when to use single quotation marks in an essay

Correct Usage of Quotation Marks in Academic Writing

The correct use of quotation marks can be confusing for authors, especially those whose primary language is not English (ESL authors). Quotation marks are used to show that the text is taken word for word from another source, to call attention to an important word or phrase, or when using a technical term for the first time. There are “run-in quotes,” and quotes that are separated by block text. There are quotes within other quotes and different punctuation styles depending on the subject matter, style guide used, and even the country. The following descriptions will help you with quotation marks in your academic writing.

How do quotation marks look—what’s the typeface? In scientific writing, this is important because it can distinguish a quotation mark from a prime mark, which is used often in genetics and other physical-science disciplines. According to the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), quotation marks that are often called “curly” or “smart” quotes, are used in most published text and are meant to match its typeface. Smart quotes should not be confused with straight quotes (“), which is the computer’s default form. In addition, single straight quotes are often used as prime marks; as the symbol in measurements, such as feet and arcminutes; and in mathematics, as in x’y’; however, this is not the correct usage—the prime symbol (ʹ) should be used instead. Changes to the correct forms can easily be made in your computer’s word-processing program.

Quotation Marks in Text

Regardless of which style guide you use or which side of the Atlantic you are on, there is an agreement about the specific rules for using quotation marks in your text. For example, if you are inserting a direct quote into your writing, it is important to ensure that the reader understands that those words are not yours. In a story that includes conversations among the characters, quotation marks distinguish their words from those of the author.

Quotation marks are also used to call attention to new words or phrases, which is particularly useful in science and technical writing, such as in the following sentence: One of the several branches of zoology, “ichthyology,” concentrates on the study of fish. Note that, in keeping with the American English style, not only is the new term in double quotes, but the comma is inside the quotation marks.

Related: Confused about the use of punctuations in a research paper ? Check out these posts now!

Quotation Marks in Reference Lists

Different style guides have different protocols for using quotation marks in reference lists. Papers written for the liberal arts or humanities follow the style set by the Modern Language Association ( MLA ). Authors with disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences usually use the American Psychological Association ( APA ) style guide, and writers in the biological sciences and engineering fields refer to the Council of Science Editors (CSE) handbook. For example, MLA and CMOS use quotation marks around titles of articles within books, but APA does not. Book titles are not surrounded by quotation marks, but periodicals (including newspapers) are. Note the differences in the following examples.

MLA: Bagchi, Alaknanda. “Conflicting Nationalisms: The Voice of the Subaltern in Mahasweta Devi’s Bashai Tudu.” Tulsa Studies in Women’s Literature , vol. 15, no. 1, 1996, pp. 41–50.

APA:  MacLean, E. L., Krupenye, C., & Hare, B. (2014). Dogs ( Canis familiaris ) account for body orientation but not visual barriers when responding to pointing gestures. Journal of Comparative Psychology , 128, 285–297.

CMOS:  Joshua I. Weinstein, “The Market in Plato’s Republic,” Classical Philology 104 (2009): 440.

CSE: Powell JM, Wattiaux MA, Broderick GA. Evaluation of milk urea nitrogen as a management tool to reduce ammonia emissions from dairy farms. J Dairy Sci. 2011;94(9):4690–4694

Single, Double, and Punctuation

There are different rules for using single or double quotations marks. In American English, double quotation marks are used first and single quotations marks are used second for a citation within a citation. British English is just the opposite. See the following examples.

American : “I know,” he said, “that I heard him say ‘help me’ as he fell.”

British : ‘I know’, he said, ‘that I heard him say “help me” as he fell.’

In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks while other punctuations are placed outside. Is this logical? No, but it stems from the days of typesetting by hand when the printer did not want to have small punctuation sort of hanging off the end of a block of text. In British English, all punctuation is placed outside the quotation marks unless it is part of the quoted text. For scientific writing, CSE suggests that punctuations should follow the British English style as “internationally accepted” usage; however, always check your author guidelines.

Block Text and Epigraphs

The format for quotations changes depending on the length of the passage. If it is more than four lines, MLA protocol states formatting the passage as block text, which is never surrounded by quotations marks, APA protocol states to use block text if the passage exceeds 40 words. Other style guides might have other rules so be sure to check.

Epigraphs are inscriptions that are often used on buildings, tombstones, or other objects. Although they can be direct quotes, quotation marks are not used; special typefaces and formats are used instead to call attention to them.

Writing Tips

Don’t overuse quotation marks—whatever style guide you use, it’s important that they be used correctly but sparingly. It is not always necessary to use them around words for emphasis . Always check to ensure that you are using the correct style for your discipline.

• Academic Skills, University of Melbourne. ‘Using quotation marks’. Retrieved from https://students.unimelb.edu.au/academic-skills/explore-our-resources/grammar/punctuation

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Single vs. Double Quotation Marks

Single and double quotes

Single and double quotation marks both appear in pairs and work the same way: most often, they enclose a quotation or direct speech, but they can also indicate irony, set off the title of a work (like the name of a song or a poem), or show that a word is used as itself in a sentence.

Whether to use single or double quotes depends upon whether you follow US or UK style. Double quotes (“ ”) are used to enclose text in American (and often Canadian) style, with single quotes used around words in text already within quotes. In contrast, single quotes (‘ ’) are preferred in British (and often Australian) style, with double quotes reserved for quotes within quotes.

