English Grammar for the Utterly Confused - Laurie Rozakis 2003

Quotation Marks
Chapter 10 Punctuation
Part 4 A Writers Tools

1. Use quotation marks to set off a speaker’s exact words.

“Did you eat the entire bag of chips?” Debbie squealed.

2. Use quotation marks to set off the titles of short works such as poems, essays, songs, short stories, and magazine articles.

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson (short story)

“Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson (essay)

“We’ve Only Just Begun” by the Carpenters (song)

3. Use single quotation marks to set off quoted material or the titles of short works within a quotation enclosed by double quotation marks.

“Did you read ’The Ransom of Red Chief’ last night?” the teacher asked.

4. Use quotation marks to set off words used for emphasis or a definition.

The proposed “tax reform” is really nonsense.