Grammar question.

[ErezMA]

Now I know that there are some people who like to do one space after a sentence before the new one and there are some people who like two. I personally like to do two.

My question is, what are the rules for quotations?

Example to put things in perspective: "I like gummy bears." Johnny said. Even though 'I like gummy bears' is a sentence, would it be considered only a piece of the bigger sentence that includes 'Johnny said?'

I'm editing a novel and need some assistance. All assistance would be appreciated.

 

[dawinsor]

You need a comma, not a period, after "bears" and before the quotation mark. Get out a novel and look at how the dialogue is punctuated. Sometimes it's useful to copy a bunch of dialogue because your fingers have to accommodate what your eyes miss in reading.

ETA: If you're planning on submitting this to a publisher (rather than self-publishing), the publisher will have a house style guide that specifies whether to use one space or two after end punctuation. My publisher requires one.

 

[Loverofwords]

You would write it like this:

"I like gummy bears," Johnny said.

You need a comma where you had a period, which I just showed.

 

[ErezMA]

Okay. Thank you.

So to double check, this wouldn't affect anything if my sentence ended in other punctuation such as a question mark or exclamation point?

 

[blacbird]

Okay. Thank you.

So to double check, this wouldn't affect anything if my sentence ended in other punctuation such as a question mark or exclamation point?

Again, go look at some novels. Seriously. It's the simplest way to answer all kinds of questions like this.

caw

 

[VoireyLinger]

Again, go look at some novels. Seriously. It's the simplest way to answer all kinds of questions like this.

Only if you know what you're looking at. if not, the mix of commas here and periods there can be confusing... which is why this question pops up so frequently.



Two spaces is considered old formatting for typewriters. With word processing programs they are considered a formatting nightmare. I'd recommend retraining yourself to do one.

When you have a dialogue tag such as said, then yes, the quotation is part of a bigger sentence and the end of the quote gets a comma vs. the period.

"I like gummy bears," he said. Note that the tag describes how the person is vocalizing the quoted portion. Same would apply if he gasped, shrieked or wailed.

If the quote is the full sentence and the next bit is a completely different sentence, you'll have the period.

"I like gummy bears." He ate one. This is sometimes called an action tag, something that can denote who is speaking and gives some scene blocking or movement.

Question marks and exclamation points are used inside the quotes and remain the same with or without the tag.

"Do I like gummy bears?" he asked. (I'm sure someone will point out the 'he asked' is redundant. Yes, I know. Just a demo.)
"Do I like gummy bears?" He ate one.

Does that help?

 

[ErezMA]

It does help. Thank you all. I know reading would help, but too often, I've read differences between a lot of grammatical rules. For example, I've been told that you should insert commas before quotes, but I've also read books where the authors do that. I find it confusing, honestly.

 

[rwm4768]

Personally, I think you should retrain yourself to put only one space after a period. That's the standard today with most publishers, and it'll save you some work later on (though it's not all that difficult if you replace all the double spaces with single spaces). I used to be a double space person. Then I decided one day that I was going to train myself to go with single spacing. It took only a few days before I rarely made mistakes. Now, less than a year after making the switch, one space feels natural.

 

[Roxxsmom]

Example to put things in perspective: "I like gummy bears." Johnny said. Even though 'I like gummy bears' is a sentence, would it be considered only a piece of the bigger sentence that includes 'Johnny said?'

I'm editing a novel and need some assistance. All assistance would be appreciated.

Yep. When you attribute dialog with a tag--something that can actually be said--you use a comma. You use a period when there's an action that can't be spoken that precedes or follows the quoted material. The only exception is if the spoken material is a question.

So:

"I like gummi bears," Johnny said."

"Is that really a gummi bear?" Johnny asked. "I've never seen a brown one."

"That's not a gummi bear," Johnny said. "I've never seen a brown one."

"I'm doubting," Johnny said, "that gummi bears can ever be brown."

"That's not a gummi bear." Johnny screwed his face up in disgust. "I've never seen a brown one."


Leaving two spaces after a period is a hold over from the days when people learned to type on actual typewriters with monospaced fonts. Standard manuscript format and the style manuals call for a single space after a period. Some people get quite ranty about the habit some still have of leaving an extra space after periods. Others say it's the sure sign that you're an old, washed-up has been (since doing it means you're old enough to have learned on a typewriter).

Nothing like being told something makes me look old to cure me of it.

 

[Bufty]

I agree with others who suggested that reading dialogue in books is the best way to learn how dialogue is punctuated.

When reading whatever guidance you've been reading, I think you may be confusing yourself by regarding the word 'quotations' as meaning the same as 'dialogue'. They are not the same and what you are referring to in your original post is dialogue.

 

[Ken]

Get out a novel and look at how the dialogue is punctuated. Sometimes it's useful to copy a bunch of dialogue because your fingers have to accommodate what your eyes miss in reading.

That's a good idea.

Two spaces harks back to days writers wrote on typewriters. Two spaces were sorta needed to mark off one sentence from the next, due to the block font. Nowadays that's not really necessary. One space suits fine. Of course you can do as you like. At worst you will only annoy an editor. "Stupid #@%& writer !!!"

