Learn on PengiElements of Language, 3rd CourseChapter 13: Punctuation: Italics and Quotation Marks

Lesson 1: Italics and Quotation Marks

In this Grade 6 grammar lesson from Elements of Language, 3rd Course, students learn when to use italics (underlining) for titles of books, films, and musical works, names of ships and spacecraft, and words or symbols referred to as such. The lesson also introduces quotation marks for direct quotations, covering rules for capitalization and punctuation placement. Practice exercises throughout the chapter reinforce correct application of both conventions in real sentence contexts.

Section 1

Italics for Titles of Long Works

Definition

Use italics (underlining) for titles and subtitles of books, periodicals, long poems, plays, films, television series, long musical works and recordings, and works of art.

Explanation

This rule applies to major, stand-alone works. Shorter works, like articles or chapters within a larger work, follow a different rule.

Examples

  • Have you read the book The Giver?
  • The film Jurassic Park was a blockbuster hit.
  • My favorite television series is The Office.
  • Leonardo da Vinci's most famous work of art is the Mona Lisa.

Section 2

Italics for Names of Vehicles

Definition

Use italics (underlining) for the names of ships, trains, aircraft, and spacecraft.

Explanation

This rule helps distinguish the specific name of a vessel or vehicle from other words in a sentence. It applies to unique, named modes of transport.

Examples

  • The historic ship used in the Civil War was the Monitor.
  • My grandfather traveled across the country on a train called the California Zephyr.
  • The first U.S. space satellite to discover charged particles was the Explorer 1.

Section 3

Italics for Words and Symbols as Themselves

Definition

Use italics (underlining) for words, letters, symbols and numerals referred to as such and for foreign words that are not yet a part of the English vocabulary.

Explanation

A foreign word like igel (hedgehog) is italicized because it is not considered part of the English language. This rule also applies when you are discussing a word, letter, or number itself, rather than its meaning.

Examples

  • How many times does the letter s appear in the word Mississippi?
  • Be sure to add a # and a 5 to complete the code.
  • In Italian, the phrase for 'thank you very much' is grazie mille.

Section 4

Using Quotation Marks for Direct Quotations

Definition

Use quotation marks to enclose a direct quotation—a person’s exact words.

Explanation

A direct quotation generally begins with a capital letter. An interrupting expression, such as he said or she asked, is a common way to attribute the quote to a speaker. When a quoted sentence is divided by an interrupting expression, the second part of the quotation begins with a lowercase letter.

Examples

  • The guide said, "Go ahead and begin the tour."
  • "I think," she commented, "that we should leave now."
  • "Can you believe," he asked with a laugh, "that the show is already over?"

Section 5

Quotation Marks for Titles of Short Works

Definition

Use quotation marks to enclose titles and subtitles of articles, essays, short stories, poems, songs, individual episodes of TV series, and chapters and other parts of books and periodicals.

Explanation

This rule applies to shorter works or parts of a larger collection. In contrast, the titles of longer, complete works like books or films are italicized.

Examples

  • The teacher asked us to read the short story "The Lottery."
  • My favorite song from that album is "Yesterday."
  • For homework, please read the chapter titled "The Great Depression" in your history textbook.

Section 6

Formatting Dialogue

Definition

When you write dialogue (a conversation), begin a new paragraph every time the speaker changes.

Explanation

When a quoted passage from a single speaker consists of more than one paragraph, you should put quotation marks at the beginning of each paragraph and at the end of the entire passage. Do not place closing quotation marks after any paragraph except the last one.

Examples

  • "Have you finished your homework?" asked Maria.
  • "Not yet," I replied. "I still have to finish the science questions.
  • "The teacher said they were the most important part. She mentioned that the concepts will be on our next test."
  • "Thanks for the reminder!" I said.

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Chapter 13: Punctuation: Italics and Quotation Marks

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Section 1

Italics for Titles of Long Works

Definition

Use italics (underlining) for titles and subtitles of books, periodicals, long poems, plays, films, television series, long musical works and recordings, and works of art.

Explanation

This rule applies to major, stand-alone works. Shorter works, like articles or chapters within a larger work, follow a different rule.

Examples

  • Have you read the book The Giver?
  • The film Jurassic Park was a blockbuster hit.
  • My favorite television series is The Office.
  • Leonardo da Vinci's most famous work of art is the Mona Lisa.

Section 2

Italics for Names of Vehicles

Definition

Use italics (underlining) for the names of ships, trains, aircraft, and spacecraft.

Explanation

This rule helps distinguish the specific name of a vessel or vehicle from other words in a sentence. It applies to unique, named modes of transport.

Examples

  • The historic ship used in the Civil War was the Monitor.
  • My grandfather traveled across the country on a train called the California Zephyr.
  • The first U.S. space satellite to discover charged particles was the Explorer 1.

Section 3

Italics for Words and Symbols as Themselves

Definition

Use italics (underlining) for words, letters, symbols and numerals referred to as such and for foreign words that are not yet a part of the English vocabulary.

Explanation

A foreign word like igel (hedgehog) is italicized because it is not considered part of the English language. This rule also applies when you are discussing a word, letter, or number itself, rather than its meaning.

Examples

  • How many times does the letter s appear in the word Mississippi?
  • Be sure to add a # and a 5 to complete the code.
  • In Italian, the phrase for 'thank you very much' is grazie mille.

Section 4

Using Quotation Marks for Direct Quotations

Definition

Use quotation marks to enclose a direct quotation—a person’s exact words.

Explanation

A direct quotation generally begins with a capital letter. An interrupting expression, such as he said or she asked, is a common way to attribute the quote to a speaker. When a quoted sentence is divided by an interrupting expression, the second part of the quotation begins with a lowercase letter.

Examples

  • The guide said, "Go ahead and begin the tour."
  • "I think," she commented, "that we should leave now."
  • "Can you believe," he asked with a laugh, "that the show is already over?"

Section 5

Quotation Marks for Titles of Short Works

Definition

Use quotation marks to enclose titles and subtitles of articles, essays, short stories, poems, songs, individual episodes of TV series, and chapters and other parts of books and periodicals.

Explanation

This rule applies to shorter works or parts of a larger collection. In contrast, the titles of longer, complete works like books or films are italicized.

Examples

  • The teacher asked us to read the short story "The Lottery."
  • My favorite song from that album is "Yesterday."
  • For homework, please read the chapter titled "The Great Depression" in your history textbook.

Section 6

Formatting Dialogue

Definition

When you write dialogue (a conversation), begin a new paragraph every time the speaker changes.

Explanation

When a quoted passage from a single speaker consists of more than one paragraph, you should put quotation marks at the beginning of each paragraph and at the end of the entire passage. Do not place closing quotation marks after any paragraph except the last one.

Examples

  • "Have you finished your homework?" asked Maria.
  • "Not yet," I replied. "I still have to finish the science questions.
  • "The teacher said they were the most important part. She mentioned that the concepts will be on our next test."
  • "Thanks for the reminder!" I said.

Book overview

Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.

Continue this chapter

Chapter 13: Punctuation: Italics and Quotation Marks

  1. Lesson 1Current

    Lesson 1: Italics and Quotation Marks

    LearnPractice