Ap style is designed to address the challenges of the organizations large size and readership. It had to be easy for reporters and editors to use and also produce stories that are clear and concise. Incorrect punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence, the results of which could be farreaching. Quotation marks, also called inverted commas, are of two types. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free. The punctuation mark that most often gets mixed up with the apostrophe, by my estimation, is the single quotation mark.
Period goes inside quotation marks daily writing tips. Periods and commas precede closing quotation marks, whether double or single. A single track on a cd also needs quotation marks, as would an episode in a tv show or an article in a newspaper or magazine. The rules for longer works, such as books, are tricky. While quotations are necessary for most types of writing, too many quotation marks, whether double or single quotation marks, can make your writing seem heavyhanded. Depending on your style guide or writing field, you may want to use single quotation marks 1 in news headlines and 2 around translations of quotations. Place periods and commas within closing single or double quotation marks. If you write headlines, use single quotation marks for a quote, title of a work. How to use double quotation marks most people think of double quotation marks as being for quotations, which they are, but they also have other legitimate uses. British practice is normally to enclose quoted matter between single quotation marks, and to use double quotation marks for a quotation within a quotation. The rules for longer works such as books are tricky.
If you use double quotation marks, then you should use single quotation marks for a quote within a quote. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. She wrote, i just read maya angelous on the pulse of morning, and i loved it. Home ap style ap style composition titles the following guidelines are rules set out in the ap stylebook for ap style book titles, computer game titles, ap style movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album titles, ap style song titles, radio and television titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches, and work of art. As you might guess from our name, apa style uses american style punctuation see p. These rules apply regardless of the style guide you use ap, chicago style, etc.
Rules for using single quotation marks yourdictionary. The 2016 ap stylebook dedicates 11 dense pages to explaining its intricaciesand the chicago manual of styles punctuation chapter yes. The quotation mark is also used to designate speech acts in fiction and sometimes poetry. A simple principle applies for what seems like a thorny issue. But if you prefer to mimic the pros, note that chicago style puts tv show titles and movie titles in italics, while song titles go in quotation marks. Ap style composition titles the following guidelines are rules set out in the ap stylebook for ap style book titles, computer game titles, ap style movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album titles, ap style song titles, radio and television titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches, and work of art.
I dont know if this will help, but for chapter style, ap says. In other words, if you have an internal quotation within a quotation, the internal quotation should be enclosed with single quotation marks. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. The question mark supersedes the comma that normally is used when supplying attribution for a quotation. The only style manual that treats this issue explicitly is the associated press stylebook. Jul 08, 2014 this video covers ap style rules for quotation marks.
Minthorn has also been the author of ap s ask the editor feature at. Associated press style provides guidelines for news writing. When to use single quotation marks erin wright writing. This columnist, as president of the aces education fund, is a member of the aces board.
Weve already mentioned that single quotation marks can be used for quotes within quotes. Single quotation marks versus double quotation marks. If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and refer to it when in doubt. Single quotation marks should be used only for a quote within a quote. The associated press stylebook 2002 has far less to say about single quotation marks, preferring. For a single sentence of quotation, enclose only the speakers words in double quotation marks. When should i use single quotation marks in apa style. The associated press stylebook, first published in 1977, clarified the news organizations rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation and usage. How to quote a quote and use single quotation marks writing. Writing center quick reference associate press style guide. In our deep purple example, our song title is in quotation marks.
To achieve these goals, the associated press stylebook is intentionally compact and direct, giving up comprehensiveness in exchange for brevity. So if you have both dialogue and a quotation or nested quotes ending after the same word, yes, you do include both the double and single end quotation marks. But thats not all they can dothey can also be used instead of parentheses for translations, but in that case, they dont have to be separated by commas. Quotation marks come in pairs and you must include end quotation marks for every beginning quotation mark.
The post made the blunder while discussing the very style guide that would have instructed it to use double quotation. Quotation marks are used for components, such as chapter titles in a book, individual episodes of a tv series, songs from a broadway show or a music album, titles of articles or essays in print or online, and shorter works such as short stories and poems. Single quotation marks versus double quotation marks grammar. Maybe someone with a current subscription to their stylebook can answer the question of if. While no rules govern whether a nickname is put in quotation marks, the tendency is for quotation marks to be used more often when the nickname is inserted within or precedes another name, and less when used alone.
For slide presentations of ap style basics, go here. Note that the ap stylebook is updated every year, but the chicago manual of style is updated less often. This resource, revised according to the associated press stylebook 2012, offers examples for the general format of ap style. Other punctuation like dashes, question marks, and exclamation points will go inside the quotation marks. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style.
Therefore, consider following this recommendation if you want to adhere to traditional journalism styles and dont already follow a style guide adopted by a specific news outlet. I have been using apostrophes or single quotation marks to identify a work. When quotation marks are needed in headlines, subheads and email subject lines, use single quotation marks. The ap stylebook, which is the journalistic authority in the united states, also says to use single quote marks in headlines, in addition to when using quotes within quotes. Its why ap style calls for quotation marks instead of italics.
