Does Punctuation Go Inside or Outside of Quotation Marks?
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As if the differences between UK and US English spelling weren’t tricky enough, several other variations between the two dialects also exist, such as how quotations are written. In addition, the guidelines that dictate whether the punctuation goes inside or outside of quotation marks depend on the dialect you’re writing or proofreading in.
While neither version of English is more correct than the other, it’s important to follow the specific conventions of the dialect you’re working with. And if it sounds complicated, it’s not! The differences are relatively straightforward once you get the hang of them. Want to learn more? Keep reading for information on how to punctuate quotations in UK and US English.
Quotation Marks and US English
US English typically uses double quotation marks for quotes and for dialogue. For example:
The boat was considered a “high-speed” ferry.
The ballerina said, “I don’t want to dance today.”
For quotes within a quote, US English uses double quotation marks for the outside quote and single marks for the inside one. Check out this example:
Porter (1999) writes that the “scientists yelled ‘Eureka!’ frequently” in the early days of the project.
Now, let’s look at how these same examples are written when we use UK English conventions.
Quotation Marks and UK English
While US English dictates that writers use double quotation marks for quotations, UK English specifies the use of single quotation marks. For example:
The boat was considered a ‘high-speed’ ferry.
The ballerina said, ‘I don’t want to dance today.’
For quotes within a quote, UK English conventions are the reverse of US English ones. It uses single quotation marks for the main quote and double quotation marks for the inside quote. For instance:
Porter (1999) writes that the ‘scientists yelled “Eureka!” frequently’ in the early days of the project.
How to Punctuate Quotations in US and UK English
The style of quotation marks is not the only difference between UK and US English. US English rules specify that punctuation (such as periods, commas, question marks, and exclamation points) go within the closing quotation mark. In UK English, the punctuation is placed within quotation marks only if it’s part of the original text being quoted. Note that this rule applies to quoted material, not dialogue, which has its own rules for surrounding punctuation. For example:
| US English | UK English |
| The researcher explained, “The study structure was fundamentally flawed.“ | The researcher explained, ‘The study structure was fundamentally flawed’. |
| Did you really just tell me to “keep the change?” | Did you really just tell me to ‘keep the change’? |
Don’t tell me you want to go to this “party.” | Don’t tell me you want to go to this ‘party’. |
She claimed that she “worked there for a year,” but no one has been able to prove it. | She claimed that she ‘worked there for a year’, but no one has been able to prove it. |
You can find more tips on how to proofread quotations here.
Becoming A Proofreader
Want to learn more about the differences between UK and US English? Try our Becoming A Proofreader course and learn everything you need to know about grammar, punctuation, and spelling conventions. Sign up for a free trial today to find out more.
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