Quotation Mark Usage

In the workplace, correct usage of quotation marks is essential. Today, you’ll get a basic overview of quotation mark usage.

Quotation marks are called for in the following situations:

• To note someone else’s exact written or spoken words. **Remember that quotation marks indicate that the words within the quotes are exactly what the person said — word-for-word.
• Shelly said, “I would never do that in one million years.”


• To note the title of short works or smaller parts of a bigger work. Short works include songs, book chapters, poems, articles, short stories and essays.
• “Wild Horses”: A song by the Rolling Stones

Remember the following tips about quotation mark usage:

• In the workplace or in research writing, it is crucial that your quotes are exact. Otherwise, you may state what someone wrote or said with an indirect quote.
• Direct quote: Carol said, “I absolutely hate this restaurant.”
• Indirect quote: Carol said that she didn’t like the restaurant.


• Always make sure that you provide closing quotation marks for every quote.


• Commas and periods should always be inserted before the closing quotation mark.
• Stacy said, “Insert a period at the end of that sentence.”


• Exclamation points and question marks should always be inserted after the closing quotation mark, unless they are part of the quotation.
• “Do you believe his luck?” Robin asked me after the lottery drawing.


• Colons and semicolons should always be inserted after the closing quotation mark, unless they are part of the quotation.
• If you remember one thing about what your father said today, let it be, “Don’t let negative people get the best of you”; but I understand that sometimes that’s easier said than done.


• When you need to use quotation marks within a quote, you should use single quotation marks for the interior quote.
• “I don’t usually listen to the Beach Boys but I do like their song ‘Feel Flows’ a lot,” Mike said.