What is wrong with the quotation marks in these examples?
“Fresh” Pizza $3.00 a Slice (But is it really fresh?)
If you are “pregnant”, please inform the technician. (Or maybe you’re just feeling pregnant)
Smart Lipo by a “real” plastic surgeon (You mean a genuine human?)
Please “do not” use staples for posting. (The quotes do not create emphasis.)
He asked, “Would you like a drink”? (The question mark is misplaced.)
There seems to be some confusion about using quotation marks. Here are a few points to remember about this punctuation mark.
Use quotation marks for quotations.
Quotation marks do just what they say: They enclose quotations. Quotations are exactly what another person said or wrote.
CORRECT He said, “She was a wonderful person.”
INCORRECT He said that “she was a wonderful person.”
CORRECT He said that she was a wonderful person.
Within a sentence, quotation marks are usually introduced by a comma.
CORRECT Susan cried, “Let him go to the pool!”
INCORRECT Susan cried: “Let him go to the pool!”
Block quotes do not require quotation marks.
Longer quotes are do not require quotation marks when they are set off as blocks of text. For quotes of 50 words or more, use a block quote. The quoted material should be set off with an indented left margin; it may also have an indented right margin. The text may be in a smaller or different font and have tighter line spacing.
Very short quotes that integrate into a sentence may not require introductory punctuation at all.
CORRECT They bought it all “lock, stock, and barrel.”
They tried to persuade him but he said “No way.”
The interviewer decried his “total disregard for the truth.”
Put quotation marks outside other punctuation marks.
Quotation marks always go outside commas and periods. In most cases, they also enclose exclamation marks and question marks. The ending punctuation mark represents the end of what the person said, so we enclose it within the quotation.
CORRECT “I see!” he cried.
“Do you want to see my Japanese engravings?” he asked.
The child declared, “I want to go to the zoo.”
Use single quotation marks for quotes within quotes.
To indicate a quote within a quote, use single quotation marks.
CORRECT She said, “When I was at the party, someone asked, ‘Can I have a ride to Fairfax and Pico?’ and I offered to drive him.”
INCORRECT She said, “When I was at the party, someone asked, “Can I have a ride to Fairfax and Pico?” and I offered to drive him.”
Sparingly use quotation marks for irony, sarcasm, or implied meaning.
Quotation marks sometimes imply an alternate meaning to a word. They may also be used to indicate sarcasm or irony. These are the cases in which a speaker would say something like “Quote/Unquote” or “Quote/Endquote”.
Use ironic quotes sparingly, as quotation marks for this purpose easily slide into excess. Often, if you think about it, you will realize that you don’t need the quotation marks.
ACCEPTABLE
He said he was a “cool” person. IMPLICATION: He is not a cool person.
What do you think of the “War on Terror”? IMPLICATION: It’s not much of a war on terror.
My husband told me they were “just friends”. IMPLICATION: Consult a divorce lawyer.
Do not use quotation marks for emphasis.
In my work as a business writing trainer, this is the most common error I see with quotation marks. Quotation marks do not make words “special”. They make them look odd.
If you want to show emphasis, use italic font, or underline, or even, on rare occasions, bold font. Let punctuation marks do the jobs they were designed for. In the case of quotation marks, use them for quotations.
So now that we’ve talked about how to use quotation marks, can I “quote” you on that last email you sent me?