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Testimonials

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Quotation Marks

Punctuation in just about any language that has Punctuation Marks often confuses people the most. Many people become confused about the difference between a comma, a semicolon, and a colon. That is just one of the mistakes people often make in their writing though not nearly the worst. Another point of contention for many people in their writing is the use of quotation marks. Just what are they, where do you use them, and what is the difference between a single and a double quotation mark? These questions will be considered below.

They are easy to recognize when they are noticed on a page, but when it comes to using them, many people either refuse to use or misuse quotation marks. In the simplest sense, Quotation Marks are punctuation used to indicate the beginning and the end of directly reported speech such as:

"That man over there is the criminal," said the man.

This is a simple example of the use of Quotation Marks though they are also used in a great many other instances. Many writers use Quotation Marks when they want to indicate a specific word as something odd or ironic in the context. Quotation Marks are also sometimes used to surround words that are apparently inappropriate to the context or where a colloquialism is used in a formal context. This is done even if it is not strictly necessary.

The question of where to use Quotation Marks is linked to what they are and was explored briefly above. The other problem many people often have is whether or not to use single or double quotation marks. The truth of the matter is that there is no hard and fast rule as to which one a person is supposed to use. It is the norm to use double Quotation Marks for directly reported speech, but there is no rule that says that single Quotation Marks may not also be used. The same applies for the use of single Quotation Marks outside of directly reported speech. It is fine to use double quotation marks. Whichever one the writer chooses to use, the writer must remain consistent at all times.

Another accepted rule when it comes to using Quotation Marks refers to the use of Quotation Marks within quotation marks. It is recommended that the Quotation Marks used within Quotation Marks be the other kind. This means that if the writer uses double Quotation Marks for the direct reported speech then any other words inside Quotation Marks must be single quotation marks. For example:

"I tried calling him, but he appears to be 'sleeping' for the moment," said aunt Gertrude.

Quotation Marks are not that hard to understand or use. The important thing to remember is to remain consistent in their use. Do not change between using double or single quotations throughout a document. Choose one style and stick to it.