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I hope this guide helps English writers correctly use quotes within quotes. Remember, if you’re a British writer: Single quotes should enclose the main quote. Put the periods and commas outside quotation marks. But if you write for Americans: Double quotes should enclose the main quote. Put periods and commas inside quotation marks.
Dec 23, 2020 · Notice that the quotes around there’s no such thing as a free lunch, Jimmy were double quotes in the original passage. But when you quote the passage, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, Jimmy becomes a quote within a quote, so you should change them to single quotation marks.
Oct 14, 2024 · 2 Place punctuation marks inside quotation marks. In American English, punctuation marks are typically placed inside quotation marks, with some exceptions. In British English, punctuation marks are placed outside the quotation marks unless they are part of the original quotation. The following rules and examples focus on American English.
Altering the Source Material in a Quotation. The responsibility of representing other people's words accurately lies firmly on the shoulders of the author. Inaccurate quotes not only defeat the purpose of using a quote, they may also constitute plagiarism. However, there are approved methods for altering quotes for either clarity or succinctness.
- One Level of Nesting
- Two Levels of Nesting
- A Related Case
The most common reason for nesting punctuation is shown in section 6.50 of the MLA Handbook (p. 265): when you need to present a quotation within a quotation, use double quotation marks around the quotation incorporated into your text and single quotation marks around the quotation within that quotation:
If the quotation enclosed in single marks also contains material–whether another quotation or the title of a work–that needs to be set off with quotation marks, use double quotation marks around that material. The pattern is double, single, double quotation marks. In other words, nest punctuation within punctuation and alternate to disambiguate:
The same principle applies when you need to incorporate parenthetical material. Alternate between parentheses and brackets, as in this aside:
Jan 2, 2023 · Just when you think you’ve got a handle on how to quote quotes and how to punctuate a quote within a quote, you read something from across the pond. Suddenly, up is down, and broccoli is the new chocolate. The world no longer makes sense. But before you fold your arms and narrow your eyes at your neighbors across the way, rest easy.
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Sep 16, 2023 · The use of single and double quotation marks depends on whether you follow US or UK style. Differences also exist in how commas and periods are used with quotes within quotes, discussed below. American vs. British style. If you follow US style, use single inside double quotation marks to show a quote within a quote.
