Can you put two different quotes next to each other?

When citing conversation that is more than four lines long and/or more than one character is speaking, you must indent the quote and begin a new line for each character's discourse. Never use two quotations in a row. Remember that you must explain each quotation, therefore never put two "naked" quotes next to each other. Also, don't use single quotes for quoted text that contains apostrophes or exclamation points.

Here are some examples of good quoting:

"You can't say anything without using three-quarters of your brain." - George Carlin

He said: "I think we're going to have trouble with this one." I replied: "We?" He repeated himself: "We're going to have trouble with this one." I then told him that was just like something my father would say.

Here are some examples of bad quoting:

He repeated himself: "We?" " - Bad quoting because both sentences are treated as one argument.

How do you quote multiple lines in a play?

When reciting many lines of speech from a play or film script,

1. Set the quote on a new line, indented half an inch from the left margin.
2. Start the dialogue with the character’s name in capital letters, followed by a period.
3. If a character’s dialogue runs over one line, indent subsequent lines a further half inch.

How do you write dialogue with quotation marks?

Use quote marks and commas. Surround your dialogue with quotation marks and end it with a comma before the last quote mark. End with the dialogue tag to identify the speaker. "This is my favorite dress," said Sally. "I put your keys on top of the dresser," Mark insisted.

Sally went downstairs while Mark cleaned up the kitchen. When she came back upstairs, she found him sitting in his chair with his jacket on.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Home."

"But it's Sunday."

"So what?"

Sally wasn't sure if he meant to go home permanently or just for now. Either way, it sounded like an empty threat. She decided not to worry about it and changed the subject.

"Do you want some coffee?" she asked.

"No, thank you."

He didn't look at her when he spoke next. "Good night."

Can you put multiple quotes in a paragraph?

Yes. When a speaker's conversation words span more than one paragraph, use an initial quote mark at the start of each paragraph. Avoid using a single long quotation mark; instead, split up your quotes into several shorter ones.

How do you quote dialogue from a play?

When quoting dialogue from a play, use these guidelines: Set the quotation apart from the rest of your content. Begin each section of speech with the name of the appropriate character. Each name should be indented half an inch from the left margin and written in all capital letters. After the name, place a period before beginning the quotation.

Here are some examples of quotations from plays:

"I am Romeo, not Rosalind." (William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet)

"I'm up here in the crow's-nest looking out for a storm." (Harold Teen, The Music Man)

"My name is Larry Bird. I like to fly." (Larry Bird, A League Of Their Own)

"She sells seashells by the seashore." (Albert Einstein)

"The more that you know, the less you feel sure of." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

"If music be the food of love, then play on." (William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet)

"To be or not to be...that is the question." (Shakespeare)

"Kill them both." (Hamlet)

How do you put two separate quotes together?

Quotes inside quotes: For quotes within quotes, use single quote marks for the internal quote, including opening and closing. If both quotations finished at the same time, you'd have a single quote mark and two double quote marks. "The surgeon called it'simply a basic method," he explained. "It's one of those things that doctors do.'"

In other words, don't worry about ending single or double quotes. Just use your best judgment based on what other people write!

Have a question? Ask us in the comments!

How do you quote things properly?

When quoting a character, use double quotation marks on the outside ends of the quotation to show that you are quoting from the text. "You are not my son!" she exclaimed. "Yes, I am!" he said. She was silent for a moment, then added in a softer voice, "I always thought so."

In other words, when you quote something, put double quotation marks around it. And when someone speaks in quotes, they're giving their opinion, so no quotation marks are needed.

It's as simple as that! Now you know how to quote things correctly.

Where do you use single quotes and double quotes?

If you use single quotation marks for a quote within a quote, use double quotation marks. If you use double quotation marks, then a quote within a quote should be in single quotation quotes.

For example: "Jude said 'this is a new world.' " Using single quotations marks for the quote would mean that it's someone else's words that are being spoken, while using double quotations marks would mean that it's your own words that are being spoken.

This is important because people may want to refer to these words later. If they use single quotations marks, they can't be referenced later since there are no actual words attached to them. If they use double quotations marks, however, they can be referenced later since "these are the same words" as those used earlier.

Single quotes are also used to quote other characters such as periods or commas. These characters would not be quoted with single or double quotes alone; instead, they require back-to-back quotes. For example: "Jude said 'this is a new world.' " Would not compile since there are no actual words being spoken.

Dotting the i's and crossing the t's when quoting others' words is very important. If you don't, you might end up sounding like Jude did at the start of this story.

About Article Author

Mary Rivera

Mary Rivera is a writer and editor. She has many years of experience in the publishing industry, and she enjoys working with authors to help them get their work published. Mary also loves to travel, read literature from all over the world, and go on long walks on the beach with her dog.