Quotation marks

Quotation marks are primarily used to indicate material

that is being reproduced word for word, as well as some
other important uses.

Quotation marks and adjacent

punctuation
Though not necessarily logical, the American rules for
multiple punctuation with quotation marks are firmly
established.

British versus American style

There are two major styles of English punctuation:
American (commonly followed also in Canada) and
British (commonly followed also in Australia and New
Zealand). Over the years, these two styles have
converged. The few major differences that remain are
described below.

Quotations
American style uses double quotes (“) for initial
quotations, then single quotes (‘) for quotations within
the initial quotation.
American style

“Economic systems,” according to Professor White,

“are an inevitable byproduct of civilization, and
are, as John Doe said, ‘with us whether we want
them or not.’”
British style uses single quotes (‘) for initial quotations,
then double quotes (“) for quotations within the initial
quotation.
British style

‘Economic systems’, according to Professor White,

‘are an inevitable byproduct of civilization, and are,
as John Doe said, “with us whether we want them
or not”’.
The above examples also show that the American style
places commas and periods inside the quotation marks,
even if they are not in the original material. British style
(more sensibly) places unquoted periods and commas
outside the quotation marks. For all other punctuation,
the British and American styles are in agreement:
unless the punctuation is part of the quoted material, it
goes outside the quotation marks.

Titles
Mr., Mrs., and Ms. all take periods in American
English. In British English, the periods are omitted.

Time
British usage dictates a period between the hours and
minutes when writing the time (e.g., 10.30). American
usage dictates a colon (e.g., 10:30).
Dates
Though not necessarily a matter of punctuation, there is
one important distinction between American and British
usage when it comes to dates. American usage puts the
month first, followed by the day, and then the year.
Hence, 12/5/2010 means December 5, 2010, in
American usage. The British practice (followed in most
of the world) is to put the day first, followed by the
month. Hence, 12/5/2010 means May 12, 2010, in
British usage. The International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) has established the YYYY-MM-
DD format, in which December 5, 2010, would be
written 2010-12-05. Whether this will catch on with
American writers remains to be seen. In the meantime,
writing out the month will avoid confusion.
Commas and periods that are part of the overall
sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though
they aren’t part of the original quotation.
Correct

“The best investments today,” according to Smith,

“are commodities and emerging-market stocks.”
Incorrect

“The best investments today”, according to Smith,

“are commodities and emerging-market stocks”.
Unless they are part of the original quotation, all marks
other than commas or periods are placed outside the
quotation marks.
Correct
She provides a thorough list of problems in her
most recent article, “Misery in Paradise”; she
doesn’t provide a solution.
Incorrect

She provides a thorough list of problems in her

most recent article, “Misery in Paradise;” she
doesn’t provide a solution.
Correct

Wasn’t it Dickens who wrote, “It was the best of

times, it was the worst of times”?
Incorrect

Wasn’t it Dickens who wrote, “It was the best of

times, it was the worst of times?”
For more on the proper use of multiple punctuation at
the end of a sentence, see here.

Quoting the words of others

There are two ways to incorporate quotations in your
writing: run-in quotations and block quotations.
Run-in quotations
Short quotations can generally be run in to the main text
using quotation marks.
Example

In his novel White Noise, Don DeLillo neatly

summarizes the materialist philosophy: “It’s all this
activity in the brain and you don’t know what’s you
as a person and what’s some neuron that just
happens to fire or just happens to misfire.”

Block quotations
Longer quotations should be set off from the main text,
and are referred to as block quotations. Because the
quoted material is set off from the main text, it is not
necessary to use quotation marks. Style varies, but at a
minimum a block quotation should have a bigger left-
hand margin than the main text. In contrast to the main
text, a block quotation might also have a bigger right-
hand margin, be in a smaller or otherwise different font,
or have reduced line spacing.
Example

In Walden, Henry David Thoreau makes the case

for following one’s dreams:
I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances
confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the
life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected
in common hours. He will put some things behind, will pass an
invisible boundary; new, universal, and more liberal laws will begin
to establish themselves around and within him; or the old laws be
expanded, and interpreted in his favor in a more liberal sense, and
he will live with the license of a higher order of beings.

