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Recommend using double quotes
- Style manuals followed in American formal writing and book publishing, such as the Chicago Manual of Style, AP Stylebook, APA Publication Manual, and MLA Handbook, all recommend using double quotes as quotation marks, with single quotes reserved for quotes within quotes.
People also ask
Do you use double quotation marks in English?
Why did the British use single quotation marks instead of doubles?
How do you use single quotation marks in a quote?
Should punctuation be inside or outside of quotation marks?
What is the difference between a double quote and a single quote?
Do double quotation marks enclose direct speech?
May 10, 2023 · Double quotation marks in American English are used for direct quotes, dialogue, titles of short works, the emphasis of certain words, and separating nicknames from given names. Single quotation marks are used to replace double quotation marks when they’re inside of other double quotation marks.
Oct 14, 2024 · In American English, single quotation marks are used only for quotes that appear inside other quotes. For example, if you’re quoting a passage that already features a quote, use double quotation marks for the main quote and single quotation marks for the quote within a quote.
- Quote Marks
- The Serial/Oxford Comma
- Periods After Titles
- Consistency Is King!
The biggest difference between American and British punctuation is related to quotations. This covers two distinct issues: 1. Whether to favor “double” or ‘single’ quotation marks. 2. Whether to place punctuation inside or outside of quotation marks. In American English, we typically use double quote marksfor the main quote. We would then use singl...
The serial comma(also known as the “Oxford comma” in the UK) is a comma placed before the last item in a list of three or more things. Most American English style guides recommend using this comma as standard: I believe in good spelling, grammar,and punctuation. Many British style guides, however, recommend omitting the final comma: I believe in go...
Finally, we have the use of periods (or “full stops”) after abbreviated titles. The difference here is that American English places a period after all titles (e.g., “Dr.” or “Mrs.”), whereas British English does not do this when the full term ends with the same letter as the shortened version (e.g., “Dr” or “Mrs”): American English: Mr. and Mrs. Do...
The rules above cover punctuation conventions in American and British English. These are, however, quite flexible. If you don’t want to use a serial comma in all your lists, that’s your choice! You might upset a few patriotic pedants, but it is not strictly wrongto do this in American English. You do, however, need to be consistent. For example, if...
American style uses double quotes (“) for initial quotations, then single quotes (‘) for quotations within the initial quotation.
May 21, 2019 · In US English, you must use double quotation marks. Single quotation marks are used for quotes within quotes. In UK English, it’s most common to use single quotation marks, with double quotation marks for quotes within quotes, although the other way around is acceptable too.
American English uses double-quotes, while British English uses single-quotes: "This is a quote." 'This is a quote.' Why do we use different quotation marks? When did this difference originate? Were quotation marks not standardized until relatively recently?
