When to Use Double or Single Quotation Marks

A Confusing Question

Not only is the emphasis wrong on this sign, but
the closing quote is upside down. To make matters
worse, there should be an apostrophe on owners'
to signify possession.

Tom Magliery ©2007

Quotation marks are often confusing to ESL writers unfamiliar with English grammar and punctuation rules. However, there's no need to be embarrassed—these upside down commas sometimes confuse seasoned English writers, too!

Quotation marks can be used in multiple ways

Quotation marks are used for three purposes:

1. To enclose direct quotations from spoken and written language.
2. To indicate words used in a particular way, be it ironically or with reservations.
3. To note a translation of a foreign word.

You can quote me on that

Opening and closing quotation marks indicate the beginning and end of a quotation from spoken language (direct speech). The following is a good example:

"Sebastian," said Caroline, "will the police believe us?"

Similarly, quotation marks are used to indicate and acknowledge original context from written language:

"A bride adorned for her husband" is from Revelation 21:2, Authorized Version, 1611.

Draw attention to your intentions with quotation marks

Quotation marks also draw attention to words and expressions used in a particular way. The following are a few simple examples from Scribendi.com's ESL editing services:

A major benefit of the literature review is that it ensures the feasibility of your topic before "proper" research can begin.

The word "bough" is not pronounced the same way as the word "enough."

She suggested that nothing is less traditional than "primitive" societies.

Likewise, quotation marks identify words used as slang. This may be a tricky concept for non-native English speakers. The following examples from Scribendi.com's ESL editing services are thus worth noting:

      She needs to "chill" after studying for so many hours.

      That coffeehouse is my "hangout."

Don't get lost in translation

Finally, ESL writers can use quotation marks to note the translation of a foreign word:

      "Hallelujah" means "Praise the Lord!"

      "Shalom" means "peace, hello, and goodbye."

What's up with single quotation marks?

The above examples all deal with double quotation marks. However, quotation marks also appear in the singular form. Single marks usually enclose quotations within quotations (inner quotations).

"When I say 'immediately,' I mean some time before August," said the manager.

"Why did she call the man a 'traitor'?" 

If necessary, double marks enclose a third quotation nested within this second one. For example:

"I did not know the answer to the question 'Do you know the origin of the phrase "to eat humble pie"?'"

Has all this information only made things more confusing? If you're confused by quotation marks, Scribendi.com's ESL editing services advise you to heed the advice found in Hart's Rules, that is, to place punctuation according to sense. The single marks are needed in the above examples to punctuate statements within a quotation. Place question marks and other punctuation just within the set of quotation marks that ends the element of the sentence to which they belong. For a visual representation of this, see below.

"I did not know the answer to the question 'Do you know the origin of the phrase "to eat humble pie"?'"

There are always exceptions to the rules

As with many rules in the English language, the double and single pattern for quotation marks is by no means steadfast. Double quotation marks are the standard form in the United States, as are single marks for quotations within quotations. This convention is sometimes followed in the United Kingdom, but usually it is reversed. That is, single marks are used first for the opening quotation, double marks for inner quotations, and so on. Indeed, the style guide and reference book, Hart's Rules, first published in England in 1893, specifies single marks for the first quotation, and then double marks are used for a quotation within a quotation.

            'He described the new bridge as "a work of art."'

A publisher's, or even an author's, style may take precedence over such general preferences. Judith Butcher, in Copy-Editing, points out that some writers have their own system of quotation marks, e.g., double quotes for speech and single for thoughts. The important rule is that the style of opening and closing quotation marks must match, e.g., 'Good morning, Mary,' called Adrian, or "Good morning, Stephen," called Jane.

A note from Scribendi.com's ESL editing services: If quotations are distinguished only by the use of quotation marks, and you are quoting more than one paragraph, use an opening quote at the beginning of each paragraph.

Scribendi.com's ESL editing services shed light on more exceptions

You do not usually need opening and closing quotation marks to punctuate material set off from the main text as a block quotation. Block quotations are typically either indented or put in a smaller font. Quotations within the block will have double or single quotes, according to the convention being used (British or American). As usual, these different conventions for closing punctuation complicate things. Compare the following two examples:

From the Chicago Manual of Style,

The narrator then breaks in:

Imagine Bart's surprise, dear reader, when Emma turned to him and said, contemptuously, "What 'promise'?"

And from Hart's Rules,

'The passing crowd' is a phrase coined in the spirit of indifference. Yet, to a man of what Plato calls 'universal sympathies,' and even to the plain, ordinary denizens of this world, what can be more interesting than those who constitute 'the passing crowd'?

In my field of study…

In much specialist writing, including linguistics, philosophy, and theology, terms with particular meanings for that subject are often enclosed in single quotation marks:

The inner margins of a book are called the 'gutter.'

Many people do not realize that 'cultivar' is synonymous with 'clone.'

However, it is still important not to confuse your readers by including too many quotation marks. Inserting this punctuation may not be essential to your argument. The names of horticultural cultivars, however, should usually be enclosed in single quotation marks:

An example of an apple is 'Jonathon,' of a grape, 'Chardonnay,' and of the Gallica rose, 'Rosa Munda.'    

Don't go quote crazy

While quotations are necessary for most types of writing, including too many can make your writing seem heavy-handed. Submitting your document to Scribendi.com's ESL editing services is the best way to ensure your punctuation is up to the highest standard.