Quotation Marks

Overview

Quotation marks (“ ”) are punctuation marks that show the exact words someone says or writes. They are also used for short works, dialogue, and certain special terms. Using them correctly makes your writing clear and professional.

Quoting someone directly

Quotation marks are used to show the exact words spoken or written by a person.

• Example: She said, “I will meet you after class.”

With punctuation

Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks in American English. Question marks and exclamation points go inside if they are part of the quote, and outside if they belong to the whole sentence.

• Example: He asked, “Are you ready?”

• Example: Did she say, “I forgot my homework”?

Quoting within a quote

When a quote includes another person’s words, use single quotation marks inside double quotation marks.

• Example: “I heard him say, ‘This is the best day ever,’ right before lunch,” Maria explained.

Titles of shorter works

Use quotation marks for the titles of short works like poems, short stories, articles, and songs.

• Example: We studied “The Raven” in English class.

Introducing quotations

When introducing a quotation with a phrase, use a comma. If the introduction is a full sentence, you can use a colon.

• Example: She whispered, “Don’t tell anyone my secret.”

• Example: He gave us good advice: “Always be kind to others.”

Capitalization in quotations

Capitalize the first word of a complete sentence inside quotation marks.

• Example: She said, “We need to start our project soon.”

Block quotations

For long quotations (usually four or more lines), don’t use quotation marks. Instead, indent the whole passage as a block of text.

• Example: In essays, long quotes from books are set apart without quotation marks.

Avoiding misuse

Do not use quotation marks just to emphasize words. They should only be used for direct speech, quotations, short works, or special terms.

• Example: 

            Incorrect: That was “amazing.”

            Correct: That was amazing.

Using quotation marks with special terms

Quotation marks can highlight slang, irony, or unfamiliar words, but should not be overused.

• Example: Some students still use “texting language” in formal essays, which is not appropriate.

Summary

Quotation marks show exact speech, mark short works, and highlight special cases. They follow specific rules for punctuation, capitalization, and quotes within quotes. Using quotation marks properly makes writing clearer, more accurate, and more professional.