quotation mark

(noun)

A punctuation mark used to denote speech or when words are copied from another author or speaker; can be double quotations (") or single quotations ('). 

Related Terms

Examples of quotation mark in the following topics:

  • Quotation Marks

    • Quotation marks are most often used to mark direct speech or words from another author or speaker. 
    • Single or double quotation marks denote either speech or a quotation.
    • For speech within speech, use double quotation marks on the outside, and single marks on the inner quotation.
    • When quotation marks are used for multiple-paragraph quotations, the convention in English is to give opening quotation marks to the first and each subsequent paragraph, using closing quotation marks only for the final paragraph of the quotation.
    • (The question mark does not refer to the phrase within the quotation marks so the question mark is placed outside of the quotation marks.)

  • Introducing and Formatting Quotations

    • If your quotation has a quotation within it, the inner quotation needs a pair of single quotation marks and the outer needs a pair of double quotation marks.
    • Periods and commas should be placed inside the quotation marks.
    • Colons, semicolons, and dashes should be placed outside the quotation marks.
    • If you are using a long quotation (four or more typed lines), instead of quotation marks, you should indent the entire quotation five spaces.
    • When using this format, you do not need to use quotation marks.

  • Incorporating Your Sources Into Your Paper

    • If you incorporate a direct quotation from another author's text, you must put that quotation or phrase in quotation marks to indicate that it is not your language.
    • When writing direct quotations, you can use the source author's name in the same sentence as the quotation to introduce the quoted text and to indicate the source in which you found the text.
    • You may find that the original source uses language that is more clear, concise, or specific than your own language, in which case you should use a direct quotation, putting quotation marks around those unique words or phrases you don't change.
    • It is common to use a mixture of paraphrased text and quoted words or phrases, as long as the direct quotations are inside of quotation marks.
    • While the use of quotation marks or parenthetical citations tells your reader that these are not your own words or ideas, you should follow the quote with a description, in your own terms, of what the quote says and why it is relevant to the purpose of your paper.

  • Chicago/Turabian: Block Quotations

    • In Chicago style, format quotations of more than five lines as block quotations.
    • A typical quotation is enclosed in double quotation marks and is part of a sentence within a paragraph of your paper.
    • However, if a quotation takes up more than five lines in your paper, you should format it as a block quotation rather than as a regular quotation within the text of a paragraph.
    • Most of the standard rules for quotations still apply, with the following exceptions: a block quotation will begin on its own line (skip a line before and after the block quotation), it will not be enclosed in quotation marks, and its in-text citation will come after the ending punctuation, not before it.
    • And as with series and lists, to better visually distinguish a block quotation from the surrounding text, be sure to leave an extra (blank) line between the last line of the block quotation and the first line of the following paragraph.

  • APA: Block Quotations

    • In APA style, format quotations of more than 40 words as block quotations.
    • A typical quotation is enclosed in double quotation marks and is part of a sentence within a paragraph of your paper.
    • However, if you want to quote more than 40 words from a source, you should format the excerpt as a block quotation, rather than as a regular quotation within the text of a paragraph.
    • Most of the standard rules for quotations still apply, with the following exceptions: a block quotation will begin on its own line, it will not be enclosed in quotation marks, and its in-text citation will come after the ending punctuation, not before it.
    • And as with series and lists, to better visually distinguish a block quotation from the surrounding text, be sure to leave an extra (blank) line between the last line of the block quotation and the first line of the following paragraph.

  • MLA: Block Quotations

    • In MLA style, format quotations of more than lines of prose or more than three lines of verse as block quotations.
    • A typical quotation is enclosed in double quotation marks and is part of a sentence within a paragraph of your paper.
    • Most of the standard rules for quotations still apply, with the following exceptions: a block quotation will begin on its own line, it will not be enclosed in quotation marks, and its in-text citation will come after the ending punctuation, not before it.
    • The entire block quotation should be indented one inch from the left margin.
    • To better visually distinguish a block quotation from the surrounding text, be sure to leave an extra (blank) line both above and below your block quotation.

  • Semicolons

    • Modern style guides also typically recommend placing semicolons outside of ending quotation marks—although this was not always the case.
    • For example, the first edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (1906) recommended placing the semicolon inside ending quotation marks.

  • Colons

    • Some punctuation marks, such as periods, question marks, and exclamation points, indicate the end of a sentence.
    • The Chicago Manual of Style, however, requires capitalization only when the colon introduces speech or a quotation, a direct question, or two or more complete sentences.
    • Similar to a dash and a quotation mark, a segmental colon can introduce speech.

  • Introduction to Commas

    • The comma is a punctuation mark that indicates a slight break, pause, or transition.
    • The comma is a punctuation mark that indicates a slight pause or a transition of some kind.
    • Use a comma to set off the attribution (i.e., who said or wrote a quotation) from the quotation itself.
    • If the attribution comes at the end of the quotation, then the comma should go inside the quotation marks, even if the quotation is a complete sentence.
    • Do not replace a question mark or exclamation point in a quotation with a comma.

  • The Basics of Quotations

    • A properly placed quotation can articulate your position and provide substantiation at the same time.
    • You can use programs like Zotero or EndNote, or simply drag the quotation into a document.
    • If you can organize your quotations by topic, so much the better.
    • There are times when a quotation will give you maximum impact and times when paraphrasing is more effective.
    • Here, the phrase "free market fundamentalism" is clearly a phrase unique to West's work and must be recognized as such by using the quotation marks.