http://www.englishforums.com/English/EslGeneralEnglishGrammar-Questions/Forum12.htmAsk your questions on grammar and get your sentence checked. We answer lots of different types of general English grammar questions here. <font color=red>DO NOT post paragraphs and compositions here. Post them in our <a href="http://www.englishforums.com/English/EssayReportCompositionWriting/Forum9.htm"><b>Essay, Report and Composition Writing Forum</b></a>.</font>enXMOD (Build: 3614.32638)http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuotationMarksDashColon/mlmd/post.htm#62439Sat, 23 May 2009 22:31:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:62439Jobb0http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuotationMarksDashColon/mlmd/post.htm#62439http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-62439.xmlThank you.http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuotationMarksDashColon/mlmd/post.htm#62409Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:31:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:62409Mister Micawber1http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuotationMarksDashColon/mlmd/post.htm#62409http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-62409.xmlYou need the quotation marks if it is direct speech. The m-dash is not awkward, but it is not necessary either. A colon looks over-formal, however, to me. How about a period?-- that will work fine: '... and he reacted at once. "Chen Shengshen? A great mathematician, wonderful! Every Tianjinese who has ears knows him! What a talent he is!" 'http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuotationMarksDashColon/mlmd/post.htmFri, 23 Jan 2009 23:31:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:62342Jobb2http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuotationMarksDashColon/mlmd/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-62342.xmlContext: ... and he reacted at once, "Chen Shengshen? A great mathematician, wonderful! Every Tianjinese who has ears knows him! What a talent he is!" The question is: If what the speaker said in the quotation marks is just part of what he said at that time, could I remove the quotation marks? That is, can it be: and he reacted at once -- Chen Shengshen? A great mathematician, wonderful! Every Tianjinese who has ears knows him! What a talent he is! I fear that the usage of double dash is awkward. So could I use "colon" instead? That is: and he reacted at once: Chen Shengshen? A great mathematician, wonderful! Every Tianjinese who has ears knows him! What a talent he is!