HOME | DD

Description
Quotation Marks are marks of punctuation that are used to set off a direct quotation or a piece of dialogue.

DIRECT QUOTATIONS

Use double quotation marks to enclose a direct quotation.
Direct quotations repeat a speaker's exact words.

— Her editor told her, "The final edits are done on the manuscript."

— "The final edits," her editor told her, "are done on the manuscript."

INDIRECT QUOTATIONS

You would not use quotation marks were the sentence structured using and indirect quotation.
Indirect quotations are summaries or paraphrases of someone else's words.

— Her editor told her that the final edits were done on the manuscript.

TITLES

Double quotation marks are also used to enclose titles of songs, short stories, essays, poems and articles.

— Hearing the song "Over the Rainbow" always invoked memories of home for her.

— Her essay, "Caring for our Elders," earned her very high accolades from her professor.

However, do not use quotation marks around titles of books, newspapers or magazines. Either italicize or underline them instead.

—- After having read, The Fall of the Russian Empire, he realized there was much he hadn't known on the subject.

— The New York Times has outstanding movie reviews.

QUOTATIONS WITHIN QUOTATIONS

When you have a quotation within a quotation, use single quotation marks:

— Christine told her daughter, "I've always loved the song 'Over the Rainbow.'"

Notice that both a single and a double set of quotation marks appear at the end of the sentence—a single mark to close the title of the song and a double mark to close the direct quotation.

COMMAS, PERIODS AND QUOTATIONS

When a comma or period appears at the end of a quotation, put it inside the quotation mark:

— "The final edits," her editor told her, "are done on the manuscript."

OTHER PUNCTUATION MARKS AND QUOTATIONS

When a semicolon or colon appears at the end of a quotation, it it placed outside the quotation mark:

— Her editor said, "The final edits are done on the manuscript"; however, she wanted to go over it one more time.

Question marks or exclamation points appearing at the end of a quotation are put inside the quotation mark if it belongs to the quotation:

— Stephanie exclaimed, "Get in here and clean this room!"

However if it does not belong to the quotation, the question or exclamation mark is placed outside the quotation mark:

— Did The Beatles really record a song called "Yellow Submarine"?

(Partial) Sources: Gregg Reference Manual, CMS

Description
Quotation Marks are marks of punctuation that are used to set off a direct quotation or a piece of dialogue.

DIRECT QUOTATIONS

Use double quotation marks to enclose a direct quotation.
Direct quotations repeat a speaker's exact words.

— Her editor told her, "The final edits are done on the manuscript."

— "The final edits," her editor told her, "are done on the manuscript."

INDIRECT QUOTATIONS

You would not use quotation marks were the sentence structured using and indirect quotation.
Indirect quotations are summaries or paraphrases of someone else's words.

— Her editor told her that the final edits were done on the manuscript.

TITLES

Double quotation marks are also used to enclose titles of songs, short stories, essays, poems and articles.

— Hearing the song "Over the Rainbow" always invoked memories of home for her.

— Her essay, "Caring for our Elders," earned her very high accolades from her professor.

However, do not use quotation marks around titles of books, newspapers or magazines. Either italicize or underline them instead.

—- After having read, The Fall of the Russian Empire, he realized there was much he hadn't known on the subject.

— The New York Times has outstanding movie reviews.

QUOTATIONS WITHIN QUOTATIONS

When you have a quotation within a quotation, use single quotation marks:

— Christine told her daughter, "I've always loved the song 'Over the Rainbow.'"

Notice that both a single and a double set of quotation marks appear at the end of the sentence—a single mark to close the title of the song and a double mark to close the direct quotation.

COMMAS, PERIODS AND QUOTATIONS

When a comma or period appears at the end of a quotation, put it inside the quotation mark:

— "The final edits," her editor told her, "are done on the manuscript."

OTHER PUNCTUATION MARKS AND QUOTATIONS

When a semicolon or colon appears at the end of a quotation, it it placed outside the quotation mark:

— Her editor said, "The final edits are done on the manuscript"; however, she wanted to go over it one more time.

Question marks or exclamation points appearing at the end of a quotation are put inside the quotation mark if it belongs to the quotation:

— Stephanie exclaimed, "Get in here and clean this room!"

However if it does not belong to the quotation, the question or exclamation mark is placed outside the quotation mark:

— Did The Beatles really record a song called "Yellow Submarine"?

(Partial) Sources: Gregg Reference Manual, CMS