Quotation Marks: how to use them with other
punctuation
The Basics:
1. Quotation marks always come in pairs. Always begin and end each set of
quotation marks.
2. Indirect quotations are not placed in quotation marks because they are
paraphrased. However, it is still necessary to cite them.
3. Do not place quotation marks around a word or
phrase for emphasis or to indicate irony (use italics
instead).
4. Quotations are most effective when they are kept short
and used sparingly.
Quoting with Periods, Commas, Exclamation Marks, and
Question Marks:
In most cases, these punctuation marks are placed inside of
the quotation marks.
EX: “I usually study in the library during lunch,” he
said.
EX: Sally shouted gleefully, “Christmas is my favorite
holiday!”
EX: Shakespeare once stated in his play Romeo and
Juliet, “What’s in a name?”(II, ii, 1).
The Exception:
Question marks can also sit outside of quotation marks depending on the intention of
the direct quote. If a quotation within a sentence is not a question but the sentence itself
is, the question mark sits outside of the quotation marks.
EX: Do you know who said, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”?
*Quotation Marks and
Capitalization
-When the quoted material is
a complete sentence,
capitalize the first letter of the
direct quote.
-Do not use a capital letter
when the quoted material is a
fragment or a piece of the
original sentence.
- When a quote is interrupted
mid-sentence, do not
capitalize the second part of
the quotation.
Note:
A quote must always
flow grammatically
with the sentence to
which it is
connected.
Single Quotation Marks:
When a direct quote sits inside of another quote, single quotation marks are used within
the quotation marks. Single quotation marks are also applied when citing the titles of
poems, stories, or articles within a direct quote.
Ex: “I will always remember Mom’s warning, ‘Never swim right after you eat!’”
recalled Jack.
EX: Before class ended Professor Robins said, “You must use the poem ‘The Road
Not Taken’ by Robert Frost as a source for the paper.”
Using [sic]:
In some cases, when citing direct quotations you may come across a sentence that has a
grammatical or punctuation error. Because direct quotations are expected to be cited
exactly as written, this error must not be corrected. Instead, place the word Sic in italics
and brackets immediately after the error in the quotation.
EX: “I love to where [sic] my APU t-shirt!”
Using Brackets:
Even if a quotation does not have a grammatical or punctuation error, it still may not fit
with the sentence surrounding it. If this is the case, brackets are used to add a missing
word, prefix, or suffix. Brackets can also be used to change the tense of a quotation or
add clarification.
EX: Yesterday Lisa confessed that she couldn’t stop “think[ing] about the final
paper for biology.”
EX: “I met a lot of [friendly] students during the APU
orientation,” answered Eric.
** This sheet is intended to be a quick reference for common citation situations.
For in-depth information on citation styles, please refer to writing manuals, take
advantage of resources offered by the on-campus libraries, or come to the
Writing Center for more information.
The Purdue Owl. Purdue U Writing Lab,
2010. Web. 7 Nov 2011.
Created by the APU Writing Center 2011
