Direct speech, i.e., the speech of another person, included in the author’s text and reproduced verbatim, is formatted in two ways.

If direct speech is included in a line (in a selection), then it is enclosed in quotation marks: « I regret that I didn't know your father “,” she said after a while. –He must have been very kind, very serious, loved you very much " Luzhin remained silent(Eb.).

If direct speech begins with a paragraph, then a dash is placed in front of it (there are no quotation marks):

Fedya and Kuzma were silent. Kuzma quietly winked at Fedya, and they went out into the street.

– This is what I came for: Have the Lyubavins come from mowing?

– We've arrived.

– Take Yasha and wait for me here. I'll pop home in a minute(Shuksh.).

Both methods of formatting direct speech can be combined if the speech of one person also includes the direct speech of another person:

– Did I say that?

– Oh, terrible fool!(Bond.).

– Did you have a dream?

– I saw it. It’s as if my father and I went to trade a horse, we both liked one horse, my father blinks at me: “Jump and ride » (Shuksh.).

§134

If direct speech is worth before introducing it in the author's words, then after direct speech a comma and a dash are placed, and the author’s words begin with a lowercase letter: “We understand everything perfectly, Nikolai Vasilyevich,” Solodovnikov quipped to himself, sitting down on a white stool.(Shuksh.). If after direct speech there is a question mark, exclamation mark or ellipsis, then these marks are preserved and a comma is not placed; the author’s words, as in the first case, begin with a lowercase letter: “Yes, I should have said goodbye!..” - he realized when the covered car was already climbing up(Shuksh.); “My blue-eyed guardian angel, why are you looking at me with such sad anxiety?” – Krymov wanted to say ironically(Bond.).

If direct speech is worth after the author's words, then these words end with a colon; punctuation marks after direct speech are preserved: I I tell him: “Don’t cry, Egor, don’t”(Spread); Philip mechanically moved the steering oar and kept thinking: “Maryushka, Marya...”(Shuksh.); I wanted to quickly get to the “office”, quickly pick up the phone, quickly hear the voice familiar to Dolin: “Is that you? It’s necessary, huh?”(Sol.).

§135

1. If at the rupture site turns out exclamation or question mark, then it is saved, followed by a dash before the words of the author (with lowercase letters), after these words a dot and a dash are placed; the second part of direct speech begins with a capital letter: “Do I now give happiness to many people, as I did before? - thought Kiprensky. “Is it really only fools who try to arrange the well-being of their lives?”(Paust.); “Yes, be quiet! - the duty officer ordered. “Can you be quiet?!”(Shuksh.).

2. If at the rupture site there should be direct speech ellipses, then it is saved and a dash is placed after it; after the author’s words, a comma and a dash are placed if the second part of direct speech is not an independent sentence, or a dot and a dash if the second part of direct speech is an independent sentence; the second part of direct speech begins with a lowercase or capital letter, respectively: “Probably the landlady is having a seizure...” thought Mashenka, “or she had a quarrel with her husband...”(Ch.); “Wait...,” Lenka shouted, freeing his flaxen hair from his grandfather’s clumsy, trembling fingers, perking up a little. - As you say? Dust?"(M.G.).

3. If at the rupture site direct speech there should be no punctuation mark or there should be mid-sentence marks: comma, semicolon, colon, dash, then the author’s words are highlighted with a comma and a dash; the second part of direct speech begins with a lowercase letter: “You can’t understand,” I whisper, calling Ruslan into the next room and closing the door, “because we are different creatures.”(Trif.); “So, it’s wilted a little, on one side,” Asya giggled in a youthful way, wrinkles spreading across her face, “like a stale apple.”(Trif.); “Suddenly you sow,” Semyon thought, “and ordinary barley grows. Most likely this will happen."(Sol.); “Yes, something is biting badly,” said Fog, “it hurts when it’s hot.”(T.); “But how you will play,” Darwin said in response to his thoughts, “that, of course, is the question.”(Eb.).

4. If at the rupture site there should be direct speech dot, then a comma and a dash are placed before the author’s words, and a dot and a dash are placed after these words; the second part of direct speech begins with a capital letter: “They were disbanded before the verdict,” Dvornik said. “They will announce it tomorrow at nine o’clock in the evening.”(Trif.).

5. If the author's words break apart within the meaning of into two parts, which relate to different parts of direct speech, then if other conditions are met, a colon and a dash are placed after the author’s words: “Ehma...” - hopelesslysighed Gavrila in response to a stern orderAnd bitterlyadded : “My fate is lost!”(M.G.); “Don't touch the uniform! –ordered Lermontovand added , not at all angry, but even with some curiosity: “Are you going to listen to me or not?”(Paust.); “Have you ever smelled copper on your hands? –asked unexpectedly the engraver and, without waiting for an answer, winced andcontinued : – Poisonous, disgusting”(Paust.).

§136

If direct speech turns out to be inside the author's words, then it is enclosed in quotation marks and preceded by a colon; direct speech begins with a capital letter. After direct speech, punctuation marks are placed as follows:

A) a comma is placed if it was necessary at the break point of the author’s introductory words: Saying, “See you soon,” she quickly left the room. ;

b) A dash is placed if there is no punctuation mark at the break in the author’s introductory words: Overcoming the awkwardness, he muttered a student witticism: “My grandmother fell ill with measles” - and wanted to give the conversation that had begun a casual lightness(Bond.);

V) A dash is placed if direct speech ends with an ellipsis, question mark or exclamation mark: The children expected him to praise them, but the grandfather, shaking his head, said: “This stone has been lying here for many years, this is where it belongs...” - and told about the feat of three Soviet intelligence officers(Dry); Pyotr Mikhailych wanted to say: “Please don’t get involved in your own affairs!” – but remained silent(Ch.); She[dog] stops. I repeat: “What is said?” – and I keep it on the counter for a long time(Priv.);

G) if direct speech is directly included in the author’s sentence as its member, then it is enclosed in quotation marks, and punctuation marks are placed according to the terms of the author’s sentence: Having told Grichmar the phrase “There is no easy life, there is only an easy death,” Krymov caught Stishov’s restless, warning glance(Bond.).

§137

If direct speech belongs to different persons, then each replica is highlighted separately in quotation marks:

A) replicas are separated from each other by a dash: “Is the samovar ready?” - “Not yet...” - “Why? Someone came there." – “Avdotya Gavrilovna”(M.G.);

b) if one of the remarks is accompanied by introducing author’s words, then the next one is not separated by a dash: “You’re a widow, aren’t you?” – he asked quietly. "Third year". - “How long were you married?” - “A year and five months...”(M.G.);

V) A dot and a dash are placed between replicas belonging to different persons and equipped with different author’s words: As he passed by, he said, “Don’t forget to buy tickets.” “I’ll try,” I replied.; if the first replica contains exclamation or question marks, the period is omitted: Passing by, he shouted: “Cheer up!” “I’ll try,” I replied. ;

G) A comma and a dash are placed between remarks belonging to different persons, but united by a common author’s sentence: When the clerk said: “It would be good, master, to do this and that,” “Yes, not bad,” he usually answered.(G.); if the first replica contains exclamation or question marks, the comma is omitted: When I asked, “Why do you wear a carpet on your back?” “I’m cold,” he replied.; the same with a different arrangement of parts of the author’s sentence: When I asked, “Why do you wear a carpet on your back?” - he replied: “I’m cold”(Current.).

