19+ Quotation Marks Examples with Rules of Usage

Quotation Marks examples: Quotations are a kind of Punctuation mark that is used to display dialogue, certain titles, or for keeping words aside in a text. They have so many important uses in grammar which makes them confusing sometimes such as finding the difference between the single (‘’) and double quotation marks (“”). Single quotation marks contain a single comma on top while double quotation marks contain two commas on both sides of the sentence or the word. So, learning how quotation marks should be inserted in a sentence is crucial as it helps in improving your writing skills. 

Therefore, this blog will help you build a thorough understanding of inverted commas (quotation marks) through the lens of examples, usage rules, and more with ease. 

Quotation Marks Examples

The Quotation Marks are used in a sentence in pairs to identify certain phrases, quotations, or direct speech. Take a look at the following examples and observe this punctuation mark for better comprehension:  

1. “The girl answered his father, saying, ‘I don’t want to go alone.’ She appeared to be shivering from the cold” 
2. Freddie describes the village’s sign as reading, “Welcome to Lakepinit, Population: Variable” 
3. Unlike Edith Wharton’s “The Reef,” her novel The House of Mirth was popular in class.
4. As soon as Frank comes home, he will ask, “What’s for dinner?”
5. Drake said, “The place is hot and humid.” 

Uses of Quotation Marks with Examples

Quotation marks rules vary according to their functions and uses. Some of these are discussed below

1: Indicate a Direct Quote 

To indicate a direct quote, you should copy the same text as it is from the other source. If the same phrases, words, or sentences are used then they should be kept under quotation marks. Normally, there are several kinds of quotes but when the word is copied for another word then quotation marks are needed. 

We must have seen it in fictional writing where the writer uses a sentence or phrase from a source for supporting their thesis. Let’s understand the rule with the Quotation mark example given below:-

Quotation Marks Example in Direct Quote

• The author said, “There is nothing like a dream to create the future”.
• Maradona is fond of declaring “He is the best footballer of his generation.”

2: To Show Transcribe Speech or Dialogue

Quotation Marks are also used to indicate speech in a written sentence. In fiction, they are used whenever somebody speaks something louder or for writing a dialogue. However, in non-fiction, they are mainly used for transcribing things that are said by a person through a firsthand account or by a discussion.

Examples 

• “Where is the hospital?” he asked the taxi driver urgently. 
• “Where is the hotel?”She asked his friend.

3: Shows the Titles of Short Creations

The quotation marks are used in the title of different works such as poems, songs and short stories. However, they are not used in the titles of films, stage plays, and books where Italics are used. 

For example:- Written by T.S. Elliot, “The Waste Land” is considered to be one of the most crucial English Language poems in history. 

4: Signals Scare Quotes [Irony/Skepticism/Sarcasm]

Scare quotes are mainly used when the writer is having any doubt regarding the effectiveness of the word. They mainly help in displaying sarcasm, irony or something that is popularly termed. They appear as quotation marks around a phrase or a single word. 

Scare Quote Examples:- 

• My “pet” is really just a stray dog that comes here once a week.
• The institute now offers a course in “self-awareness exercises”.
• “Go Slow” is written on a hoarding present on the highway.

5: Highlights Nicknames

The nickname is sometimes put along with the full name. In this case, use the quotation marks on the sides of the nickname so it must be differentiated from the real name. 

For example:- Paul Levesque is popularly known as “HHH” among his fans. 

Grammar Rules for Quotation Marks with Examples

There are not many rules of grammar for Quotation marks but whatever is there, they need to be remembered. A proper understanding of these rules will help you in making the sentence grammatically correct and use them whenever required. 

1. Always put punctuation under the quote while using the comma, period or exclamation mark. For example:- “We won” shouted the player looking towards the crowd.
2. If there is a break in the sentence, put a comma inside the quotes after the starting part. For example:- “My goddess” said the teacher, “take out your notebooks for writing the essay.” 
3. The rules exist only for American English as in British English, the punctuation is placed outside the quotation marks.
4. When you are quoting a sentence, it is crucial to capitalise the first letter of it as done in the normal sentence. For Example:-  The notice started with “We are pleased to inform you that your application has been accepted.”
5. If the quotation is placed in the middle of the sentence then the formation of the grammatical part will start with a lowercase letter just as the real sentence starts with a capitalized letter.  For Example:- Mr Ben reminded us that “whoever is sad will make others sad too.”
6. There is no requirement for capitalization if we are not quoting the complete sentence including the phrases, individual words, and separate clauses. For Example:- The fireman said that the fire is “under control.”

Quotation Marks Worksheet

Instruction: Read the sentence in Column A and add the Quotation wherever necessary in Column B.

Answers Key

1. Tim said, “I have to clean my room later”. 
2. “Clean your bed”, said my aunt. 
3. While running down the road, the athlete shouted, “Get on the bus!” 
4. Claudia asked, “Have you seen the new Harry Potter movie?”
5. Have you heard the song “Paint The Town Red?”

FAQs

Find more related reads below!

How to Use Nouns and Prepositions Together	Parts of Speech
Figures of Speech with Examples, PDF	How to Write Dialogue
Figures of Speech	List of Distributive Adjectives
31+ Best English Phrases for Beginners	35+ Best Closing Phrases for English Writing

This was all about how to use Quotation Marks Examples and more in Learn English. Hope you understand the concept and know how to proceed. You can also follow the page of Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs.