Grammar Mishaps: Quotation Marks
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Quotation Mark Rules
Quotation Marks Around Dialogue
Quotes around dialogue is the most common use of quotation marks. We use quotes around direct quotations or a person's exact words. (This includes printed words or spoken words.) Remember:
- Each set of direct quotes receives its own set of quotation marks.
- Use a capital letter at the beginning of each direct quotation unless the quotation is only part of a sentence.
- When quotations are interrupted mid-way through the sentence, do not begin the second part of the sentence with a capital.
- When stating who is being quoted, use a comma after the dialogue tag and before the quotation marks.
- When you are rephrasing a quoted passage, do not use quotation marks.
- Each new direct quote begins a new paragraph even if it's short.
- David said, "I would rather go to the city on Friday night because they are having a great play in the park."
- David stated that he, "would rather go to the city on Friday night" because of a show in the park.
- "He loves to see plays," Jaymee said, "especially outside."
Quotation Within a Quotation
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The Long and Short of It
When quoting long passages, more than four typed lines, indent one inch from the left margin or two tabs, and do not use quotation marks. When quoting poetry that is three lines or longer, indent to the same specifications as a long passage. The poem should be quoted as the poet wrote it. (My indentation is not working, so just pretend the poem is indented.)
I miss you,
feet of rain on the tin,
wind whispering the weather,
silent stars and satellites,
mist creeping up from the lake,
When quoting one or two lines of poetry, use the rules for any other short quotation.
- In his poem, "House," Drax writes: "I miss you, / feet of rain on the tin," (I used a slash mark to represent a new line.)
Titles-When Don't I Use Quotes?
Underline or italicize these works; DO NOT use quotation marks with these titles:
- Books
- Plays that contain more than three acts
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Journals
- Movies
- Television or radio shows
- The Bible or other religious texts or documents
- Conference proceedings
- Collections of plays, poems, essays, and short stories
- Operas
- Long musical compositions
- Albums or CDs
- Works of Art
- Legal cases
Titles-When do I Use Quotes?
Use quotation marks with these titles:
- Songs
- Short stories
- Short poems
- One-act plays
- Essays
- Chapters in books
- Articles in newspapers
- Magazine articles
- Journal articles
- Periodicals
- Television or radio episodes
- Short literary works
- Theses
- Dissertations
- Unpublished lectures, speeches and papers
- Manuscripts
- Reports
- Official titles of art exhibits
Quotes to Indicate Irony
Use quotation marks when you want to emphasize an irony or something unusual. I once had a student ask me, "Mrs. Edmondson, do we have 'homework' tonight?" He put the term "homework" in quotes with his fingers or air quotes. Although his use of quotes was incorrect, he really did have homework that night, it made me laugh. Here's a correct example:
- Even though she has a lot of time off, she claimed that she was too "busy" to help with the school project.
Punctuation with Quotation Marks
- Use commas or standard punctuation within quotation marks unless a parenthetical reference follows the quotation.
- She said, "I love to dance."
- In his book, From Beruit to Jerusalem, Thomas Friedman said, "Every serious Beruit militia...had a spokesman and a few assistants" (66).
2. Colons and semicolons belong OUTSIDE of quotation marks.
- Corie described the day as, "absolutely gorgeous"; but she was unimpressed.
3. Refer to the complete sentence when providing ending punctuation.
- When did she exclaim, "We won first prize"?
- She exclaimed, "We won first prize!"
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Specific Words
Use quotes or italics when specifically referring to a term. I have used this in many of my grammar hubs to point out a specific word. For some reason, my italics doesn't work on Hubpages, so I put the word I am trying to emphasize in quotes.
- We use the word "it's" when referring to the contraction "it is".
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Thoughts, Comments or Questions?
Thanks Robin, I printed this one out to use as a guide for editing two of my hubs! As usual, this is a very nice hub.
Thanks wajay_47. I'm glad that it is useful! ;)
Robin -- is there a specific name for the "single" quotation mark? I remember hearing of one -- but I can't recall the name and it's driving me nuts!