§138

At paragraph allocation lines of dialogue is placed before the replica dash; After the author's words preceding the dialogue, a colon or period is placed. If the author’s text contains words introducing direct speech, then a colon is placed after them; if there are no such words, then a dot is added:

Carmen took her hand away; the unfinished beat froze with a questioning ringing.

– “I’ll finish the game,” she said.

– When?

– When will you be with me(Green).

The telegraph operator, a strict, dry woman, having read the telegram,suggested :

– Make it different. You are an adult, not in kindergarten.

– Why? - asked the Weird. “I always write to her like this in letters.” This is my wife!.. You probably thought...

– You can write whatever you want in letters, but a telegram is a type of communication. This is clear text.

The weirdo rewrote(Shuksh.).

The same with a single replica:

Shatsky walked around the room.

– Stuffiness, stuffiness! - he muttered. – The evenings here cause asthma(Paust.).

His eyes are lowered to his plate. Then he raised them to Nadya, ordinary blue eyes, smiled and said quietly:

– Excuse me. It's my fault. This is childish of me(Sol.).

§139

Paragraph and non-paragraph (with the help of quotation marks) highlighting of direct speech is used differentially. If the text alternates between external speech (addressed to the interlocutor) and internal speech (thought to oneself), then external speech is formatted using paragraph highlighting, and internal speech is formatted using quotation marks:

– Hmmm. Well, you're right. Business cannot be exchanged for idleness. Go ahead and draw your triangles.

Nadya looked pleadingly into Ivan’s eyes. “Well, what’s so scary about that,”I wanted to tell her . - Tomorrow will be a new evening, we can go to the White Mountains. And the day after tomorrow. But it’s not my fault if I promised two weeks ago.”(Sol.).

And after my words, he smiled from ear to ear (his mouth was just from ear to ear) and joyfully agreed:

– Okay, let's go then.

“Here I’ll show you, let’s go,” -I thought to myself (Sol.).

Only the inner ( thought to myself) speech in the author’s text, outside of dialogue:

Kuzma looked where they pointed. There, on the slope of another slope, mowers walked in a chain. Behind them, the mown grass remained in even lines - beautiful. “One of them is Marya,” -Kuzma thought calmly (Shuksh.); Kuzma looked at her with joy. “What else was I, a fool, looking for?” –he thought (Shuksh.).

Punctuation marks for quotations

§140

Quotes conclude in quotes and are formalized with punctuation marks in the same way as direct speech (see § 133–136):

A) Marcus Aurelius said: “Pain is a living idea of ​​pain: make an effort of will to change this idea, throw it away, stop complaining, and the pain will disappear.”(Ch.); Remember the words of L.N. Tolstoy more often: “A person has only responsibilities!”; M. Aliger has the lines: “A person needs very little for happiness to grow to its full height”; L. N. Tolstoy has an interesting comparison: “Just as the eye has an eyelid, so a fool has self-confidence to protect himself from the possibility of defeat of his vanity. And both, the more they take care of themselves, the less they see - they close their eyes.” ;

b) “Whoever shoots at the past with a pistol, the future will shoot at him with a cannon,” wrote R. Gamzatov; “He is not a writer who has not added at least a little vigilance to a person’s vision,” said K. Paustovsky ;

V) “To create something,” wrote Goethe, “one must be something”; “If on Nikolai (December 19),” the book said, “the day is cold and clear, it’s a good year for the grain harvest.”(Sol.);

G) Pascal’s statement: “Whoever knows how to suggest that he is not very cunning is no longer simple” sounds aphoristic; Picasso’s words: “Art is an emanation of pain and sadness” have a deep meaning .

§141

If the quotation is not given in full, then an omission is indicated ellipsis(at the beginning of the quote, in the middle or at the end):

A) “...If good has a reason, it is no longer good; if good has a consequence, then it is no longer good. Good is beyond effects and causes,” wrote L. N. Tolstoy in his diaries; “...The poem develops into my memories, which at least once a year (often in December) demand that I do something with them,” notes A. Akhmatova in “Prose about the Poem” ;

b) “The biography of the heroine... is written down in one of my notebooks,” writes A. Akhmatova in one of her letters from Komarov ;

V) “Goethe says somewhere that nothing significant can be created in a foreign language, but I always thought that this was not true...” wrote M. Tsvetaeva in 1926 to Rilke .

§142

If the quotation precedes the author's text, then after the ellipsis the word is written with capital letter; if the quotation comes after the author’s words, then after the ellipsis it is used lowercase letter : “... Olesha’s books fully express his essence, be it “Envy”, or “Three Fat Men”, or polished little stories,” wrote V. Lidin; V. Lidin wrote: “...Olesha’s books fully express his essence, be it “Envy”, or “Three Fat Men”, or polished little stories” .

§143

A quotation included in the author's proposal as a component of it is highlighted in quotation marks(but starts with a lowercase letter), punctuation marks are used only those that are dictated by the author’s sentence itself: L. N. Tolstoy’s thought “time is the relationship between the movement of one’s life and the movement of other beings,” expressed in his diaries, has a philosophical content .

If the quotation is not an independent sentence and ends with an ellipsis, then after the closing quotation marks a period is placed, referring to the entire sentence as a whole: Iskander noted that “wisdom is a mind infused with conscience...”. Wed: Academician I.P. Pavlov wrote that “an idea without development is dead; stereotyping in scientific thought is death; lordship is the most dangerous poison" . – Academician I.P. Pavlov wrote that “an idea without development is dead; stereotyping in scientific thought is death..." . – Academician I.P. Pavlov wrote: “An idea without development is dead; stereotyping in scientific thought is death..."(In the first and second cases, the period after the closing quotation marks refers to the entire sentence as a whole; in the third, the quotation is framed as an independent sentence that has its own final sign (ellipsis), so there is no period after the closing quotation mark.)

§144

When abbreviating a quotation that already has ellipses that perform certain functions inherent to them, the ellipses placed by the author quoting the text, indicating the abbreviation of the quotation, are enclosed in angle brackets: In the diary of L. N. Tolstoy we read: “She cannot renounce her feelings<…>. For her, like all women, feeling comes first, and every change occurs, perhaps, independently of the mind, in feeling... Maybe Tanya is right that this will pass by itself little by little<…>» .

§145

If the quoted text already contains a quotation, then use quotation marks of different shapes - “cute” ( „“ ) and “Christmas trees” ( «» ). “Paws” (or “paws”) is an internal sign; “Christmas tree” – external. For example: ““Respect for the past is the trait that distinguishes education from savagery,” Pushkin once said. Near this line, it seems, we have now stopped, realizing that we cannot retreat back, and not daring, but getting ready and getting ready to move forward, to true respect.”(Spread).

