My Grammar and I (Or Should That Be 'Me'?): Old-School Ways to Sharpen Your English

‘Q
UOTATION MARKS
’
‘You are old, Father William,’ the young man said,
‘And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head –
Do you think, at your age, it is right?’
L
EWIS
C
ARROLL
, You Are Old, Father William
Rule: In direct speech (when we write the actual words that are spoken) we need
quotation  marks.  These  may  be  single  or  double.  Both  are  correct,  although  if
you  quote  within  speech,  use  double  quotation  marks  within  single,  or  single
within double: ‘I find the government’s “nanny state” attitude really irritating,’
he said.
Another  rule:  in  British  English  the  punctuation  goes  inside  the  closing
quotation mark:
‘Punctuation goes inside the closing quotation mark,’ I said.
‘Where did you say the punctuation should go?’ he asked for the umpteenth time.
‘Inside the inverted comma!’ I snapped.
If the spoken words end the sentence, there is no need for extra punctuation:
He asked, ‘Is this the end?’
They replied, ‘This is the end.’
She screamed, ‘Help!’

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Note that in such a sentence as ‘Can anybody hear me?’ she yelled ’ there is no
capital letter after the question mark, because it is all the same sentence despite
all that punctuation.