Any thoughts on using singular verbs with data? I always thought it was incorrect to say the data is or was instead of were or are. But the distinction appears to me to be disappearing in the newspapers and other media.
Beth, I think they can also be called inverted commas, but I think this term sounds strange. I prefer single quotations. Is this the term you were thinking? Thanks for the comment!
You are absolutely correct, Ralph. I believe the singular form of data is datum (a hardly ever used term). We should use plural verbs with data and singular verbs with datum. Thanks for bringing up this grammar distinction!
Do you put quotation marks around internal thoughts, the same way you would spoken words? Or single quotations? Or none at all?
i.e. I walked over to the chair to sit down. "What is going on here? Why do I feel so strange?"
Great question! I believe that you do not put quotes around internal thoughts. You may put them in italics to show a differention with your other text. Thanks for the comment!
Would you put foreign words or expressions within inverted commas? For example: I am 'au fait' with computers.
Also, I notice you wrote, 'Colons and semicolons belong OUTSIDE of quotation marks.' Is it correct to use 'of' after outside? Is it not unnecessary? I am English so maybe this an Americanism!
Hey!I was wondering when you're putting quotation marks that are from the inside of a sentence do you have to pop some dots in before hand eg".. telepathic powers were too much to handle for one so terrible..".if that makes sense, cheers!ps what a cute wee baby!
Thanks for the question, Jonathan. It is best to put unfamiliar foreign words or expressions in italics. You don't need to do this with more well known words, e.g., ciao, buenos dias, etc. I use a Mac computer, and I have a problem with italics on Hubpages; Therefore, I tend to use quotes and underline on this site.
As for your second question, I believe both forms are correct. Thanks!
Hello, Ho. You are correct; it may be wise to add three dots, also called an ellipsis, to show that you are not quoting a complete sentence. This is advised to help avoid confusion; however, if your sentence is clear without the dots you do not necessarily need them. This sentence is clear without the dots and does not need them.
David stated that he, "would rather go to the city on Friday night" because of a show in the park.
However, use the ellipsis if your reader should know that a portion of the quote was omitted.
Final note, if your ellipsis is at the end of your quote you should have four dots: three for the ellipsis and one for the full stop. Thanks!
I found this website through a Wikipedia article on quotes. What I was trying to find out was if quote marks are used around character's thoughts in fiction, especially where many instances of this occurs. The character is not narrating the story and the character speaks to other characters where, of course, quote marks are used. I believe it would be confusing to use quote marks for thoughts because they indicate dialogue, but I just know what is grammatically correct. At a later time I'll come back to the website to see if you address this issue.
Hi Michael. You do not need to put quotes around a character's thoughts. You may want to put the thoughts in italics to show a differentiation. Thanks for the question!
Do you use quotation marks with something that might have been said? Such as,
You could have said, "I love you! I need you!" I love and need you!
Without the quotation marks in the first sentence, this could really be confusing. But I'm told you only use quotation marks if the statement was actually said. In this case, it wasn't. I'm afraid I'm confused on this issue. Would removing the quotation marks be correct?
I think I would prefer to leave the quotation marks for two reasons. First, you are referring to what may have been SAID, and second because it decreases ambiguity. I haven't been able to find a definitive rule on this case, but this is my instinct. Hope it helps! Thanks for reading!!
My recent book, I'm going to have to give a little away, uses telepathy. I was at a loss as to how to use the quotation marks. Please send reinforcements.
Hi Suorek,
I hope you post some of your book on Hubpages; it would be fun to read. As for your question, I would put your telepathy dialogue in italics to differentiate it from spoken words. You don't have to do this, but it might help avoid confusion. Quotation marks are not needed. Thanks!
very good hub. I am new to this but can already see the benefits of this site.
great work.
Irwin
www.onlinemoneymakinghelp.com
Thanks, Irwin. Best of luck to you!
Robin, I'm trying to write a book and I'm not sure if something needs quotation marks. Is this sentence correct? My mom is infamous for calling me "Honey" and "Sweetie Pie".