§146

If it is necessary for the quoter to highlight individual words of the quotation, this selection is indicated in parentheses: ( emphasized by us. – N.V.); (italics are ours. – N.V.); (our detente. – Ed.). For example: “Whoever wants to study man in history must be able to analyze historical (highlighted by us. – N.V.) emotions"(Yu. Lotman).

If the quoting person inserts his own explanatory text into the quotation or expands an abbreviated word, then this explanation is enclosed in square or angle brackets: “Thank you for admiring Moore[son of M. Tsvetaeva] …” – writes M. Tsvetaeva to B. Pasternak in 1927; “I must have read the staircase!” P[that's why] h[That] Leia read. Get it from her, correct the typos,” writes M. Tsvetaeva to B. Pasternak in 1927.

§147

References to the author and source of citation are enclosed in parentheses; The period ending the quotation is placed after the closing parenthesis. For example: “To think broadly pedagogically means to be able to see the educational meaning in any social phenomenon” (Azarov Yu. Study in order to teach // New World. 1987. No. 4. P. 242).

If a quotation ends with a question or exclamation mark, or an ellipsis, then these marks retain their place (they appear before the closing quotation mark). When listing examples, the period after the closing bracket is replaced with a semicolon: “How mysterious you are, thunderstorm!” (I. Bunin. The fields smell...); “Don't leave your loved ones. There are no former lovers in the world..." (A. Voznesensky. Poems. M., 2001. P. 5).

If an indication of the author or the cited source is placed below the quotation, in particular with epigraphs, then the parentheses are removed, as are the quotation marks in the quotation, and at the end of the quotation a sign corresponding to the given sentence is placed. For example:

White rose with black toad

I wanted to get married on earth.

S. Yesenin

You don't love me, you love mine!

F. Dostoevsky

... Why so often

I feel sorry for the whole world and I feel sorry for the person?

N. Zabolotsky

Painting teaches you to look and see...

A. Blok

Marking quotes and “alien” words with quotation marks

§148

In quotation marks quotations (other people's speech) included in the author's text, including direct speech, are highlighted (see § 140–145).

Without quotes Poetic quotations are issued if they are given while preserving the author's stanza. The position in the text takes on the excretory function:

The twelfth - the last and short - chapter of the book begins. The twelfth hour of Alexander Blok’s short life is striking.

Only in the menacing morning fog

the clock strikes for the last time...

…The year one thousand nine hundred and twenty has arrived, the fourth year of the new October era(Eagle).

Not in quotation marks and direct speech when conveying dialogue using paragraph division (see § 138), since the position in the text takes on the excretory function.

§149

They are highlighted with quotation marks. other people's words included in the author's text, when their belonging to another person is indicated: This happened in the spring of 1901, which Blok called"extremely important" (Eagle); Pasternak writes: “... in my individual case, life turned into artistic implementation, as it was born from fate and experience.” But what is"fate and experience" V"special case" Pasternak? This again"artistic transformation" , with whom meetings, correspondence, conversations were connected - with Mayakovsky, Tsvetaeva, Aseev, Paolo Yashvili, Titian Tabidze(Lich.); Jordan loved Kiprensky and called him"kind soul" (Paust.); Pasternak's struggle for"unheard of simplicity" poetic language was a struggle not for its intelligibility, but for its primordiality, originality - the absence of poetic secondaryity, primitive traditionality...(Lich.).

Putting quotation marks around unusually used words

§150

In quotation marks words that are alien to the writer’s vocabulary are highlighted: words used in an unusual (special, professional) meaning, words belonging to a special, often narrow circle of people communicating: I poked the oar, little boy"dal var" (Priv.); The grass did not wither for a long time. Only a blue haze (it’s popularly called"mga" ) covered the reaches of the Oka River and distant forests."Mga" it thickened, then turned pale(Paust.); Sasha lives"on bread" in a bourgeois house(Boon.); A solution of calcium sulfate salts from gypsum can pass into the microscopic pores of ceramics and give"efflorescence" on the surface of the work there are whitish spots under the glaze. Ideally, only ceramics would take root on ceramics. Such"implant" would age in sync with the original(magazine).

§151

In quotation marks foreign style words are highlighted, the ironic meaning of the word is emphasized, an indication is given of the double meaning of the word or the meaning known only to the one to whom the words are addressed: ...Many pages of an English classic novel"breaking" from the wealth of the material world and sparkle with this wealth(M. Urnov) (another style word in a scientific text); ...The mystery of this mysterious acquisition, a generous gift for"services" , serves as an example of ambiguous talk(M. Urnov) (ironic meaning of the word); As long as it's a secret, don't say anything"there" known to you"especially" (Ch.) ( there, person– the meaning of the words is known only to the addressee); I started taking exams... when"decent persons" they weren't kept(Eagle) (indication of the special, secret meaning of the word); ...And if not for this thesis, it is still unknown what the departmental"bewilderment" (Hall.) (ironic and deprecatory use of the word); And so every day from"dawn" before"dawn" . A"dawn" - this is a special article used by the guard at the guardhouse in the morning and evening(Gil.) (double meaning - generally accepted and conventional).

§152

In quotation marks words used in a special, often conditional meaning are highlighted: After all, the zero cycle is"dust-free" cycle, it does not require numerous subcontractors and suppliers(Hall.).

§153

Quotation marks emphasize the purely grammatical unusualness of the use of words, for example in the case when parts of speech or entire phrases that are not intended to express these functions are used as members of a sentence: "Want?" , "let it be you" sounded in my ears and produced some kind of intoxication; I didn’t see anything or anyone except Sonechka(L. T.); From his friendly"I was waiting for you" she cheered up(B.P.).

Essay-reasoning (task 15.1) on a linguistic topic based on a quote from Granik: “Punctuation marks, like words, speak” based on the text by V.A. Kaverina

I completely agree with the opinion of G.G. Granik: “Punctuation marks, like words, speak.” Each punctuation mark has its own meaning, and is therefore necessary for the reader to fully understand what is written. Moreover, commas, exclamation and question marks, ellipses and other symbols help to understand not only the essence, but also the mood conveyed by the author in the text, his feelings and emotions. To argue my point of view, I will give examples from an excerpt from Kaverin’s story “The Pilot”.

In sentence number 17, it is not in vain that the author puts an exclamation point: “Oh, what a torment that was!” This symbol reflects the phenomenal tension of will that the hero experienced while achieving his goal. He expressed how difficult it was for him to master technical science alone, without outside help.

In sentence 33, the introductory word “so” is framed by a comma. This symbol shows the reader the logic of the boy’s narrative, the purpose of his logical reasoning, which led him to realize his life goal.

Thus, the truth of G.G. Granik’s statement is beyond doubt: each punctuation mark conveys information to the reader, sometimes even more important than words.

