Inverted Commas: Uses with Examples

Inverted Commas, also known as quotation marks are a type of punctuation mark that is used to label some famous quote or speech by a famous personality. It is also used to label some important words or phrases in a sentence and are infamously known as quotes or speech marks. There are some words or phrases that have important meanings in a sentence, so we mark the Inverted Comma around them. There are two types of inverted symbols in English, one is a single inverted comma(‘ ’) and the other is a double inverted comma(“ ”). 

In this article, you will learn about these types of inverted punctuation, along with their definitions, uses, examples, and more for future usage. 

Inverted Commas as Punctuation

Punctuation is the symbol that is placed at a specific place in a grammatical sentence to convince the audience that some specific actions are happening. It allows us to understand where the short break or a long break is to be taken and shows if there is any kind of question that is asked. The explanation is provided in a sentence or some more information is asked.

Moreover, it conveys certain emotions such as shock, surprise, happiness, and sadness. Some of the most commonly used punctuations in English are comma punctuations, colons, apostrophes, semicolons, full stops, exclamation marks, quotation marks, and inverted marks.

Inverted Commas Meaning

Inverted commas are a kind of punctuation used to put the marks around certain phrases, or words that have specific importance in a sentence. To be precise, if certain phrases are taken from a poem and form a sentence then these punctuations are used.

For Example:- The person in the meeting declared,” I am going to end the meeting in 5 minutes.” Roger replied, ‘No issue.’

Also Read: 19+ Quotation Marks Examples

Single and Double Inverted Commas – Definition

The inverted commas are put on the top of the phrase or word on both sides. When there is only a single comma on top of any word, it is a single inverted comma. However, the double inverted symbol contains two commas on the top side-by-side to each other. The direction face of the inverted comma depends upon their position whether they are coming at the start or the end of the phrase or quote. 

Example:

“A summary on ‘The Road Not Taken’ and Its Themes”

‘What time does the movie begin?’ he asked.

Single Inverted Commas 

Single inverted comma is more often used in UK English than double inverted comma. It is used wherever required in a way that must maintain the flow of the content you are writing. Let’s compare a similar sentence in both American and British English.

American English: “The customer care executive told me, ‘Anything you order is free,’” I said to the delivery boy.

British English: ‘The customer care executive told me, “Anything you order is free,”’ I said to the delivery boy.

Double Inverted Commas 

Double Inversions are standard in American English and are most commonly used. They are symbols that have two commas on the top at both sides of the word or phrase that is to be marked. It is used when the word or passage is copied directly from another source.

American English: The Secretary declared “Describing the unemployment figures as `disappointing’ is an insult to the British people.”

British English: The Secretary declared `Describing the unemployment figures as “disappointing” is an insult to the British people.’

Uses of Inverted Commas 

1️⃣ Marking the start and conclusion of a direct speech is done to express the speaker’s words completely word-by-word as spoken. 

For example:

• “Come here directly after classes,” said Jim’s mom to him.
• “I will go to Mumbai before I reach Pune by car”, Tarun said.

2️⃣ Put the inverted comma for marking a specific phrase or word that is quoted from another person or place. They are also used to mark notable phrases or words in a sentence. 

For example:

• They call this phenomenon “photosynthesis”.
• One of Ketty Perry’s hit songs is known as “Roar”

3️⃣If the above two cases occur in direct speech, a single inverted comma (‘’) is used. However, when we stress a phrase within the Quote of direct speech, the direct speech should be in double inverted comma and the phrase should be marked with a single inverted comma.

For example, Aunt May said, “We all are beginners in knowledge but regardless of how learned we are, we all have heard “What is in the name?” from Shakespeare.

Examples of Inverted Commas in Sentences

Understanding of Inverted Commas is necessary for its proper usage. So, here are some examples of inverted commas to get a better understanding of them.

Single Inverted Commas Examples	Double Inverted Commas Examples
What does ‘Commutator’ mean?	The teacher asked, “How are you feeling”?
I met a professor, a zoologist, and an ‘artist’.	“You too, Trevor?!”, exclaimed Liam in disbelief.
‘I Did it for My team,’ Says the Captain	Tim said, “I’m very tired”.
The Minister Promises ‘No More Taxes‘	The man shouted, “Let the game begin!”.
“Who called you ‘Mr. Lamie’?” asked the professor.	“The Sun Also Rises” is her favourite episode of Vampire Diaries.
The Governor Urges, ‘Don’t Worry, California‘	Mr Watson said, “There are three ways to reach the destination.”
My teacher said, ‘Darren, your friend always wears such lovely dresses.’	“I can’t wait for college to start,” Alisa said.

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This was all about the inverted commas and their uses with examples and the related information in grammar. Hope you understand the concept and know how to proceed. You can also follow the Learn English page of Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs.