Meaning & use
direct speech punctuation
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
The set of rules for using quotation marks, commas, and other marks when writing the exact words someone said.
Grammar: Uncountable; no plural. Often used with 'the' when referring to the system: 'the rules of direct speech punctuation'.
Patterns
- the rules of direct speech punctuation
- use direct speech punctuation
- direct speech punctuation in English
The teacher explained the rules of direct speech punctuation, such as where to put the comma before the closing quotation mark.
In American English, direct speech punctuation usually puts the comma inside the quotation marks.
Her essay lost points because she ignored direct speech punctuation.
Common combinations
- rules of direct speech punctuation
- The rules of direct speech punctuation vary between British and American English.
- direct speech punctuation marks
- Commas and quotation marks are the main direct speech punctuation marks.
- use direct speech punctuation
- You need to use direct speech punctuation correctly in your story.
- direct speech punctuation in writing
- Direct speech punctuation in writing helps readers know who is speaking.
Synonyms and how they differ
- quotation mark rules
- More specific to the marks themselves; 'direct speech punctuation' covers commas, periods, and question marks too.
Word family
- direct speech noun
- The actual words someone says, written inside quotation marks.
- punctuate verb
- To add punctuation marks to written text.
- punctuation noun
- The marks used in writing, such as commas, periods, and question marks.
Commonly confused: direct speech punctuation or indirect speech punctuation?
direct speech punctuation vs indirect speech punctuation
Indirect speech reports what someone said without quotation marks, so it has different punctuation rules.
Practice
Which sentence uses correct direct speech punctuation in American English?
Choose one answer.
In American English, the comma goes inside the closing quotation mark before the reporting clause, so option B is correct. Option A places the comma outside, which is not standard American style.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “direct speech punctuation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.