Original text(option 1 from the collection edited by I.P. Tsybulko) :

(1) Even in those years when I became interested in Amundsen, a simple thought occurred to me. (2) Here it is: by plane, Amundsen would have reached the South Pole seven times faster. (3) With what difficulty he moved day after day through the endless snowy desert! (4) He walked for two months following the dogs, who eventually ate each other. (5) And by plane he could fly to the South Pole in a day. (6) He would not have enough friends and acquaintances to name all the mountain peaks, glaciers and plateaus that he would discover on this flight.
(7) Every day I made huge extracts from my polar travels. (8) I cut out notes from newspapers about the first flights to the north and pasted them into an old office book. (9) On the first page of this book it was written: “Forward” is the name of his ship.” (10) “Forward,” he says and really strives forward. (11) Nansen on Amundsen.” (12) This was my motto. (13) I mentally flew past Scott, Shackleton, and Robert Peary on the plane. (14) Along all routes. (15) And since I had an airplane at my disposal, it was necessary to take care of its design.
(16) According to the third point of my rules: “What is decided, do it,” I read “The Theory of Aircraft Engineering.” (17) Oh, what kind of torment that was! (18) But everything that I didn’t understand, I learned by heart just in case.
(19) Every day I disassembled my imaginary plane. (20) I studied its motor and propeller. (21) I equipped it with the latest devices. (22) I knew him like the back of my hand. (23) There was only one thing I didn’t know yet: how to fly it. (24) But this is exactly what I wanted to learn.
(25) My decision was a secret to everyone. (26) At school they thought that I was throwing myself away, but I didn’t want them to say about my aviation: “(27) A new hobby.” (28) It was not a hobby. (29) It seemed to me that I had long ago decided to become a pilot, back in Ensk, on that day when Petka and I lay in the cathedral garden, with our arms outstretched in a cross, and tried to see the moon and stars during the day, when a gray plane that looked like a winged fish easily walked around the clouds and disappeared on the other side of the Sand. (30) Of course, it only seemed to me. (31) But it’s not for nothing that I remember this plane so much. (32) It must have been then that I first thought about what now occupied all my thoughts.
(32) So, I hid my secret from everyone.
(34) Every morning I did gymnastics according to the Anokhin system and cold rubbing according to the Muller system. (35) I felt my muscles and thought: “(36) What if they don’t accept me?” (37) I checked my eyes, ears, heart. (38) The school doctor said that I was healthy. (39) But health varies - after all, he didn’t know that I was going to flight school. (40) What if I’m nervous? (41) What if there’s something else? (42) Growth! (43) Damn growth! (44) Over the past year, I have grown only one and a half centimeters.
“(45) They will accept,” I answered decisively.

(According to V.A. Kaverin)

*OGE. Russian language: standard exam options: 36 options / ed. I.P. Tsybulko. – M.: Publishing House “National Education”, 2017.

Interesting? Save it on your wall!

1. Direct speech stands out in quotation marks, if it goes to line(to selection): Vladimir Sergeevich... looked at his man with bewilderment and said in a hasty whisper:"Go find out who it is"(T.).

If direct speech begins from a paragraph, then before starting it is placed dash:

...Nikita, bowing to the ground, said:

- Sorry, father.(M.G.).

2. Regardless of the place occupied in relation to the author's words, in quotation marks inner speech, unspoken thoughts stand out: I look after him and think:“Why do such people live?”(M.G.); “There’s still something pathetic about her,”- I thought(Ch.).

3. Quotation marks sounds transmitted in writing are highlighted (for example, echo): “Aw,WhereYou?" - the echo repeated loudly; The announcer's voice sounded clear:“We are passing on the latest news.”

To convey a telephone conversation in writing, punctuation that is more common for dialogue is used - dash between replicas (see § 51).

4. In newspaper texts, quotation marks are often omitted when speaking directly: The French President said:The exchange of views was useful; Why is this happening?- asks the newspaper.

5. Direct speech following the author's words is preceded by a colon, and the first word of direct speech is written with capital letters. Question and exclamation marks and ellipses are placed before the closing quotation marks, and dot- after them. For example: Finally I told her: “Do you want to go for a walk on the rampart?”(L.); Lying on the bale and plan, he twitched his arms and legs and whispered:"Mother! Mother!"(Ch.); They shouted:“Two... Orderlies... Look, look - it’s still flying... Climb under the cars...”(A.T.); The hostess very often addressed Chichikov with the words:"You took very little"(G.).

6. If direct speech begins with a paragraph, then a colon is not always placed after the preceding author’s words.

1) Colon put if the author's words contain a verb with the meaning of speech-thought ( speak, say, tell, notice, address, exclaim, shout, whisper, ask, inquire, answer, insert, interrupt, speak, begin, continue, confirm, explain, agree, assent, remind, advise, reproach, decide, think etc.) or a noun close in meaning or formation to verbs of speech-thought ( question, answer, words, exclamation, voice, whisper, sound, cry, thought and so on.).

In addition, in the function of words introducing direct speech, verbs are used that denote the speaker’s feelings, his sensations, and internal state ( remember, rejoice, be sad, be surprised, be offended, be indignant, be horrified etc.), as well as verbs denoting facial expressions, gestures, movements ( smile, grin, laugh, laugh, sigh, frown, come up, run up, jump up and so on.). Both verbs allow the possibility of adding verbs of speech to them ( rejoiced and said: was surprised and asked; smiled and answered; ran up and exclaimed etc.), therefore they are perceived as words introducing direct speech. For example:

A) He looked with a grin:

- It’s okay, it’ll heal before the wedding.

b) While they were digging out the wheels stuck in the sand, a policeman approached us:

- Who are they?

V) The mother frowned:

- Did you get a bad grade again?

G) Everyone was horrified:

- Is that really true?

d) The old man got angry:

- Get out of here immediately!

e) The children ran towards their mother: - Mama!

and) This time he got angry:

- You won’t get another gram!

h) Snatching a log, she began to hit it on the basin:

- Climb! Get up!

Wed: On one of these... days Zabrodsky came running:“Dmitry Alekseevich, it has begun!..”(Er.)

Colon is also placed in cases where the author’s words do not contain verbs of speech or verbs replacing them with the above meanings, but the situation shows that direct speech is being introduced: ...And he said to him: “This is our common house.”(Ch.); ...And he: “Get away, you drunken face!”(M.G.); ...And he: “I’m a writer. Not a prose writer. No, I’m in touch with the muses"(M.).

2) The colon is not placed if the words are inserted and said, and asked, and exclaimed etc. is impossible or difficult:

A) Nobody wanted to leave.

- Tell us something more about your travels.

b) My words clearly confused him.

- So you don't trust me?

V) He had no other choice.

- I accept your terms.

G) The mother's eyebrows furrowed.

- I don't allow you to do this.

d) The little driver's eyes sparkled.

e) - Wonderful! Renovated to perfection!

Wed: This morning she took money from my pocket before going to the bakery, and attacked this little book and pulled it out.“What do you have?” (Sh.) A colon is also not placed if direct speech is concluded between two sentences from the author, and the second of them contains words introducing direct speech:

He tore out several pieces of paper from the notebook and handed them to me.

- Write down my comments in detail,- he said in a calm voice.