Hi Julie,Yes, I would use quotes in that sentence. Good luck with the book!
Do you put quotations around a sound, such as: "CRACK!" I had hit the ball out of the park. I think that you simply capitalize the word but don't use quotations since it isn't spoken. Am I correct? I am a teacher and have found sounds enclosed in quotation marks in my kids' reading textbook and don't agree with that usage.
I have a question. Read the following sentence and tell me if the quotation marks and commas are in the right place. Thanks!
Martin Luther King used "sit-ins", "freedom rides", and marches to spread his ideals.
Hi Joe,
I wouldn't use quotes at all. E.g., Martin Luther King used sit-ins, freedom rides and marches to spread his ideals. You don't need a comma after freedom rides if you don't want one. If you do use one, then just be consistent in this usage throughout your paper.
Here is a link to my hub on the Oxford comma: http://hubpages.com/hub/Grammar_Mishaps__The_Oxfor
Hope that helps! Robin
Robin:
There seems to be some disagreement regarding the placement of periods and commas with relation to quotation marks when the marks refer only to the final word or short phrase rather than the entire sentence. You failed to correct Julie (22 above) for placing the period outside the quotation marks "Sweetie Pie". However, it is not hard to find references that require the period and comma always be inside while requiring the decision of intent with question marks. Wikipedia suggests this is a UK/US thing. Do you agree? I saw the possibility that this could be another of the growing list of language modifications that separate us from Shakespeare whether we be from this side of the "pond" or that.
Hi Doug,
I agree and don't like the American rule of putting periods and commas inside quotation marks that aren't complete sentences. I didn't correct Julie because I prefer the British rule and tend to follow it in my writings. The key is consistency through your writing.Â
The American rules on quotation marks and punctuation:
1. Commas and periods always go inside quotes.
2. Colons and semi-colons go outside the quotes.
3. Question marks and exclamation points go inside the quote when they are part of the quote and go outside when they are not. Â
Here's a link to H.W. Fowler's thoughts on punctuation and quotation marks.  http://www.bartleby.com/116/406.html
Thanks for the comment!!Â
"The great thing about not living with illusion is you cannot become disillusioned"_Michael Levy
Thank you for a very useful reference!
There is one think I would like to comment: Underlining is considered a "no-no" by good typesetting rules. It is an archaism of the typewriter age. Currently there are possibilities to highlight a piece of text, like bold face, italics, different fonts and sizes, so usually underlining just adds "graphical noise". When put on screen, underlining has only one use--links. It is so commonly percieved as an indication of a link, that when used without that purpose, leads to users' frustration and should be avoided.
Thanks for the comment, Kuzmiigo. I prefer italics as well. However, I can't seem to get italics to work on my computer with HubPages, so I underlined the book title. i appreciate the well written comment!
Great hub!
I like how this incorporates even rules we use in journalism... which is amazing because journalism never seems to follow anything we learned in high school.
Thanks, Glassvisage. If you know any additions, please feel free to ad them!
its a really a very nice hub on quotations ...
u r so impressive
I am homeschooling my 2 boys and we are going over rules for using quotation marks. My question is when using quotation marks around a song or chapter title that comes at the end of a sentence, does the ending punctuation go inside or outside the quotation marks? My teacher's guide must have errors, because the answers to their practice exercises are not consistent. Thanks for your help.
Hi Stacy,
I don't always agree, but if I were teaching I would follow these punctuation rules: Commas and periods go inside quotation marks unless there is a parenthetical reference following the quotation mark. Exclamation points and question marks go inside the quotation mark when the punctuation applies to the quote and outside when it applies to the entire sentence. Colons and semicolons go outside of the quotation mark.
For your example, I would put the punctuation inside the quotation mark. Good question and good luck!
Great hub. Really, "quotation marks create big headache"!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Thanks Google for taking me up to this UNIQUE page.
Robin, your said:
"I believe that you do not put quotes around internal thoughts. You may put them in italics to show a differention with your other text."
