quotation marks

Punctuation marks (‘ ’) used in pairs to mark off direct speech or quoted matter in a text.

In the USA double quotes are commonly used, and single quotes within double; in the UK normal practice is the other way round. In some languages quotation marks are omitted around dialogue.

Punctuation marks fall inside the quotation marks when a whole sentence is quoted or when they are part of the quoted passage. When the main sentence begins outside the quotation marks, the full stop should also be outside the quotation marks. Quotation marks, as well as being used to indicate spoken words, are also used to indicate the title of a short work such as a poem or story. Titles of full-length works, on the other hand, are normally italicized. Proper nouns, such as the names of houses, pubs, restaurants, are not put in quotation marks. Quotation marks may also be used to indicate that the writer is using the word in an unusual, often ironic, way, as in ‘He is one of those ‘modern’ young men – appalling manners and terrifying appearance.’