Quotations Within Quotations

Having trouble viewing this message? [Click here to view it online.]( To unsubscribe or change contact details, scroll to the bottom and follow the link. [GrammarBook.com]( Your #1 Source for Grammar and Punctuation Quotations Within Quotations Almost all of us have found ourselves confused with double and single quotation marks. When do we use single quotation marks? Where does the punctuation go with single quotation marks? With just a few rules and examples, you will feel surer about your decisions. How to Quote a Quote Rule: Use single quotation marks inside double quotation marks when you have a quotation within a quotation. Example Bobbi told me, “Delia said, ‘This will never work.’ ” Notice that what Delia said was enclosed in single quotation marks. Notice also that the period was placed inside both the single and the double quotation marks. The American rule is that periods always go inside all quotation marks. As a courtesy, make sure there is visible space at the start or end of a quotation between adjacent single and double quotation marks. Example Bobbi said, “I read an interesting article titled ‘A Poor Woman’s Journey.’ ” Rule: Question marks and exclamation points, unlike periods, follow logic with their placement. If a quote inside a quote is a question or exclamation, place the question mark or exclamation point inside the single quotation marks. Examples Bobbi said, “Delia asked, ‘Will this remote control work on my TV?’ ” Bobbi said, “Delia shouted, ‘Get your hands off me!’ ” Rule: If the question is inside the double quotation marks, place the question mark between the single and double quotation marks. Example Bobbi asked, “Did Delia say, ‘This will never work’?” (Because you will rarely need an exclamation point within the double quotation marks and not within the single quotation marks, there is little sense discussing this.) Rule: In the above three examples, only one ending punctuation mark was used with the quotation marks. The rule is that the “stronger” mark wins. Question marks and exclamation points are considered stronger than the period. Period! [View and comment on this article on our website.]( [Click here to watch our video on Quotation Marks]( The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation by Lester Kaufman and Jane Straus The Authority on English Grammar! Twelfth Edition Now Available An indispensable tool for busy professionals, teachers, students, homeschool families, editors, writers, and proofreaders. Available in print AND as an e-Book! Over 2,000 copies are purchased every month! To order the book, simply click the link to order the book from the [GrammarBook.com]( website. [Order Your Copy Today!]( Free BONUS Quiz for You! {NAME}, because you are a subscriber to the newsletter, you get access to one of the Subscribers-Only Quizzes. Click here to take a [Question Marks and Quotation Marks Quiz]( and get your scores and explanations instantly! We will be adding many more quizzes this year to our already substantial list of them. If you have suggestions for topics we have not yet covered, please send us a message at help@grammarbook.com. Hundreds of Additional Quizzes at Your Fingertips Subscribe now to receive hundreds of additional English usage quizzes not found anywhere else! Teachers and Employers Save hours of valuable time! You may assign quizzes to your students and employees and have their scores tallied, organized, and reported to you! Let [GrammarBook.com]( take the hassle out of teaching English! "Fun to test my skills." "The explanations really help ... thanks!" "I can select the quizzes to assign to my students, and then the results are reported to me automatically!" [Find out more about our subscription packages]( If you think you have found an error in a quiz, please email us at help@grammarbook.com Wordplay # English in a Snap: 68 One-Minute English Usage Videos FREE Learn all about who and whom, affect and effect, subjects and verbs, adjectives and adverbs, commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and much more by just sitting back and enjoying these easy-to-follow lessons. Share them with your colleagues (and boss), children, teachers, and friends as well! [Click here to watch](. Forward this e-newsletter to your friends and colleagues. If you received this FREE weekly e-newsletter from a friend, [click here to have it sent to you each week](. Look for more grammar tips or writing advice from [GrammarBook.com]( next week. Miss a recent newsletter? [Click here to view past editions](. GrammarBook.com, 165 Kirkland Circle, Oswego, IL 60543, United States You may [unsubscribe]( or [change your contact details]( at any time. [Powered by:](