If direct speech comes before the author’s words, then after it there are comma (interrogative) or exclamation mark, ellipsis) and dash: the author's words begin with lowercase letters: “Mother probably isn’t sleeping, and I’m not coming back from work,”- thought Pavel(BUT.); “Do you know grandpa, mom?”- the son says to the mother(N.); “Don’t make noise, go quietly, soldier!”- the old man spoke to Olenin in an angry whisper.(L.T.); "I would like to buy peasants..."- said Chichikov, he faltered and did not finish his speech.(G.).

The same when formatting direct speech from a paragraph:

- Flattery and cowardice are the worst vices,- Asya said loudly(T.);

- Well, Natalya, haven’t you heard about your husband?- interrupted the Kashulinskaya daughter-in-law, turning to Natasha(Sh.);

- Hurry, hurry to the city for a doctor!- Vladimir shouted(P.);

- Sleep, grandson, sleep...- the old woman sighed(Ch.).

Notes:

1. After the closing quotation marks only dash(regardless of what punctuation mark ends direct speech) in cases where the subsequent author’s words contain a characteristic of direct speech, its assessment, etc. (the author’s remark begins with the words he says this, he points out this way, this is what he said, this is how he describes and so on.): "Nothing happened" - so spoke the mind;"It happened" -so spoke the heart;“There is nothing more beautiful than these snowy peaks” -This is how one traveler describes this area;“Be careful and careful!” -that's what he told me goodbye.

The same if the connecting structure follows: “Every vegetable has its time” -This folk wisdom is passed down from century to century.

- Hurry, the school is on fire!- And he ran home to wake people up.

1. If the author's words appear inside direct speech (set off in quotation marks), then quotes are placed only at the beginning and at the end of direct speech and are not placed between direct speech and the author’s words (such punctuation was found in the works of writers of the 19th century): “I came to command,”Chapaev stated, - instead of fiddling with papers"(Furm.).

Notes:

1. A special case of punctuation when breaking words enclosed in quotation marks (names of literary works, various enterprises, etc.) is found in the following example: “Spade…” is this “…queen”?(interlocutor’s remark in response to the statement that the presented text is an excerpt from “The Queen of Spades”).

2. Direct speech is not highlighted in quotation marks in the following cases:

1) if there is no exact indication of who it belongs to, or if a well-known proverb or saying is given: They said about Ivashka Brovkin:strong(A.T.); It’s easier to be sick at home and it’s cheaper to live; and it’s not for nothing that it says:houses and walls help (Ch.);

2) if direct speech is given in a form that indirect speech with the same lexical composition can have: But it occurs to me:Is it really worth telling my life? (T.);

3) if in the middle of direct speech is inserted the word speaks playing the role of an introductory word indicating the source of the message: I'll diespeaks,and thank God,speaks;I don't wantspeaks,live(T.); I sayI want to kill the gendarmerie sergeant himself with a pistol(Versh.);

4) if in the middle of a sentence, which is a message from a periodical press, an indication of the source of the message is inserted (such an insertion is highlighted by one commas): The speaker's speechthe correspondent continues,evoked warm support from the majority of those present. The same if the speaker’s statement is conveyed approximately (thereby losing the character of direct speech): The proposed project,the speaker indicated,has already been tested in practice.

2. If at the point where direct speech is broken by the author’s words there should be no punctuation mark or there should be a comma, semicolon, colon or dash, then the author’s words are highlighted on both sides commas and dashes, after which the first word is written with lowercase letters: "We decided - the assessor continued,- with your permission to stay here overnight"(P.) - there would be no sign at the site of the rupture; "No, - Ermolai said, - things are not going well; we need to get a boat"(T.) - there would be a comma at the place of the break; “We’ll have to spend the night here,”said Maxim Maksimych,“You can’t cross the mountains in such a snowstorm.”(L.) - at the place of the break there would be a colon.

3. If there should be a dot where the direct speech breaks with the author’s words, then the author’s words are preceded by comma and dash, and after them - dot and dash; capital letters: “I am not connected with anyone or anything, - he reminded himself.“Reality is hostile to me.”(M.G.); “You want to cripple me, Lenochka, - Voropaev shook his head.“Well, can I get there?”(Paul.)

4. If in place of the break in direct speech by the author’s words there should be interrogative or Exclamation point, then this sign is preserved before the author’s words and is placed after it dash; the author's words begin with lowercase letters followed by dot and dash; the second part of direct speech begins with capital letters: “So your name is Pavka? - Tonya broke the silence.- Why Pavel? It doesn’t sound nice, it’s better Pavel”(BUT.); “Here it is, the end of the world! -exclaimed Mokhov.- Great! I’ve never traveled this far before!”(Already)

5. If in place of the break in direct speech the author’s words should have been ellipsis, then it is saved before the author’s words and placed after it dash; after the words of the author are placed or comma and dash(if the second part of direct speech does not form an independent sentence, it begins with lowercase letters), or dot and dash(if the second part is a new sentence, begins with a capital letter): "No need…- With Vershinin said,- no need, guy!(Vs.Iv.); “Wait...- Morozka said gloomily. - Give me a letter..."(F.) 6. If in the author’s words inside direct speech there are two verbs with the meaning of a statement, of which one refers to the first part of direct speech, and the other to the second, then after the author’s words are placed colon and dash, and the first word of the second part begins with capital letters: “I’m not asking you,”the officer said sternly and asked again:“Old woman, answer!”(M.G.); “I humbly thank you, - responded Meshkov, humbly took off his cap, but immediately put it on again and bowed, adding hastily: -Thank you very much, comrades"(Fed.).

A) Father Vasily raised his eyebrows and smoked, blowing smoke from his nose, then said:"Yes, that's how it is"sighed, paused and left(A.T.) - a comma separates homogeneous predicates said And sighed, between which there is direct speech; ...Sofya Karlovna kissed Manya again and said to her:“Go for a walk, my baby,”she trudged behind her screens(Lesk.) - a comma closes the adverbial phrase, which includes direct speech; Boris comes up to me and says:“Well shot, great”but his eyes sparkle, full of envy(Kud.) - a comma separates parts of a complex sentence connected by an adversative conjunction But; Arriving at the dacha in a large company... my brother suddenly said:“Bear, let’s go to billiards”and they locked themselves in and played billiards for three hours(Sim.) - comma before the conjunction And in a complex sentence;

b) …She said:“Nowadays, they say, they don’t do much science at the university anymore.” - and called her dog Suzette(L.T.) - dash before the conjunction And with homogeneous predicates; At this point he was completely stupefied:“Your Honor, Father Master, how are you... am I even worth it...” - and suddenly cried(Adv.) - a dash after the ellipsis, which ends direct speech; To my question:“Is the old caretaker alive?”- no one could give me a satisfactory answer(P.) - a dash after a question mark, which ends direct speech; And only when he whispered:"Mother! Mother!"- he seemed to feel better(Ch.) - a dash after the exclamation mark, which ends direct speech; Don't say:"Hey, dog!" or “Hey, cat!”- two lines separated by a non-repeating conjunction or;

V) When the clerk said:“It would be nice, master, to do this and that,” - "Yes, not bad"- he usually answered(G.); When a man came to him and, scratching the back of his head with his hand, said:“Master, let me go to work, let me earn some money,” - “Go,”- he said(G.) - a comma and a dash separate two remarks from different persons located inside the author’s words.

