A Single Apostrophe For Double Quotes!

Posted on April 4, 2008

My last post covered the topic of proper quotation and punctuation usage but someone has asked me about the usage of double quotation marks.Double quotes are actually very common in screenplays, short stories, books and many other types of fictional settings.

While they are also common in non-fiction, they are not so common but the same rules will still apply.I do not wish to leave any writers out of the proverbial loop.

Most writers already know the fundamentals of using quotation marks.
In many instances however, a character or characters in a novel setting will be quoting each other as well.

When this is in the form of a communication that is already in quotations, the secondary quote marks will become necessary.As can be seen in the title here, the secondary quote is punctuated by using a single quotation mark that looks like an apostrophe.

Most word processors will be able to differentiate the two and if not, an apostrophe will work just as well when you are typing something. If you are writing with pen and paper as I frequently do, if your handwriting is anywhere near as bad as mine is, nobody will ever be able to read it anyhow so it really does not matter as long as you can understand what is there and translate it when necessary.

Many writers will be familiar with the old “he said” and then “she said” in the telling of a story. “Oh my!” they exclaimed in unison as they made their way through the dark, dusty and dimly lit hallway.

However, a great portion of many stories involves interaction between the characters and references to other characters are often used within these dialogs. In these cases, when one character is quoting another, it is not important what the motive is either of the author or of the characters.

The rules will always be the same.

“I was talking to my friend the other day and they said ‘the times are changing, darkness fills the air every day now’ and then they told me of many other mysteries.”

The actual quotation in the dialog between the characters was included in single quotes.

It may actually look very awkward when the quote within the character dialog is placed at the beginning or ending of a sentence however, but this should not deter you from using proper grammar.If you are like me and do not like the way it looks, you can always change the dialog around.

Still, since many people will see things differently, those examples need to be examined here as well.

“‘Many are the mysteries of life!’ he said to me as he was leaving.”

In the preceding instance, the primary quotation is there because it is part of the character’s dialog.

It is followed by the single quote to indicate that it was a quote within a quote.

When the quotation is at the end of the sentence, it will look the same but there is still the matter of punctuation to be considered as well so it can seem a little tricky at first.Just remember that if there is a complete thought or sentence within the quotation marks, the punctuation is also included inside of the quotes.

If the quotation is not a complete thought, the punctuation goes outside of the quotation marks.

“As I was walking back to my house after this eerie chance encounter, I was suddenly startled to see the same mysterious man. I do not know what surprised me more, the fact that he had been walking the other way when I left or when he looked at me and said ‘Beware the darkness!’”

Notice that there is no additional punctuation for the sentence of the character’s dialog but only of the quote. While this is not by any means the only correct answer to the problem of double quotations, it is one of the most common methods and will usually allow you to get your writing past the initial proofreader and into the editors desk for selection.

Certain styles of writing will require some variations and I must include that fact as a disclaimer. Additionally, while it may occasionally be necessary to include a tertiary quote, it is best avoided if possible. On those occasions when it is necessary, alternating between double and single quotation marks is the general rule to be followed.

Ward Tipton has been an author and editor for over twenty years. He has specialized the last three years in writing for some of the most prominent Internet Marketers around the world. He is now breaking out on his own and slowly but surely breaking into the world of Internet Marketing from a unique perspective and with a style and abilities that go much farther than his power of persuasion utilizing nothing more than the written word.
His latest site, The Internet Writing Guide will undoubtedly prove to be a valuable resource for anyone who ever wanted to learn anything at all about writing.

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