Last, double quotation marks also differentiate nicknames from given names. “They’re” and “their” are pronounced the same, but they’re two different words. This is common in our Grammarly blog, where we often talk about word usage. Scare quotes are considered casual language, so don’t use them in formal papers like academic writing.Īside from their use as scare quotes, double quotation marks can also show that a word is being discussed as a word, without regard to its actual meaning. Our “boss” is technically Arnold, but it’s Vera who’s really in charge. My daughter made me a “coffee mug” in art class, although it looked more like a bowl. When they’re used this way, these are known as “scare quotes,” and they typically express doubt in the validity of the word, with the same meaning as “so-called.” Use double quotation marks to set apart words, especially for the purposes of irony, sarcasm, skepticism, or other nonstandard uses. Have you ever seen quotation marks around a single word that’s not a quote and wondered what it means? Sometimes, it’s a way to make a word or phrase stand out, usually to show that it does not use its literal meaning. You can see a complete list of which types of works use quotation marks for titles here. “For Esmé-with Love and Squalor” is my favorite short story from J. For long works like books, movies, plays, periodical names, and music albums, use italics instead. Typically, quotation marks are used for poems, songs, articles, short stories, essays, and episode titles. Signifying titlesĪnother use of double quotation marks is for the titles of short works. “Would you like a receipt?” the cashier asked robotically.Īgain, if you’re paraphrasing a direct quote, you don’t need quotation marks. Quotation marks for dialogue are common in fiction writing to show a conversation between characters, while nonfiction articles use them to transcribe speech from eyewitnesses or interviews. Like quoting other sources, double quotation marks are also used when you quote speech and dialogue. Alternatively, you can set off the passage a different way, such as indenting it further than the other text or setting it in italics. James Daybell insists Shakespeare was educated because his writing depicts women across the socioeconomic spectrum as literate.įor passages of more than a paragraph, use an opening quotation mark at the beginning of each new paragraph and a single closing quotation mark at the end. They’re only used to indicate a direct quote, so if you’re rephrasing what someone said in your own words, you don’t need them. Keep in mind that quotation marks are unnecessary for indirect or paraphrased speech. If punctuation had personalities, you might say that quotation marks are good for advice because they’re always sharing the wisdom of others through quotes. James Daybell insists Shakespeare was educated because of how he wrote female characters, which “depict women across the social spectrum composing, reading, or delivering letters.” If you’re using another person’s text in your writing, put the copied words in between double quotation marks. Quoting a sourceĭouble quotation marks show that a passage of text is copied word-for-word from another source. Let’s take a look at each of these individually. Set apart a word, usually to signify irony, sarcasm, or skepticismĭifferentiate a nickname from a given name Signal the titles of short works, like poems or songs Indicate that a passage or word is copied verbatim from another source (a direct quote) When should you use double quotation marks?ĭouble quotation marks in American English have five purposes: So how do you know when to use single versus double quotation marks? Let’s take a look at each separately so you know when to use them. ![]() ![]() “Our teacher called it ‘the most difficult exam of the year,’” Almir complained to his parents. In writing, single and double quotation marks appear like this:Īccording to the teacher, the test would be “the most difficult exam of the year.” The direction the quotation marks face depends on whether they come at the beginning or end of the quote. Single quotation marks use only one comma-they look just like the apostrophe-while double quotation marks use two commas right next to each other. In form, quotation marks (or simply “quotes” for short) are just commas, elevated to the top of a text line instead of at the bottom. double quotation marks: What’s the difference? Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly Single vs.
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