Note. Genuine expressions inserted into the text as sentence elements are highlighted in quotation marks, but they are not preceded by a colon: This “I don’t want” struck Anton Prokofievich(G.); The orderly's assumption is that“The platoon commander got drunk and is sleeping somewhere in a hut,”gathered more and more supporters(F.); He remembered the proverb"You're chasing two hares - You won’t catch a single one.”and abandoned the original plan; With a scream"Save the Children!"the young man rushed into the burning building.

But if before the original expression there are words sentence, expression, inscription etc., then before them is placed colon:Above the gate stood a sign depicting a portly cupid with an overturned torch in his hand, with the caption:“Plain and painted coffins are sold and upholstered here...”(P.); Fast trains with signs on the cars rushed past the station:"Moscow - Vladivostok";Parse the sentence:“Lightning flashed and thunder roared.”

§ 51. Punctuation marks in dialogue

1. If dialogue lines are given every from a paragraph, then it is put in front of them dash:

- So the German is calm?

- Silence.

- Rockets?

- Yes, but not very often(Kaz.).

2. If the cues follow in selection without indicating who they belong to, then each of them is concluded in quotes and separates from the neighboring one dash:“So are you married? I didn't know before! How long ago?” - "About two years". - "On whom?" - “On Larina.” - “Tatyana?” - “Do you know her?” - “I’m their neighbor”(P.).

“You can’t see it?” - the master repeated. “Not to be seen,” the servant answered a second time.(T.);

“How are you doing?” - asked Ekaterina Ivanovna. “Nothing, we live little by little,” answered Startsev (Ch.);

“Will you allow me to go to the first company?” - said Maslennikov, diligently, more than usual, stretching out in front of Saburov. “Go,” said Saburov. “I’ll come to you soon too.”(Sim.).

4. If one replica is interrupted by another, and then a continuation of the first replica follows, then after the first part and before the beginning of the second, put ellipsis:

- I requested…

- You didn't ask for anything.

- ...at least a minute of attention.

5. If a subsequent remark repeats words from the previous one, belonging to another person, and they are perceived as someone else’s text, then these words are highlighted in quotation marks:

Kupavina. Ah, this is finally funny. Why be a lawyer when there is nothing.

Lynyaev. How about “nothing”?

Kupavina. Okay, nothing, blank paper(Acute);

Silan. Walk a little, it’s better for you...

Kuroslepov. Yes,« take a walka little"! All your consideration...(Sharp).

Wed: “If you are free, come see me.” - "Like this "you will be free"? After all, every minute counts for me”; “Believe me, you are still dear to me.” - “Yours”roads“Totally inappropriate,” she got angry.

If the words repeated in the subsequent remark are not perceived as someone else’s text, then they are not highlighted in quotation marks:

Lynyaev. Alas!

Murzavetsky. What is “alas”? What is it, dear sir, alas?(Ostr.) - first alas - repetition of a word from someone else’s text, the second - a word from one’s own text.

6. A special form of constructing a dialogue is expressed in the fact that punctuation marks are used as independent remarks - mainly question marks and exclamation marks:

A) - I will not answer.

- What will this give you?

- It won't give anything. We'll find out everything.

b) - “You’re crazy,” said Proshkin, seeing my second copyright certificate for the invention.

This peculiar use of them is explained by the fact that “the meaning of exclamation and question marks is so definite and generally accepted that it turns out to be possible with the help of these signs to express surprise, doubt, indignation, etc. ... even without words” (cf. § 2, p. 6 and § 3, paragraph 7).

§ 52. Paragraphs in direct speech

He grabbed the pole, told Dina to hold it, and climbed. It broke off twice—the block was in the way. Kostylin supported him and somehow made it to the top. Dina pulls him by the shirt with her little hands, with all her might, laughing herself.

Zhilin took the pole and said:

- Take it to its place, Dina, otherwise they’ll miss it, - they'll kill you(L.T.).

But if the sentence introducing direct speech begins with a connecting conjunction and, but etc., then it is not highlighted in a separate paragraph:

They talked some more and began to argue about something. ANDPakhom asked what they were arguing about. And the translator said:

“Some people say that you need to ask the foreman about the land, but you can’t do it without him.” And others say it’s possible without it(L.T.).

- Well, I’m very glad,” said the wife, “so now, look, take the medicine carefully.” Give me the prescription, I'll send Gerasim to the pharmacy. - And she went to get dressed.

He didn't catch his breath while she was in the room and sighed heavily when she left.(L.T.).

- When? - many exclaimed. And meanwhile their eyes were fixed in disbelief on the hunchback, who, after a moment of silence, stood up, saddled his horse, put on his horn, and rode out of the yard (L.).

- “I’m sure,” I continued, “that the princess is already in love with you.”He turned red to his ears and pouted(L.).

4. If between two remarks of the same speaker there is text from the author, then neither this text nor subsequent direct speech is usually separated into separate paragraphs:

- This formula may have a different form,” the professor explained.He leisurely walked up to the blackboard, took the chalk and wrote something new for us.

“This is another option,” he said.

In poetic texts, there are also cases when direct speech, interrupted by the author’s words (remark), is a continuation of the previous one, or when his action is described between two remarks of the same person: in the first case dash placed on the right, at the end of the line, in the second - on the left, at the beginning of the line (like a paragraph): You demand a lot, Emilia!- (Silence.) Who would have thought that such a fool, So insensitive... nature is boring!..(L.) You are a scoundrel, and I will mark you here, so that everyone will consider it an insult to meet you.

(Throws cards in his face. The prince is so amazed that he does not know what to do.) - Now we're even(L.).

In verses, after direct speech ending before a space, there is no dash.

5. If direct speech is a dialogue that occurred earlier, it can be formatted either in paragraphs or in selection, but the punctuation changes depending on whether the listener interrupts the narrator or not. If he interrupts, then the conversation that took place earlier is given from paragraphs and in quotes, so that the phrases of the narrator and the listener are not mixed with the dialogue given by the narrator. For example:

-

"We'll have to stay for a while." "Why? Something happened?"

-

- I'll tell you now.

Another option: the words of the previously occurring dialogue are given in selection to the words and says between phrases contained in quotes, is put dash:

...The traveler began his story:

- This was at the very height of our hike. The guide came up to me and said:“We’ll have to stay for a while.” - "Why? Something happened?"

- Did anything really happen? - one of those listening to the traveler could not stand it.

- I'll tell you now.

If the listener does not interrupt the narrator, then the dialogue given in the story can also be framed in two ways: either by dash from paragraphs, or in selection, Moreover, in this case, the remarks are enclosed in quotation marks and separated by the sign dash. Wed:

a) ...The traveler began his story:

- This was at the very height of our hike. The guide came up to me and said:

- We'll have to stay for a while.

