This is called a direct

quote.

• Quotation marks are also used to distinguish the title of books, lectures, movies, operas, plays, poems, songs, speeches, and television shows.

Quotation Marks (Con’t)

• Use quotation marks for nicknames as well. Example:

“One-eyed” Willie

• Do NOT use quotation marks for magazines, newspapers, or references books.

Example: The Record

Courier

• When quotations are used correctly, they act as a powerful tool in writing.

• When they aren’t used correctly, they make the reader feel uneasy about the word in quotations.

The unnecessary quotes in this picture makes the reader suspicious of “bees” and “area.”

Here is another example

Punctuation with Quotation Marks

• Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks. (For a direct quote)– “I want to go home,” she said.

• Question marks, exclamation marks, and semicolons go inside quotation marks if they are part of the quoted material.– “I want to go home now!” she said.

Punctuation Con’t

• Question marks , exclamation marks, and semicolons go outside the quote if they aren’t part of the quoted material.- Have you read “To Kill a Mockingbird”?

More Examples of Quotations

Direct Quotes:• “So, is she coming to the movies with us?”

Sabrina asked.• “No, she is working on homework,” Ashley

replied.Partial Quotes:Zac and Derek are going to the beach to “soak

up some sun and relax.”

So, now it’s quiz time!

• The following questions all have numerous grammatical errors.

• Your job is to figure out what is wrong and correct them.

• Remember what we have already learned in class and apply what we have just learned to help fix the incorrect sentences.

Question 1

• no we haven’t never drove to lake superior for the fourth of july mr stein says last Monday

• AnswersNo, we haven’t ever driven to Lake Superior for the Fourth of July, Mr. Stein said last Monday.

“No we haven’t never driven to lake Superior for the fourth of July” Mr. Stein said last Monday.

“No, we haven’t ever driven to Lake Superior for the Fourth of July,” Mr. Stein said last Monday.

Question 2

• the man at the door taking tickets shouted get away from that car

• AnswersThe man taking tickets at the door shouted, “Get away from that car!”The man taking tickets at the door shouted “Get away from that car”!The man taking tickets at the door shouted, Get away from that car!

Question 3

• in march them students will read the short story a visit of charity which was wrote in the twentieth century

• AnswersIn March, these students will read the short story, A Visit of Charity, which was written in the twentieth century.In March, these students will read the short story, “A Visit of Charity,” which was written in the twentieth century.In March, these students will read the short story “A Visit of Charity” which was written in the twentieth century.

That’s not the correct answer

• Remember to watch for quotation marks.• Where should they be?

That’s correct!!

• Please move on to the next question!

That’s not the correct answer

• Remember to watch for quotation marks.• Where should they be?

That’s not the correct answer

• Remember to watch for punctuation within the quotations and capitalization

• Look other examples for clarification.

That’s correct!!

• Please move on to the next question!

That’s not the correct answer

• Remember to watch for punctuation at the beginning and ending of the quote.

That’s not the correct answer

• Remember to watch for appositives. • The same rule applies to appositives even if

it’s surrounded in quotation marks.

That’s not the correct answer

• Remember to watch for quotation marks.• Where should they be?

That’s not the correct answer

• Remember to watch for quotation marks.• Where should they be?

That’s correct!!

• Congratulations! You’ve completed the quiz

References

• Kessler, L., & McDonald, D. (2008). When Words Collide (7th ed., pp. 114-117). Boston: Thomson Wadsworth.

• Daily Oral Language. Great Source Education Group. Retrieved February 24, 2010, from http://www.greatsource.com/GreatSource/pdf/Daily_Oral_Language.pdf