Dear Families,
Almost every student struggles when learning where
to place quotation marks. The rules are really quite
simple, but the way we speak and write can make it
confusing. Everything that is a direct quote (a person’s
exact words) needs to be inside quotation marks.
Sometimes this is only one sentence; sometimes it is a
whole paragraph. Here are some basic rules:
uu If the quotation has two separate sentences,
they both start with a capital letter.
Quotations
Lesson
#4
Quotations with
separate sentences:
capitalization
and punctuation
uu End punctuation belongs inside the quotation
marks.
We did this
in class!
Directions: Read the following story and add quotation marks around
the exact words that someone said. For this exercise, quotation marks
are the only punctuation you need to add.
Mrs. Sanders said, You are not going to believe where we are going on our field trip.
You are going to love this!
Where, where, where? asked every child in the class.
I’m not going to tell you, replied Mrs. Sanders. I’m going to see if you can guess.
Give us a hint, begged the children. Give us a big, big hint.
We are staying in Orlando, explained Mrs. Sanders. We are going to EPCOT.
We’re going to Disney World! shouted the children.
We are, said Mrs. Sanders. Disney is letting all fourth graders in Florida visit free.
We even get a free lunch.
We can’t wait! yelled the children. Disney World is the happiest place on Earth!
Week-by-Week Homework for Building Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Skills © Mary Rose, Scholastic Teaching Resources
47
Name ____________________________________________________ Date _________________________
Families,
please help!
Directions: Correctly punctuate the following paragraph with quotation
marks and commas. (HINT: We use commas with tag lines.) In the last
sentence, you will see an example of a time we use single quotation
marks. Just remember, the ending quotation marks that you are adding
go at the end of the entire quotation.
Who is the greatest NASCAR driver of all time? asked Jordan. Do you have a clue?
I don’t know, I replied. Could it be Jeff Gordon?
No, said Jordan. It is Richard Petty.
I have heard of him, I said. What makes him so great?
You don’t know? exclaimed Jordan. Do you live in a cave? How many wins does Jeff
Gordon have?
Jeff Gordon has 92 wins, almost a record, I bragged.
Well, if it is ALMOST a record, who holds the record for all-time NASCAR wins? Do you have
a clue now?
I don’t know, I stammered. I guess the answer might be Richard Petty. How many wins does
he have?
Are you ready for this? asked Jordan. Richard Petty has 200 wins. What do you think of that?
I think that is pretty impressive, I said. Boy, I know why they always refer to him as ‘The King.’
.
This homework is due at school on
Child’s signature
Parent’s signature
Quotations Lesson #4
48
Week-by-Week Homework for Building Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Skills © Mary Rose, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Section 3
Quotations
& Quotation Marks
F
iguring out when and where to use quotation marks can cause great consternation for
both children and adults. Students may wonder why one title is in quotation marks,
when another is in italics. And where do quotation marks go when writing dialogue or quoting
someone? Because students do not know how to punctuate dialogue, teachers sometimes
discourage them from using it in their stories.
Many of the issues about quotations, quotation marks, and punctuation are addressed here.
Let’s start with something basic: using quotation marks when there is no dialogue involved.
Overview
of the Skills
Lesson #4
If a quote has two or more sentences, start each sentence with a
capital letter. End punctuation goes inside the quotation marks.
Students need practice with dialogue and placement of end punctuation. Do
activities similar to those for Lesson 3, but use examples that feature dialogue
or quotations with two or more sentences. Be sure students know to start each
sentence with a capital letter.
Quotations #4 - Answers
Class Work
Mrs. Sanders said, “You are not going to believe
where we are going on our field trip. You are
going to love this!”
“Where, where, where?” asked every child in the
class.
“I’m not going to tell you,” replied Mrs. Sanders.
“I’m going to see if you can guess.”
“Give us a hint,” begged the children. “Give us a
big, big hint.”
“We are staying in Orlando,” explained Mrs.
Baker. “We are going to EPCOT.”
“We are going to Disney World!” shouted the
children.
“We are,” said Mrs. Sanders. “Disney is letting
all fourth graders in Florida visit free. We even
get a free lunch.”
“We can’t wait!” yelled the children. “Disney
World is the happiest place on Earth!”
38
Homework
“Who is the greatest NASCAR driver of all
time?” asked Jordan. “Do you have a clue?”
“I don’t know,” I replied. “Could it be Jeff
Gordon?”
“No,” said Jordan. “It is Richard Petty.”
“I have heard of him,” I said. “What makes him
so great?”
“You don’t know?” exclaimed Jordan. “Do you live
in a cave? How many wins does Jeff Gordon have?”
“Jeff Gordon has 92 wins, almost a record,” I
bragged.
“Well, if it is ALMOST a record, who holds the
record for all-time NASCAR wins? Do you have
a clue now?”
“I don’t know,” I stammered. “I guess the answer
might be Richard Petty. How many wins does
he have?”
“Are you ready for this?” asked Jordan. “Richard
Petty has 200 wins. What do you think of that?”
“I think that is pretty impressive,” I said. “Boy, I
know why they always refer to him as ‘The King.’”
Week-by-Week Homework for Building Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Skills © Mary Rose, Scholastic Teaching Resources