He said, "The business is growing."
Notice that the word said is followed by a comma, and that the quotation begins with a capital letter.
2. If the quotation itself is a question, although it forms part of a declarative sentence, it requires an interrogation mark before the quotation mark; as,
Have you been waiting long?
She opened the door and said, "Have you been waiting long?"
3. The same applies to a quotation that requires an exclamation mark; as,
| Look! |
| He cried, "Look!" |
4. When the words of explanation follow the quoted words, the punctuation is as follows:
(a) When the quotation is a declarative sentence, put a comma after the quotation and begin the words of explanation with a small letter; as,
"The business is growing," he said.