American vs. British

In US style, text is generally enclosed in double instead of single quotation marks.

• Lulu said, “I can’t believe you did this.”
• She said it was all “a scandalous lie.”
• He has just published an “apology” on his blog.
• They clearly enjoy playing “Tuesday’s Gone” to an audience.
• She’s two now, and her new favorite word is “no.”

In British academic and formal writing and book publishing, single quotation marks are used instead.

• She said, ‘I’m glad you wrote.’
• Poco said it was all ‘a scandalous lie’.
• He has issued an ‘apology’.
• Perhaps the best apology poem is ‘This Is Just to Say’ by William Carlos Williams.
• My new favorite phrase is ‘goblin mode’.

However, in British news copy, double quotes are used, as in US style. The BBC and Guardian , for example, follow this style, although they use single quotes in headlines, likely to save space.

• “We don’t know exactly when their olfactory impairments started to decline.” But she is “confident” that long-term exposure to pollution was the cause, even at low levels. — “Is air pollution causing us to lose our sense of smell?” BBC Future (Feb. 21, 2023)

Quotes within quotes

In US style, use single quotes around words that appear in text already inside double quotes. Double quotes are the primary marks in American writing, with single quotes kept in reserve to be brought out only when you need a secondary pair of quotation marks.

• Her latest article, “Why We Are All in ‘Goblin Mode,’” was just published this morning.
• “Is that the image that won ‘Picture of the Year’?”
• “When she says ‘soon,’ she means sometime this year.”
• “I wish we had brought some ‘cookies,’ if you know what I mean.”

In British writing, this style is reversed: single quotation marks are the default, with double quotation marks used around a quote within text already in single quotes.

• ‘Is that the image that won “Picture of the Year”?’
• ‘When she says “soon”, she means sometime this year.’

In British news writing, double quotation marks are used instead, with single quotation marks used for quotes within quotes (which is the same as US style).

• “A good example is ‘Can your child walk?’,” Sheldrick says. “What do you mean by ‘walk’?” — “What parents get wrong about childhood ‘milestones’,” BBC Family Tree (Jan. 10, 2023)

American style manuals such as the Chicago Manual of Style , AP Stylebook , APA Publication Manual , and MLA Handbook all recommend using single quotation marks only if needed to show quotes in text already enclosed in double quotes. The British New Oxford Style Manual , in contrast, recommends using double quotes only in text already within single quotes.

Punctuation around single and double quotes

In US style, commas and periods always go inside quotation marks, whether single or double. This rule stands for all quoted text, including quotes within quotes. Thus, if a phrase is enclosed in single quotes inside text in double quotes, the period goes inside the single and double quotes.

• “She said she would call ‘soon.’”
• “The phrase of the year is ‘goblin mode,’” she announced.

Question marks and exclamation points go inside single or double quotation marks depending on the text they are meant to punctuate. They go outside if they belong to the surrounding sentence.

• “She yelled, ‘Now!’”
• “Did I just hear someone say ‘dragon’?”
• “Did you ask her if she wants to join our little expedition?” “Yes. She simply asked, ‘When?’”
• “Did you ask about our share?” “I did, and he said, ‘I have no idea what you are talking about’!”

In British style, a punctuation mark generally goes inside single or double quotes only if it is meant to punctuate the text enclosed in those quotes, but outside if it should be punctuating the surrounding sentence.

• ‘I think it’s all over,’ she said.
• ‘The phrase of the year is “goblin mode”,’ she announced.
• ‘He says it’s “urgent”, which means it’s due next week,’ she replied and rolled her eyes.
• Maya asked, ‘When?’
• ‘Did I just hear someone say “dragon”?’

In modern British fiction and news copy, the comma goes inside the closing quotation mark that appears before a speech tag.

• ‘I think,’ she said, ‘it’s all over.’

However, in British formal and academic writing, the comma goes inside to indicate punctuation in the original passage but outside otherwise.

• ‘No one I know trusts the police,’ said an interviewee. The comma replaces the period that would have occurred naturally in the original sentence.
• ‘The “truth” is not what they want,’ she said.
• ‘No one I know’, said an interviewee, ‘trusts the police.’ The comma goes outside (in formal writing) since there would have been no punctuation after the word know in the original sentence.
• ‘The “truth”’, she said, ‘is not what they want.’

The New Oxford Style Manual recommends this as traditional British style but notes that the comma in the last two examples above would appear before the closing quotation mark in modern British fiction and journalism.

Space between single and double quotes

When a single quote appears beside a double quote (either opening or closing), a space may be inserted between the two to improve readability. Doing this is optional: it can be useful in some fonts, less useful in others. If you do insert a space, make sure to use a non-breaking space to ensure that a quotation mark doesn’t get stranded at line break. In print publications, typesetters generally place a hair space (or thin space) between two adjacent quotation marks.

• “It’s true,” she said. “I haven’t heard ‘Billie Jean.’ ”
• “ ‘Cookies’ aren’t what they are selling,” he replied.

To insert a non-breaking space in Microsoft Word, press Ctrl + Shift + Space (on Windows) or Option + Space (on Mac OS). The HTML character code is   .

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Use single quotes for quotation marks around text already in double quotes.

In US style, double quotes generally enclose direct speech.

In UK style, single quotes usually enclose direct speech.

Use single within double quotes to show quoted text within quoted text.