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WRITING TECHNIQUES
Using Quotation Marks Correctly
In the business world, quotation marks are sometimes used haphazardly. If the rules seem a bit
hazy in your mind, here is a quick review followed by an opportunity for you to check your
understanding.
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Use quotation marks to enclose direct quotations.
"Honesty," said the president, "is the best policy."
Do not use quotation marks for paraphrased remarks. These remarks are often
introduced by that.
The president said that honesty is always the best policy.
Use quotation marks to enclose short expressions such as slang, jargon, nicknames,
words used in a special sense for humor or irony, and words following stamped or
marked.
Josh was called a "pizza pirate" because he refused to chip in for the delivery.
[Slang]
A great fear in business is having your business or service "commoditized."
[Jargon]
Frank Sinatra was also known as "Ol' Blue Eyes." [Nickname]
The former CEO could not find a job because she was "overqualified."
(Irony)
The box was stamped "Fragile." [Words following "stamped"]
Use quotation marks or italics for words being defined or used as nouns.
The expression de facto means "in practice but not necessarily recognized."
[Italics for word being defined and quotation marks for definition]
One of the most frequently misspelled words is calendar.
[Word being used as a noun within the sentence]
Do not overuse quotation marks!
When you arrive, go to the Customer Service Department.
[Do not use quotation marks around a destination or name of a
unit within an organization.]
You are cordially invited to our exciting spring sale.
[Do not put quotation marks around spring or any word to give
it special emphasis.]
© Dr. Mary Ellen Guffey – May be duplicated for educational purposes only.
ESSENTIALS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION: PROCESS AND PRODUCT
Try your skill by placing quotation marks or italics where you think they belong in the following
sentences. Remove any quotation marks incorrectly used, and write "Correct" if the sentence is
properly punctuated. You may use underscoring to indicate italics.
1. Voltaire said, Common sense is not so common.
2. Albert Einstein said that the true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.
3. Verbing is defined as the process of turning a noun into a verb.
4. All of the mailing cases were marked Glass—Handle With Care.
5. Our annual "Fall Extravaganza" is the biggest and best sale in the region!
6. His presidential address was marred by many uhms and ahs.
7. Businesspeople often use the term best practices to mean the most effective techniques in
a field or an industry.
8. Senior executives want anything brought to their attention to be "high level"; that is, they
want it neatly summarized and free of technical terms.
9. Rock star Sting got his nickname from wearing yellow-and-black jerseys that other
musicians thought made him look like a bumble bee.
10. Happiness, said comedian George Burns, is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in
another city.
11. During the summer extensive changes will be made to the "Human Resources Department."
12. The word secretary has a long and honorable history, but many office professionals now use
other titles.
13. The expression cook the books is not what we want to hear when a government
investigation begins.
14. Did the manager say that she wanted me to merge documents with our database list?
15. Our copyeditor Angela said that she would scream if she saw another report with the
expression "at this point in time."
© Dr. Mary Ellen Guffey – May be duplicated for educational purposes only.
ESSENTIALS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION: PROCESS AND PRODUCT
Key
1. Voltaire said, "Common sense is not so common." [Use quotation marks for a direct
quotation. Notice that the period goes inside the quotation marks.]
2. Albert Einstein said that the true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination. [No
quotation marks are needed because these are paraphrased remarks.]
3. Verbing is defined as "the process of turning a noun into a verb." [A word being defined is
italicized and its definition appears in quotation marks.]
4. All of the mailing cases were marked "Glass—Handle With Care." [Words following
"marked" and "stamped" are enclosed in quotation marks.]
5. Our annual Fall Extravaganza is the biggest and best sale in the region! [Do not use
quotation marks for emphasis.]
6. His presidential address was marred by many uhms and ahs. [Words used as nouns within a
sentence are italicized. Notice that only the word and not the "s" is italicized.]
7. Businesspeople often use the term best practices to mean "the most effective techniques in
a field or industry." [Italicize an expression being defined; use quotation marks for its
definition.]
8. Senior executives want anything brought to their attention to be "high level"; that is, they
want it neatly summarized and free of technical terms. [This is correct because "high level"
is considered business jargon. Notice that the semicolon appears outside the quotation
marks. Periods and commas are always inside, but semicolons and colons are outside.]
9. Rock star "Sting" got his nickname from wearing yellow-and-black jerseys that other
musicians thought made him look like a bumble bee. [Enclose nicknames in quotation
marks.]
10. "Happiness," said comedian George Burns, "is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family
in another city." [Quotations marks enclose a direct quotation. Notice the position of the
commas and periods in relation to the quotation marks. Note, too, that we do not capitalize
the continuation of an interrupted quotation.]
11. During the summer extensive changes will be made to the Human Resources Department.
[No quotation marks enclose the name of a department.]
© Dr. Mary Ellen Guffey – May be duplicated for educational purposes only.
ESSENTIALS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION: PROCESS AND PRODUCT
12. The word "secretary" has a long and honorable history, but many office professionals now
use other titles. [Words used as nouns within a sentence may be shown in italics or in
quotation marks.]
13. The expression "cook the books" is not what we want to hear when a government
investigation begins. [Enclose jargon or slang within quotation marks.]
14. Did the manager say that she wanted me to merge documents with our database list?
[Correct. No quotation marks should be used to enclose paraphrased or indirect
quotations.]
15. Our copyeditor Angela said that she would scream if she saw another report with the
expression "at this point in time." [Correct. The expression is correctly enclosed in quotation
marks.]
© Dr. Mary Ellen Guffey – May be duplicated for educational purposes only.
ESSENTIALS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION: PROCESS AND PRODUCT