More Quotation Remarks

Every direct quote is something that somebody said. When we identify the speaker and the way in which they spoke, that identification is known as a dialogue tag.

When the dialogue tag comes before the dialogue, the comma is placed outside the first quotation mark.

For example:

Thornton looked her up and down and exclaimed, “You’re crazy if you think I’m driving to Tulsa.”
 

When the dialogue tag comes after the dialogue, you place the comma after the quote, but before the quotation marks

For example:

" I'm not going to the goddamned game,” Haylen yelled up the stairs to her mother.

Here's the basic rule.

If the tag comes first, the comma is outside

If the tag comes after the quote, the comma is inside the quotation mark. 

Keep looking at those examples.

Also note the verbs used in the tag examples; namely exclaimed and yelled.

Although Thornton and Haylen said those words, I took the opportunity to state how they said those words without restating the understood.

Which sentence is better ?

a)Thornton looked her up and down and exclaimed, “You’re crazy if you think I’m driving to Tulsa.”

or

b)Thornton looked her up and down and said, You're crazy if you think I'm driving to Tulsa.

I'm gonna go with a) all day.

Stop writing

He said

She said

Over and over again.

There are much better choices. 

And remember this simple rule. The purpose of a comma is to signal to your reader when to take a breath, which is what I intend to do before revealing a couple dozen dialogue tags that will strengthen your writing while reminding me to follow my own advice, which is always a challenge.

I'll be back

Comma.