Quotation marks are punctuation marks used to indicate direct speech, quotations, or titles of short works. They are typically represented as pairs of marks, with one at the beginning and one at the end of the quoted material.
In English, there are two common styles of quotation marks:
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Double quotation marks (" "): Used most frequently in American English for direct quotations. For example:
- He said, "I will be there soon."
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Single quotation marks (' '): Often used in British English for quotations within quotations. For example:
- She said, "He told me, 'I will be there soon.'"
Quotation marks can also be used to highlight specific words or phrases, indicate irony, or denote titles of short works such as articles, poems, or song titles. For example:
- The article "Climate Change and Its Effects" outlines several important issues.
Correct use of quotation marks is essential for clarity in writing, especially in distinguishing spoken dialogue or referenced material from the author's own words.