Quotation Marks

ENG302 : The Class : The Process : Final Preparation : Quotation Marks
Punctuation: Quotation Marks

PUNCTUATION MARKS

The various symbols used to indicate stress, pause, and intonation are referred to as punctuation marks. Like most matters of correctness, the rules for punctuation change over time. Some of the most important current punctuation rules follow.

Quotation Marks

Quotation marks are used to indicate inserted material, such as dialogue, citations from other sources, or special word uses.

1. In American usage the period and the comma always go inside the quotation marks.

The scientist was quoted as saying that "we will never solve the problem."

"We will never solve the problem," said the scientist.

2. The colon and semicolon always go outside the quotation marks.

I must question your "data"; personal opinions are too subjective to bear much weight.

The auditors have uncovered the following "procedural discrepancies": failing to cross-check tapes at the end of the

day, and using the same individual to check the money both in and out of the safe.

3. The question mark may go either outside or inside the quotation marks, depending on how much of the sentence is a question.

What reputable engineer would say, "I don't care whether the bridge will be here five years from now or not"? (The

sentence inside the quotation marks is not a question, but the whole sentence is.)

The engineer asked, "Will the bridge be here five years from now?" (The sentence inside the quotation marks is a

question, but the whole sentence is not.)

Why can't anyone answer the question, "What causes cancer and how can we stop it?" (The sentence inside the

quotation marks is a question and so is the whole sentence.)

E-mail Greg Larkin at Gregory.Larkin@nau.edu
or call (520) 523-4911

Web site created by the NAU OTLE Faculty Studio