- Why? Something happened?

- There was a landslide in the mountains.

- Are there any unpleasant consequences?

- I'll find out the details. But it is already known that there are victims.

b) ...The traveler began his story:

This was at the very height of our hike. The conductor came up to me and said: “We’ll have to stay for a while.” - "Why? Something happened?" - “There was a collapse in the mountains.” - “Are there any unpleasant consequences?” - “I’ll find out the details. But it is already known that there are victims.”

Those present listened attentively to the traveler's story.

If the dialogue given in the replica is accompanied by the author’s words, then it is given in selection and stands out in quotation marks:

Balzaminov. ...They look and smile, and I pretend to be a lover. Only once we meet Lukyan Lukyanovich (I didn’t know him then), and he says:“Who are you chasing here?”I speak:"I'm behind the eldest."And he said so at random...(Sharp)

6. If direct speech conveying unspoken thoughts is given after the author’s words, then it does not stand out from the paragraph:

Everything was going smoothly. Suddenly he caught himself and thought: “Is there some kind of catch here?»

A) Everything was going smoothly.

“Isn’t there,” he thought, “some kind of catch?”

b) Everything was going smoothly.

“Isn’t there some kind of catch here?” - he thought.

7. If a long story with many paragraphs is being transmitted, then dash is placed only before the first paragraph (neither before intermediate paragraphs nor before the last dash):

- The work of our expedition went like this,” the geologist began his story.- B A detailed plan was developed, routes were outlined..[The story continues.]

These are the preliminary results of the expedition.

§ 53. Punctuation and graphic design of text in plays

1. Prose text in plays is given to match the name of the character (the latter is highlighted in font); A dot is placed after the name of the character:

Anna Pavlovna. Where is Viktor Mikhailovich? Lisa. Left. (L.T.)

2. In poetic texts, there is no period after the name of the character, given on a separate line and left out in the middle:

Nina

Death, death! He's right - there's fire in the chest - all hell.

Arbenin

Yes, I served you poison at the ball. (L.)

Act one

The theater represents the front room of a rich house in Moscow. Three doors: the outer one, to Leonid Fedorovich’s office and to Vasily Leonidovich’s room.

Staircase up to the inner chambers; behind her is a passage to the buffet. (L.T.)

4. In remarks placed next to the name of the character and highlighted in a different font (usually italics) in brackets, a period is placed after the bracket:

Manefa (To Glumov). Run away from the bustle, run away.

Glumov (with a lean look and with sighs). I'm running away, running away. (Sharp)

5. Remarks in the text relating to a given person, if the remark is followed by a new phrase from the same person or if the remark ends with a remark, begin with a capital letter, italicized in brackets, with a period inside the bracket:

a) E p i h o d o v. I will go. (Bumps into a chair, which falls.) Here… (As if triumphant.) You see, excuse the expression, what a circumstance, by the way... (Ch.)

b) A n f i s a (seeing Lynyaev). Oh, you’re... you’re on your own. (Goes to the garden.)(Sharp)

If the remark is in the middle of the character’s phrase, it begins with a lowercase letter and is italicized in brackets, without a period:

N i k i t a. Now I'll go (looks around) left.

6. In poetic texts, remarks relating to a given person, if adjacent to the name of the character, are given in italics in brackets without a dot; if the actor’s remarks come in the middle (or at the end of the text), they are highlighted on a separate line and given in italics in brackets with a dot:

Arben (listens)

You're lying! He is here
(points to the office)
And, surely, he sleeps sweetly: listen,
how he breathes.
(To the side.)
But it will stop soon.

Sl u g a (to the side)

He hears everything... (L.)

7. A remark relating to another character is usually typed in a smaller font and included in a red line, without brackets:

Lyubov Andreevna. Where are you! Just sit...

Firs enters; he brought a coat.(Ch.)

8. If in the middle of one person’s remark there is a remark relating to another person or a remark of a general nature (for example, It's getting dark or Songs are heard), then the remark is turned off, as usual, in a red line, without brackets, and the continuation of the speech of the previously speaking person (before the remark) is given on a new line without a paragraph, and the name of the character is not repeated:

SERGEY PETROVICH. Come with me to the house.

The clatter of dishes is heard in the kitchen.

So dinner is prepared for us.

The name of the character is repeated in cases where there is a remark relating to him:

Lyubov Andreevna. You needed giants... They are only good in fairy tales, but they are so scary.

Epikhodov passes at the back of the stage and plays the guitar.

Lyubov Andreevna (thoughtfully). Epikhodov is coming. (Ch.)

9. If a poetic line is split into parts (in one line the speech of several characters is given), then this line is formatted as a “ladder”, that is, the beginning of the text of the second character’s remark will be at the level where the text of the previously speaking person’s remark ended:

1st po nter

Ivan Ilyich, let me put it.

B a n c o m e t1st po nterB a n c o m e t2nd po nter

Well, good luck. (L.)

We all communicate with each other every day. We communicate at home, at work, while on the road or at lunch. Most people increasingly prefer text messages to traditional phone calls, which is why messengers are so popular today. Add to this daily communication on social networks, and the obvious arises - we write a lot. So much and quickly that sometimes we forget to put commas, check spelling, exaggerate with exclamation marks or get carried away with ellipses. A psychologist and hypnologist spoke about what punctuation marks say about our character.

Don't use commas or use too many commas

Commas are a multifunctional sign; it is difficult to judge character by it. But it is possible using some syntactic structures. A large number of unnecessary commas indicates an uneducated but conscientious person who knows that he should put commas in the text, but does not know where exactly and how many.

Place an ellipsis after each sentence...

As a rule, an ellipsis after each sentence is used to indicate the incompleteness of a statement caused by the speaker’s excitement, a break in the logical development of thought, external interference, to indicate hesitations or interruptions in speech.

But it happens that the text is simply full of dots: inappropriate and out of place. People who are talkative and whose thoughts cannot keep up with their words suffer from ellipsis. They are in a hurry to say, they are reluctant to think it through to the end. Graphologists consider the abundance of ellipses to be a sign of weak character.

If you were lucky enough to be born with an ellipsis, you are meaningful and democratic, open-minded and dynamic, mysterious and unconventional. If these qualities are not enough from birth, you can and should develop, because ellipsis is life with its understatement and surprises, many options and unpredictability. This is an opportunity to come up with your own version of the development of an event, to gain power over circumstances. Any sign can become an ellipsis, as long as there is a desire confirmed by action.

Use exclamation marks a lot

Too many exclamation points indicate youthful enthusiasm and excitement. Often in letters from schoolchildren, exclamation marks are placed anywhere, without any justification. Also, this habit is characteristic of temperamental people, ready to prove that they are right at all costs. Well, it’s not for nothing that this mark is called an exclamation mark; it is used when they want to focus attention on the subject of conversation, emphasize their thought, and confirm their opinion.

Put/don't put a dash

Dash - this sign is preferred by emotional and demonstrative people. A sort of sweeping sign, somewhat akin to an exclamation point.