How to cite titles of a song in ap style our pastimes. Minthorns distilled wisdom is the ap stylebook, the highly regarded and only guidebook for newspaper correspondents and editors. Neither guide recommends that single quotes be used. Place other punctuation marks inside quotation marks only when they are part of the quoted material. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. The associated press stylebook says, the dash, the semicolon, the colon, the question mark and the exclamation point go within the quotation marks when they apply to the quoted matter only. Mar 10, 2017 we offer a handy list of nononsense rules that, as with our other posts on grammar and style, are the perfect passiveaggressive thing to send to a coworker who thinks every word is ironic enough to warrant quotation marks. In ap style, commas are not included before conjunctions. Whereas quote marks can face left or right, apostrophes only face one way.
The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style guide of the associated press, a notforprofit news agency thats been around since 1846. Jan 30, 2008 i want to know what to do in a phone text where one can neither underline nor italicize a written work. The following guidelines are rules set out in the ap stylebook for ap style book titles, computer game titles, ap style movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album titles, ap style song titles, radio and television titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches, and work of art. Our rule 1 of quotation marks says, periods and commas always go inside quotation marks, even inside single. Minthorn and two colleagues are the stylebook s editors. When we reference the title of a book in our writing, the books title should appear in italics. The associated press stylebook ap style recommends using single quotation marks for. Use quotation marks around the titles of books, songs, television shows, computer games, poems, lectures. Mar 09, 2018 how do i punctuate a quotation within a quotation within a quotation. Only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized. Quotations within quotations grammar and punctuation. Quotation mark uses other than quotes apa style blog. Publication manual, as do several other major style guides such as ap, chicago.
May 07, 2009 the associated press was founded more than 150 years ago and now has thousands of employees working in more than a hundred countries for a readership that numbers in the millions. These resources provide an overview of journalistic writing with explanations of the most important and most often used elements of journalism and the associated press style. Additionally, use double quotation marks around the titles of blog posts as well as articles, such as. Two instances when you may want to use single quotation marks. The complete guide to using quotations marks without.
The ap therefore strives to keep its writing style easy to read, concise and free of bias. It depends on the style being used for the writing. The comma, is a punctuation mark that appears in several variants in different languages. The ap stylebook does not mince its words when ruling on the importance of punctuation. Quotation marks should be used in direct quotations to surround the exact words of a speaker or writer, or to surround titles of articles, chapters, and other shorter works. In apa style, when else is it ok to use quotation marks. Follow the ap stylebooks entry on composition titles. The 2016 ap stylebook dedicates 11 dense pages to explaining its. When writing, should i use italics or quotes around titles. Do not use commas before a conjunction in a simple series. Use single quotes for quotation marks in headlines. Fake news may be used in quotation marks or as shorthand for the modern phenomenon for deliberate falsehoods or fiction masked as news circulating on the. In a recent business writing course, a participant insisted that single quotation marks be used around quoted content and titles of works. In this lesson, learn when and how to use single quotation marks.
Its often used by news organizations, magazines, and web publications, but brands often use it to form the basis of their own style guides, too. She said, the motorcycle slid sideways and skidded about 100 feet. We usually see quotation marks in pairs, but have you noticed single quotation marks being used in the newspaper or a book. As for enclosing titles in quotation marks or italicizing them, you can get pretty far by following. Double quotation marks are used for direct quotations and titles of compositions such as books, plays, movies, songs, lectures and tv shows.
Ap is choosy about punctuation, too the friendly stickler. Recently, i have noticed that online articles will use single quotation marks instead of italics. There are two main rules for using single quotation marks. Use single quotation marks for a song title inside a spoken quote. A final word on whether to use double or single quotation marks. If you use single quotations marks, then you should use double quotation marks for a quote within a quote. Single quotation marks should be used within double quotation marks to set off material that in the original source was enclosed in double quotation marks american psychological association, 2010, p.
Associated press style quick reference guide to subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing hard copies of the book, start here. To subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing hard. Whether youre eating shoots and leaving or just a little confused as to if the comma is always placed within quotation marks in a sentence, you. Before you awesome apa style diehards point this out, im exercising some artistic license and taking advantage of the differing. Associated press style cheat sheet compiled with assistance from online resources, including scribd, purdue. If you use a single quotation mark next to a double quotation mark, you may use a space. May 27, 2019 it depends on the style being used for the writing. The associated press stylebook announced some changes last week at the annual conference of the american copy editors society.
