Almost all English learners and writers need clarification while using quotations within quotations; let’s learn with me how to quote inside a quote.
Using Quotations Within Quotations
It’s common for English writers to need clarification about the guidelines for quoting within a quote. CSS and PMS aspirants may struggle with where to place single quotes and when to use double quotes. The correct placement of single quotes and the appropriate use of double quotes can be a challenge for them in the examination. In this regard, it is essential to understand the fundamental rules for quoting a quote. To help clarify this topic, let’s review the basic rules for quoting a quote and look at some examples to illustrate these rules.
Remember the Following Rules
- In American English, writers use double quotation marks for the main quotations and single quotation marks for the quotations coming inside the main quotation.
- In British English, writers use single quotation marks for the main quotation and double quotation marks for the quotations coming inside the main quotation.
How to Quote Inside a Quote
It’s always good to remember the basic rule for quoting within a quote: the main quote is always enclosed within double quotation marks, while the quote inside the main quote is always enclosed in single quotation marks. This helps create a clear and organized structure called a nested quotation, which follows a simple hierarchy of double and single quotes. By following this convention, you can ensure that your quotes are easy to read and understand and that your writing is accurate and precise.
Example
- “The teacher noted the poem’s line, ‘With unwavering resolve, he persevered and restored our vitality.’”
The example uses the rule of enclosing the main quote within double quotation marks, while the quotation within the quotation is enclosed within single marks.
It’s important to use single and double quotation marks at the end of each sentence. This indicates the end of the inner and outer quotations.
More Examples
- “They didn’t all have the same ‘privilege’ as Danish,” Alia exclaimed.
- Danish told Alia, “Maria says, ‘Let’s go shopping tomorrow.’”
- “Let us examine the significance of the phrase ‘Treat others as you would like to be treated,’” said the teacher.
- In the novel’s introduction, the author describes a memory of his father. “My father was fond of saying ‘there’s no such thing as a free lunch, Danish,’ but it seemed insincere since Danish rarely ate lunch.”
- The anchor told us, “When I interviewed the thief quarterback, he said they simply ‘played a better game.’“
- According to an Asian scholar, “Only educated can see ‘people sacrificing their lives for peace’ and ‘democrats sacrificing people’s hopes for their gains.’“
How to Quote Multiple Quotes in a Sentence
No matter how many quotes the main quote is carrying, the rule is always the same: the main quote is always enclosed within double quotation marks, while the quotes inside the main quote is always enclosed in single quotation marks.
Examples
- I remember your great-grandfather saying, “‘Be strong’ and ‘Keep smiling’ were my daily reminders for myself.”
- In his speech, Danish told his friends, “My sister told me, ‘Just forget about it,’ but my uncle said, ‘never give up.’”
How to Use Colons with Quotation Marks
Unlike a comma that is needed to introduce a quotation after a dependent clause, a colon is used to introduce quotations after an independent clause. Remember, we always capitalize the first letter of the sentence or clause coming in the quotation.
Examples
- ✓ She replied the following: “Yes, indeed!”
- ✓ When I asked her repeatedly, she shouted a word only: “Yes!”
- ✓ Her mother whispered the following: “Take that girl away.”
- ✓ Danish screamed at once upon watching all his friends jumping: “Oh, no!”
- ✓ The President always said the same thing: “Elect me, and I will change your fate.”
- ✓ This was first said by Allama Muhammad Iqbal: “To abjure one’s pleasures is self-abnegation.”
- ✓ The main character in the novel said the following: “Work hard to play hard.”
- ✓ Alia went to great lengths to stress this: “Kindness never fades.”
- ✓ Alia shouted the following words: “No, no way!”
- ✓ She always repeats the same adage: “Boys will be boys.”
How to Quote a Quote with Question or Exclamation Mark
Rule-1
If a quote, coming inside the main quote, is a question or exclamation, we always place the question or exclamation mark inside the single quotation marks.
Examples
- Danish said, “Alia shouted, ‘Get your hands off my daughter!’”
- Alia said, “Danish asked, ‘Will this Samsung Watch work on my Samsung mobile?’”
- The lecturer told his class, “One of his students asked, ‘Did I offer peace today?’”
Rule-2
If the main quote is itself a question, we always place the question mark between the single and double quotation marks.
Examples
- Danish asked, “Did Sir Syed Kazim Ali say, ‘This will never work for CSS and PMS aspirants’?”
- The lecturer asked his class, “Who said, ‘Education is light that helps people aware of their duties and rights’?”
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