A dash is something so self-evident that it’s not worth talking about, a dash, and nothing more. I’m the boss, you’re the fool, he’s the smart one, and you’re the idiot. The girl on the cover of a glossy magazine is simply super, and I am a reflection in a distorting mirror. What is there to discuss? Everything is clear, in one word - a dash. But! What goes without saying for a person - a dash - can have a completely different meaning for his interlocutor. There is a boss, but mental abilities are not determined by the chair he occupies. The girl on the cover is perfect and uninteresting, but my non-standard appearance is somehow catchy. Smart people sometimes cannot give anything new to the world, but the idiot Einstein, who failed his final exams, created the theory of relativity.

Put a lot of question marks, ending your sentence not with a question, but???!!

An abundance of question marks in a letter is often characteristic of people who are unsure of themselves. When expressing an opinion, they leave themselves the opportunity to retreat: “I’m just guessing and not insisting on anything.” But again, emotional and eccentric people tend to express feelings in such a way that their text contains a large number of question marks and exclamation marks.

Using CAPS LOCK

When writing CAPS LOCK, you can tell that the person has problems with self-esteem. In life, few people listen to him or take him seriously, so a person wants to draw attention to himself in this way. In other words, all this is due to the poverty of the mind. And sometimes, when a person switches completely to capital letters in a conversation, this indicates his emotional leap, that is, something either delights him, or irritates him and has already pissed him off.

Some people use capslocking to make their words more expressive, for example when commenting on someone's joke or statement.

Start all sentences with a small letter

In informal communication, be it correspondence on a social network or instant messenger, this may not mean anything except that a person does not pay attention to this nuance. At the same time, the auto-correctors built into phones sometimes suggest replacing a lowercase letter with a capital one. Therefore, it is unlikely that you will be able to write all sentences with a small letter.

There is another example when the interlocutor deliberately writes, say, your name with a small letter, or, when talking about another person, does the same. By doing so, he deliberately shows disrespect. The reason for this could be anything.

Post Views: 0

In Russian, any “foreign” speech expressed verbatim and included in the author’s text is called direct. In conversation, she stands out with pauses and intonation. And in a letter it can be highlighted in two ways: in one line “in selection” or by writing each remark from a paragraph. Direct speech, to form it correctly, is a rather difficult topic for children. Therefore, when studying rules alone, it is not enough; there must be clear examples of writing such sentences.

How to highlight dialogue in writing

Direct speech “dialogue”, punctuation marks and the formatting of conversations in writing is a rather complex topic that needs to be properly understood. Firstly, remarks belonging to different persons are most often recorded from a paragraph. For example:

- Look into that nest over there: is there anything there?

- There is nothing. Not a single egg!

- Are there any shells near the nest?

- There are no shells!

- What's happened!? It's not like some kind of animal is in the habit of stealing eggs - we need to trace it!

Two persons, designed using paragraph marking, in which each new paragraph with a remark from one of the interlocutors must always begin with a dash and a capital letter. Replies may consist of one or more exclamation or interrogative types.

Secondly, direct speech, after which punctuation marks are placed in a special order, can be written in one line. To format the dialogue in this way “in a selection” without indicating who exactly they belong to, each of them must be enclosed in quotation marks and highlighted with a dash. For example:

“Well, what are you doing?” - “I’m afraid, what if the ladder falls?” - “The ladder won’t fall, but you might drop the basket with eggs!”

If one of the statements is followed by author's notes, the dash before the next phrase is omitted. And a comma and a dash are placed before the author’s words.

“She’s sleeping,” Tanya said. “Show me where he sleeps!”

Direct speech before and after the author's text

If, in writing a conversation between several people, the author’s preliminary words are included, then a colon is placed after them. Moreover, it is also mandatory in cases where there is no verb that determines the continuation of the conversation, but direct speech is clearly visible. For example:

Mother smiled:

- You are my smart girl!

This phrase can also be written in one line, only then you need to use quotes: For example:

The mother smiled: “My good girl!”

It is worth noting that unspoken thoughts or inner speech of the author are always highlighted in quotation marks, regardless of where in the sentence it is located. Echo sounds are also placed in quotation marks in writing. For example:

“Now I’d like some hot tea,” he thought.

I stand and think: “Why is this rain?”

"Hey, people?" - the echo repeated loudly.

Before writing words of direct speech, always put a colon after the author’s words and open quotation marks. The remark always begins with a capital letter, an exclamation point is placed before the closing quotation marks, or a period is placed only after the quotation marks.

Special cases of formatting direct speech

There are some cases where after the words of the author there is direct speech, the punctuation marks in which are slightly different from those described above. Namely, if in the absence of a verb denoting the subsequent remark, it is impossible to put the words “and said”, “and thought”, “and exclaimed”, “and asked” and the like, in such cases a colon is not placed after the author’s notes. For example:

Nobody wanted to leave.

- Tell us another story!

My words confused everyone.

- So you don't trust us?

How to highlight a quote in an email

Quotations given in the text are distinguished using approximately the same rules. If it is not given in full, then an ellipsis is placed where the words are missing. As a rule, quotations are always separated by commas, even if they are similar to Before a quotation with the first words omitted, they begin to be written with an ellipsis and, if it is located in the middle of a sentence, then with a lowercase one. Here, as in the case of direct speech, colons and dashes are used, which are placed according to already known rules regarding the location of the quotation.

Author's notes inside direct speech

In the case where the author’s words need to be inserted into direct speech in the text, the statements are enclosed in quotation marks along with the author’s notes. For example:

“I’ll go to my grandmother,” the kid said, “and that’s all!”

There are cases when quotation marks are not used at all, commas are used instead:

• If there is no clear identification of the person to whom the remark belongs, or when a well-known proverb is used in the text.
• When it is difficult to determine whether we are talking directly or indirectly.
• If the statement includes the word “says”. For example: He says, I’ll show you again!
• If the statement contains an indication of the source. Most often this applies to periodicals. For example: The speech from the stage, the correspondent notes, blew up the hall with applause.

If, when breaking statements, direct speech should not have ended with any sign, or a comma, dash, colon or semicolon was provided, then a comma and a dash are placed before the author’s words, and a period and a dash are placed at the end. Then the rest of the replica is written in capital letters. For example:

“I’ll be gone for a few minutes,” said Helen. “I’ll be there soon.”

In cases where in the first part of direct speech there should have been a question or exclamation mark before the break, it is placed before the dash and the author's words, after which they put a period and then direct speech continues after the dash. The ellipsis with colon is also preserved.

Instead of a conclusion

Direct speech, which is not so difficult to learn, is found very often in literary works. Therefore, books can be a good visual aid for studying this topic. After all, visual perception, together with knowledge of the rules, can well consolidate knowledge on the topic “Direct Speech” in memory.

Punctuation marks, sentence patterns with the location of direct speech and quotations in the text are studied at school for many years, which is understandable, because this section of the Russian language is quite voluminous and has many subtleties. However, the basic rules that are most often used in writing are not that difficult to remember.