Or you could just adhere to the words of the associated press. So weve done the work for you, rounding up a few of the recent significant and just plain interesting updates to the ap stylebook with the year coming to a close, we wanted to recap some of ap stylebooks recent chats, updates, and reminders. But if what follows the question mark is not attributive, that comma might be needed for other grammatical reasons. Use single quotation marks for quoted material, titles of works, or special terms that appear within a quotation. Where does the punctuation go with single quotation marks. Associated press style basics journalists resource. The here come the suns episode of eureka was hilarious. In some circumstances quotation marks can be used instead of underlining or italics. This video covers ap style rules for quotation marks.
Single quotation marks and their uses the editors blog. Single quotation marks should be used only for a quote within a. As for enclosing titles in quotation marks or italicizing them, you can get pretty far by following the bigheavy equals italics like books and smalllight equals quotes like poems generalizations, but associated press style doesnt italicize nothin and chicago style has layers of specificity and ifthen statements. Capitalize bible, without quotation marks, when referring to the scriptures in.
Guidelines for capitalizing and punctuating quotations. Dec 18, 2019 single quotation marks should be used within double quotation marks to set off material that in the original source was enclosed in double quotation marks american psychological association, 2010, p. Nest punctuation that appears within punctuation by alternating punctuation marks to disambiguatein this case, between double and single quotation marks. Note that british english uses single quotation marks in the same way we use double and places all punctuationincluding periods and commasoutside the closing quotation mark. Quotation marks punctuation rules the blue book of. The associated press uses quotation marks, but the chicago manual of style and the mla. The ap stylebook has a few simple rules for using quotation marks in ap style stories. If the attribution precedes the quotation, put a comma at the end of the attribution. Some typefaces render it as a small line, slightly curved or straight but inclined from the vertical, or with the appearance of a. This stylebook offers guidance on how to refer to various forms of art, including song titles. The associated press stylebook ap style recommends using single quotation marks for quotations in news headlines. When you put a quote inside a quote, you alternate between double and single quotation marks. Sentence spacing in language and style guides jump to navigation jump to search. For example, the 2009 edition of the associated press stylebook calls for a single space following the terminal punctuation of a sentence.
Single quotation marks are sometimes used in newspaper headlines to save space. This is a traditional style, in use well before the first edition of this manual 1906 section 6. Because the associated press stylebook is not indexed and the manual for chicago style. Now in its sixth edition, the stylebook is the standard style. It has the same shape as an apostrophe or single closing quotation mark in many typefaces, but it differs from them in being placed on the baseline of the text.
She smiled, youll want to read this gatehouse newsroom post about how to properly use quotation marks in ap style stories then. Place other punctuation inside quotation marks when that punctuation is part of what is being quoted, such as a quoted question. In short, in the special cases of linguistics terms and botanical cultivars, chicago and general u. Here are two key quotes from page 91 of the publication manual of the american psychological association, sixth edition, to explain. Preferred spellings are based on websters new world college dictionary fifth edition. They also can be used to indicate irony and introduce an unfamiliar term or nickname. Use single quotation marks for quoted material, titles of works.
Y ou can also use quotation marks to emphasize a word or phrase, often. One involves the more familiar double quotation marks, and the other has to do with headlines. Oct 26, 2017 but if you prefer to mimic the pros, note that chicago style puts tv show titles and movie titles in italics, while song titles go in quotation marks. If italic is not a formatting option, then the books title should be underlined. We know journalists are busy, and it can be difficult to keep up with recent ap stylebook changes. Italicized words are still iffy for wire transmission ap stories, so book titles are enclosed in quote marks. He said, its like rain on your wedding day, or a fly in your glass of white wine. Since you will most often use them when working with outside sources, successful use of quotation marks is a practical defense against accidental plagiarism and an excellent practice in academic honesty. Sentence spacing in language and style guides wikipedia.
He was certain that i was wrong when i told him that double quotation marks are the standard. Per ap style, commas and periods always should be placed inside the quotation marks. If the quotation includes material already in quotation marks, see section 8. Capitalize chapter when used with a numeral in reference to a section of a book or legal code. How to use quotations for book titles pen and the pad. The associated press stylebook puts all these in quotation marks. Jul 31, 2011 that refers to correspondents transmission of news stories. For example, double quotation marks are often used around the title of a short work such as a magazine article or an episode of a tv show. The associated press stylebook is the basis for many of the guidelines that appear here, and exceptions to ap style are highlighted.
For us states in headlines, no periods for those abbreviated with 2 capital letters. When i say immediately, i mean some time before august, said the manager. Whats the difference between using single and double. If smart or curly quote marks are toggled on, beware of employing a beginning single quote mark 6shaped to do the job of an apostrophe 9shaped. Our position is that content on the internet should be treated the same as content in print. Mar 15, 2017 in formal writing, single quotation marks are only valid within a quotation quotation marks, rules 7 and 8b.
124 807 1521 726 161 1118 1165 704 1587 494 1090 189 722 1006 855 818 112 627 873 680 51 197 168 579 1125 536 155 771 699 1162 37 1390 410 475 927 407 708 377 459 544 1468 695 93 757 1455