;-)

 

[VoireyLinger]

It does help. Thank you all. I know reading would help, but too often, I've read differences between a lot of grammatical rules. For example, I've been told that you should insert commas before quotes, but I've also read books where the authors do that. I find it confusing, honestly.

Yes, when the tag comes before the quote, the comma precedes the quotation marks.

He said, "I like gummy bears."

Here is some recommended reading on quotation marks from the Purdue OWL.

There are a lot of online resources for grammar. The OWL is my favorite. Grammar Girl is also popular. I suggest finding one that makes sense to you and hitting it first when you're confused.

 

[Jamesaritchie]

I never use a question mark AND the words "said" or "asked". Doing so is not only redundant, it breaks the rules of grammar, however often you see it.

"Can I go home now?" is fine.

But "Can I go home now?" Johnny asked, is not fine. A question mark is a full stop, it's a period with a hook on top, which means the next thing after it needs to start with a capital letter.

Better to write, "Can I go home now," Johnny asked. Or simply, "Can I go home now?" when no attribution is needed.

When you write, "Can I go home now?" Johnny asked, you're actually writing, "Can I go home now, Johnny asked" Johnny asked.

The question mark means asked, so don't repeat it.

 

[Chase]

Again, go look at some novels. Seriously. It's the simplest way to answer all kinds of questions like this.

Blacbird's repeat of Dawinsor's advice is spot on.

Only if you know what you're looking at. if not, the mix of commas here and periods there can be confusing... which is why this question pops up so frequently.

I don't think so. If you don't know what you're looking at in real world punctuation of short stories and novels, it means you're not paying attention. Both Dawinsor and Blacbird's advice is the best for learning punctuation.

 

[Chase]

I never use a question mark AND the words "said" or "asked". Doing so is not only redundant, it breaks the rules of grammar, however often you see it.

"Can I go home now?" is fine.

But "Can I go home now?" Johnny asked, is not fine. A question mark is a full stop, it's a period with a hook on top, which means the next thing after it needs to start with a capital letter.

Better to write, "Can I go home now," Johnny asked. Or simply, "Can I go home now?" when no attribution is needed.

When you write, "Can I go home now?" Johnny asked, you're actually writing, "Can I go home now, Johnny asked" Johnny asked.

The question mark means asked, so don't repeat it.

Better check this point of punctuation, James. "Can I go home now?" Johnny asked. is perfectly correct. In such cases, question marks and exclamations do not serve as end marks.

 

[WriteMinded]

I never use a question mark AND the words "said" or "asked". Doing so is not only redundant, it breaks the rules of grammar, however often you see it.

"Can I go home now?" is fine.

But "Can I go home now?" Johnny asked, is not fine. A question mark is a full stop, it's a period with a hook on top, which means the next thing after it needs to start with a capital letter.

Better to write, "Can I go home now," Johnny asked. Or simply, "Can I go home now?" when no attribution is needed.

When you write, "Can I go home now?" Johnny asked, you're actually writing, "Can I go home now, Johnny asked" Johnny asked.

The question mark means asked, so don't repeat it.

Then how do I know that it was Johnny who did the asking . . . or saying?

 

[Chase]

The question mark means asked, so don't repeat it.

To be clear(er), I agree with this last admonishment. Many times, he asked and she asked areredundant, but a comma can't replace a question or exclamation mark as it does a period:

These are correct:

"I'll go with you," she said.
"Why can't he go with me?" she demanded.
"No one can leave!" he called above the roar.

 

[blacbird]

I never use a question mark AND the words "said" or "asked". Doing so is not only redundant, it breaks the rules of grammar, however often you see it.

No, it doesn't. If the statement, question or otherwise, needs attribution for the purpose of clarity, rendering it as "Can I go home now?" Johnny said is perfectly correct grammar. So is "Can I go home now?" Johnny asked, although I agree with your point about redundancy. But that's a matter of stylistic preference, not of grammatical rule.

caw

 

[namejohn]

"I like gummy bears." Johnny said.
The thing in the quotes is a quote. It might or might not be a sentence, and the bigger sentence is still correct.
How this is show in writing varies.
The sentence above, with the quote, can be thought of as being a simple sentence, because it has a subject and verb and has meaning.
Using quotes is thought about in different ways. Need to follow along with what is common for the type of writing being done.

 

[blacbird]

"I like gummy bears." Johnny said.
The thing in the quotes is a quote.

No, it's not, in the normal sense that the words "quote" or "quotation" are used, which both are for factual quotations from someone, and require proper attribution. What you have is dialogue, made-up conversation, common to nearly all novels and stories.

It might or might not be a sentence, and the bigger sentence is still correct.

No, it's not. Your punctuation is just plain incorrect. You need a comma after "bears" instead of the period. That is simple convention, universally applied. Look at some novels.
And your punctuation is just plain incorrect. You need a comma aafter "bears" instead of the period. That is simple convention, universally applied. Look at some novels.

How this is show in writing varies.

No, it isn't.

Need to follow along with what is common for the type of writing being done.

Yes. Go do that.

caw