Quotations Within A Quotation

You can put a quote within a quote: no problem. (If you’re putting a quote within a quote within a quote, that’s probably a bit too much and you should start another sentence.) This is when you use the two different kinds of quotes: singles and doubles.

If you are using double quotation marks for the “outside quote”, then use single quotation marks for the “inside quote”; if you’re using single quotes on the outside, use doubles on the inside.

Some formats such as MLA and APA specify which quotes to use where, so be sure to check the conventions for a particular format.

“I see no need,” my mother drawled, “for ‘contemplation’, as you put it. Get up off the couch and start doing your homework.”

Annie said, ‘I’ve gone through this whole essay, and I can’t find what your professor means by “that other issue”’.

“Let us explore what is meant by the quote ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,’” said the teacher.