Italicizing internal thoughts is something a typesetter would most likely avoid. Italics mean emphasis, something an internal thought does not imply or call for, I believe.
Ok, this drives me nuts!!!
My dad sends me emails all the time with quotes around nearly all the words!
How can I make him STOP by showing him it is truly incorrect? He will do this in professional letters & emails as well, and I just want to find something that will show him what he should and should NOT be quoting!
I know he just wants to find a way to highlight a specific person or title or words, but just doesn't know how!
Here is a recent email excerpt from him:
..... "BoardParadise" which specializes in "Surfing" and "Snowboarding" retail sales. Once again "Surfing" and "Skateboarding" go hand in hand .... as "Snowboarding" and "Skateboarding" does likewise.Arrrgggghhhh!!!
Do you put quotes around a statement like ("I need to go to work today," he thought.) The sentence indicates that the person is thinking and not stating something.
Thanks!
I'm reading all your messages on the boards and the question about single quotation marks around thoughts a character in the book is having confuses me. The story is being told by someone else and the character is thinking to himself..shouldn't that be single quotation marks, using itallized words just doesn't seem right. Thanks for all the other help your site has given!
The sign above the patient's bed read: Do not adjust. Would this be in quotes?
Thanks so much for your help.
If a sentence ends with the title of an article from a magazine or a phrase, like "voodoo economics", where do I put the period. It would seem from the rules governing question marks that I should use the whole sentence in my decision.
Bill,
Thanks for your comment, but I disagree. Internal thoughts should be highlighted in some way and quotes would be confusing. Even single quotes are not advisable because they can cause confusion as well, since they are used by the British like we use double quotes. If you have other suggestions, please feel free to leave them.
Jo,
I understand your confusion. Perhaps you could send him this site to help clarify the proper use of quotes. Good luck!
Sue and Susan,
I still maintain that internal thoughts should be highlighted and italics would be the best differentiator. Thanks.
Amanda,
In your example, if your sentence ends in a period, put the period inside the quotation mark. If this sentence ends in an exclamation point or question mark, put the punctuation on the outside of the quotation mark. Please see my comment to Stacy above if you need more clarifying. Hope that helps!
Hi Robin! Another great hub! It's great to have all this information clearly presented in one place! Thanks!
Hi Robin! I'm so glad I found your hub on quotation marks. I just have a simple question, is it grammatically correct to use quotation marks to indicate irony? I mean, would it be okay to use them in theses and papers? And if it is possible, do you still have to put the first letter in capitals?
Hi everyone. I've been having problems with single word quotes and short quotes. For example, which one of these is correct?
When I sing, "Go home," you run to the other side of the wall.
When I sing "go home," you run to the other side of the wall.
When I sing, "go home," you run to the other side of the wall.
Thanks!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for the opinions and questions regarding the use of quotation marks and internal thoughts. I've been working on a book and I have 67+ pages of text with at least one internal thought on every other page. Every darn time I would face this dilemna and I think I used different solutions each time because I could not decide.
With regard to grammer and punctuation, I do recall that consistency is just as respected as correctness. Meaning that if you are going to do something off the path, at least do it the same way every time. I think I will use italics.
Thank you so much for when to put quotes. around titles and when not to put underlines around titles. it helped me for a test beacuse i did not get the notes!
p.s isn't the answer for robert chng's question the first sentences? When i sing "Go home." run to the other side. also isn't he supposed to drop the word you?
Outstanding hub.
Robin ,
This would make an awesome website.
Do you know how many people need info quickly and it would beeasier to retrieve from online.Something like grammer.com or grammertaught.com etc....
Here's a question for you: I'm a freeland court reporter and in a recent deposition the atty asks the witness:
Q Did the doctor say, quote, "Blah, blah, blah," end quote?
I'm thinking you don't use the quotation marks when someones says quote-end quote; but I'm not sure!!
Help...
working
gredmondson says:
2 years ago
Thanks, Robin. I'm glad you're spreading knowledge.