Home › Punctuation › Quotation Marks
Quotation Marks
Quotation marks ("") are used to distinguish a word, phrase, clause, sentence, or passage taken, word for word, from any source outside that of the writing into which it is inserted.
The quoted part is in general preceded and followed by two inverted commas. If, however, the part quoted is a long passage, the two inverted commas (") precede likewise each paragraph.
A quotation within a quotation is marked off only by a single inverted comma before and a comma after it.
A passage quoted, not word for word, but only in substance, is generally distinguished by but one quotation mark before and one after it. (Not used in this country.) EMPHASIS.
Emphasis (emphasis) is the underlining of a word in MS., the italicising of it in print, in order to render the word specially prominent. But underlining when not rare not only defeats its purpose but offends the eye. It is every way better for each word or expression to carry its own weight or assert unusual importance by prominence of position. Only in rare cases may a word, intended to be more than usually significant and apt to be otherwise not duly appreciated, be underlined.