Use inverted commas only for actual quotations from literature and for direct speech.

For titles of books and films, names etc use Title Case - ie Capitals For Start Of Each Word. If you prefer, it's OK to use small letters for linking words, eg Capitals for Start of Each Word, The End of an Era. Whichever you prefer and which makes it absolutely clear that it's part of the title.

Use single inverted commas when quoting speech. For example the original sentence may be:

It's OK, I'm only bleeding.

Apply an inverted comma at each end of the complete sentence:

'It's OK, I'm only bleeding.'

Note the last inverted comma goes after the full stop - the inverted commas just make a package of the original sentence as it stands, full stop and all.

If there's a quote inside the quote, use double inverted commas for that bit:

He said, 'I only said, "Blow the bleeding doors off".'

Note where the full stop is, here's why. This sentence started life as:

Blow the bleeding doors off.

It became:

'Blow the bleeding doors off.'

When it was quoted it became part of a new sentence:

'I only said, "Blow the bleeding doors off.".'

The two full stops look clumsy, and the first one is left out. The enclosing sentence [I only said...] is given priority, and its full stop is allowed to deal with both sentences:

He said, 'I only said, "Blow the bleeding doors off".'

If there's a question in a question it would logically read::

'Who said, "Why the long face?"?'

Here the original question was 'Why the long face?', hence the capital letter at the start. When enclosed in a further question, the enclosing clause [Who said] gets priority. The first question mark is left out, and the second does for both:

'Who said, "Why the long face"?'

But if quoting the question in a sentence which isn't a question, it is clearer to do it like this:

'The bartender's actual words were: "Why the long face?"'

and leave off the final full stop.

There is sometimes a single word sentence to quote such as:

Sorry.

Which becomes:

'Sorry,' she said without sincerity.

It is helpful to put a comma or colon before each piece of speech. The comma is old-school, the colon is a bit vulgar but OK and particularly useful when the transition to the quote isn't a smooth verb like stated, asked, or said:

It was a tricky one. She tried: 'Oh really, what position does she play?'

Put a comma, full stop, question mark or exclamation mark at the end of each piece of speech. It goes before the final inverted comma:

'Sorry,' she said without enthusiasm.

It wasn't true, but they wrote: 'A rose by any name is still as sweet.'

He said, 'Why didn't you go?'

'Friends! Romans! Countrymen!'

Breaking up quotes. In direct speech only the actual words of the speaker are enclosed in inverted commas. The inverted commas are broken before and after clauses explaining the speech eg [she said], [she answered]. The rest of the punctuation follows the meaning and content as normal. Here are some passages of direct speech:

(1) 'I mean to do what I say.'
(2) 'It's late; leave it till another day.'
(3) 'Of all the bars in all the dives in the world. When's your plane going?'

Suppose you want to break up (1) with a [she said]:

'I mean [she said] to do what I say.'

Just close off the speech on either side with an inverted comma, and use commas instead of the brackets:

(1) 'I mean', she said, 'to do what I say.'

In the same way:

(2) 'It's late [she said]; leave it till another day.'

becomes:

(2) 'It's late,' she said; 'leave it till another day.'

here the comma after [late] is to mark the pause between the direct speech and [she said]. The original semicolon is placed after [she said]. Speech continues with a small letter as in the original, as following a semicolon.

In the same way:

(3) 'Of all the bars in all the dives in the world [said Rick]. When's your plane going?'

which becomes: (3) 'Of all the bars in all the dives in the world,' said Rick. 'When's your plane going?'

Here the full stop from the original sentence is placed after [said Rick]. The next bit of speech starts with a capital letter as in the original, as following a full stop.

A broken-up quote which started off as a question:

'What badge of office is that, Thomas? I've heard of a man selling his soul for the world. But for Wales?'

would read:

'What badge of office is that, Thomas,' he asked? 'I've heard of a man selling his soul for the world. But for Wales?'

with the question mark shifted to the end of [asked] as shown.

There's a small exception. Exclamation marks aren't often used in formal writing, but if they are, they just look wrong if the rules above are followed. So an exclamation mark is usually left where it is and an extra full stop added. The original remark might be:

I won't do it! There's no point trying to force me!

In quotes it becomes:

'I won't do it! There's no point trying to force me!'

When enclosed in a further sentence it becomes:

'I won't do it!' he said. 'There's no point trying to force me!'

But if the exclamation mark belongs to the enclosing sentence, it follows the rules above.

Fantastic! That's 'game, set, match'!

becomes:

'Fantastic!' she said. 'That's "game, set, match"!'

END

John Park, editor Fringe Report 18 November 2009