How do you determine if your quotation is short

(allowing it to be incorporated into the main text) or
long (requiring a block quotation)? It depends. For
academic writing, the MLA Handbook requires block
quotations whenever the quoted material exceeds four
lines, while the American Psychological Association
(APA) requires block quotations for anything exceeding
forty words. The Chicago Manual of Style suggests 100
words or more as a general rule, but offers many factors
other than length to be considered.
Introducing the quoted material: when to
use a comma, colon, period, or no
punctuation at all.
Comma
The comma is the mark most frequently used to
introduce quoted material.
Examples

The flight attendant asked, “May I see your

boarding pass?”
Buddha says, “Even death is not to be feared by
one who has lived wisely.”
Colon
A colon should be used when the text introducing the
quoted material could stand as a sentence on its own. It
is also the mark most commonly used to introduce a
block quotation.
Example

In Food Rules, Michael Pollan summarizes his

extensive writing about food with seven words of
advice: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Period
A period can be used to introduce a block quotation
when the introductory text stands on its own as a
complete sentence. In such cases, a colon is also
proper—and sometimes preferable.
No punctuation
When the quoted material flows directly from your
introductory text, no punctuation should be used before
the quotation. A very short quotation may also be
introduced without punctuation. The unpunctuated lead-
in is most commonly used with run-in quotations, but it
is also appropriate for introducing block quotations that
flow directly from the introductory text.
Examples

In her closing statement, the prosecutor spoke

forcefully of the defendant’s “callous disregard for
human life.”
Though marshaling little evidence, the authors
claim that “over half of British prisoners come from
single-parent households.”
We tried to persuade him, but he said “No way.”
The phrase “be that as it may” appears far too
often in this manuscript.

Quotes within quotes

When a run-in quotation contains quotation marks
within the quoted material itself, use single quotation
marks in their place. When the material being quoted
contains a quotation within a quotation (i.e., something
in single quotation marks), use double quotation marks.
Example

The author’s final argument is less convincing:

“When Brown writes of ‘interpreting the matter
through a “structuralist” lens,’ he opens himself to
the same criticism he made earlier in his own
paper.”

Other uses of quotations marks

Writing about letters and words
Quotation marks can be used when referring to a
specific word or letter. (Some writers instead use italics
for this purpose, as I have in this guide.)
Example

In the previous sentence, “letter” was properly

spelled with two “t”s.

Translations
As an alternative to parentheses, quotation marks can
be used to enclose a translation. In this case, it is
necessary to set the translation off with commas.
Example
His knowledge of Portuguese is limited
to obrigado, “thank you,” and adeus, “goodbye.”
Less commonly, single quotation marks are used in
place of parentheses, in which case the translation is not
set off with commas. Also, any punctuation otherwise
required by the structure of the sentence is placed
outside the single quotation marks.
Example

His knowledge of Portuguese is limited

to obrigado ‘thank you’ and adeus ‘goodbye’.

Scare quotes
Scare quotes (also known as sneer quotes) are used to
cast doubt on a word or phrase, or to emphasize that the
word or phrase is being used as a euphemism.
Examples

He rarely spoke of the “incident” that caused him

to leave his previous employer.
The think tank’s “analysis” of the issue left much to
be desired.

Nicknames
When inserted in the middle of a person’s actual name,
a nickname should appear in quotation marks.
Example

Henry M. “Hank” Paulson Jr.

Greg “The Shark” Norman

Measurements
In informal writing, feet and inches are sometimes
expressed as, for example, 5′ 10″ (read: five feet and
ten inches). Technically, the mark designating feet is a
prime; the mark designating inches is a double prime.
These marks are available in most word processors,
though many people simply use single and double
quotation marks: 5’ 10”.
Periods and commas are placed outside the prime and
double prime marks.
Additional Punctuation Rules When Using
Quotation Marks
Use a comma to introduce a quotation after a standard dialogue tag, a brief introductory phrase, or a
dependent clause.

The detective said, "I am sure who performed the murder."

As D.H. Nachas explains, "The gestures used for greeting others differ greatly from one culture to
another."

Put commas and periods within quotation marks, except when a parenthetical reference follows.

He said, "I may forget your name, but I never forget a face."
History is stained with blood spilled in the name of "civilization."
Mullen, criticizing the apparent inaction, writes, "Donahue's policy was to do nothing" (24).

Place colons and semicolons outside closed quotation marks.

Williams described the experiment as "a definitive step forward"; other scientists disagreed.
Benedetto emphasizes three elements of what she calls her "Olympic journey": family support,
personal commitment, and great coaching.

Place a question mark or exclamation point within closing quotation marks if the punctuation applies
to the quotation itself. Place the punctuation outside the closing quotation marks if the punctuation
applies to the whole sentence.

Phillip asked, "Do you need this book?"

Does Dr. Lim always say to her students, "You must work harder"?