QUOTATION MARKS
Quotation marks, also called quotes or inverted commas, are punctuation marks used in
pairs to set off speech, a quotation, or a phrase. The pair consists of an opening quotation
mark and a closing quotation mark, which may or may not be the same character.
There are two types of quotations: direct and indirect.
1. A direct quotation uses the exact words of an authority and must be
identified in your paper with quotation marks and parenthetical
documentation.
2. An indirect quotation, or paraphrase, is a restatement of a thought expressed
by someone else that is written in your own style that needs to be documented.
EXAMPLE:
 He knows that someday “things will even out.”
 His only reply was that someday he would get even.
General guidelines for using quotation marks with other punctuation.
1. Commas and periods go inside the quotation mark
2. Semi colons and colons go outside the quotation mark.
3. Question marks and exclamation points depend on whether the question or
exclamation is part of the quotation or part of the sentence containing the
quotation.
EXAMPLE:
 I know you are fond of the story “Children of the Corn,” but is it
an appropriate subject for your essay?
 “At last,” said the old woman, “I can say I am truly happy.”
 She never liked the poem “Dover Beach”; in fact, it was her least
favorite piece of Victorian literature.
 He clearly states his opinion in the article “Of Human Bondage”:
he believes that television has enslaved and diminished an entire
generation.
 Where is your copy of “The Raven”?
 “How cold is it outside?” my mother asked.
Other uses of quotation marks.
1. Titles of short stories, short poems, short musical compositions, plays,
and chapters of books.
2. Use italics or bold for titles of long poems, books, and magazines.
3. Use the single quotation mark to set off a quote within a quote.
“What do you mean, ‘What do I mean?’” Alberta sniffed. She was becoming
impatient and wished that she were elsewhere.
4. Use quotation marks to indicate formal definitions, sarcasm, or slang.
Intrepid means “bold” or “fearless.”
Then this “genius” forgot the keys.
Works Cited
Lynch, Jack. "Punctuation and Quotation Marks." Guide to Grammar and Style. 14 May
2006. 15 Jun 2006
<http://www.andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/writing/p.html#punctuation>.
Peck, Frances. "Quotation Marks." HyperGrammar. 18 Nov. 1998. 15 Jun 2006
<http://www.uottaw.ca/academics/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/qmarks.html>.
"Quotation mark." Wikipedia. 2006. Wikimedia Foundations, Inc. 15 Jun 2006
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quotation_mark>.
Rodrigues, Dawn, and Myron Tuman. Writing Essentials. 2nd. New York: W.W. Norton
& Company, 1999.
"Using Quotations." LEO: Literacy Education Online. 05 MAR 2004. LEO: Literacy
Education Online. 15 Jun 2006
<http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/research/usingquotes.html>.
Wilson, Kenneth. " Quotation Marks." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. 15 Jun 2006
<http://www.bartleby.com/68/40/4940.html>.
Presented by: Krystal West, Demarius Bryant, Cyrous Bagheri