Unit 5: The Mechanics of Language 6. Inverted commas ‘ ’ “ ”


Inverted commas can be single – ‘x’ – or double – “x”. Tey are also known as quotation marks, speech marks, or quotes. Inverted commas are mainly used in the following cases:


1.


To mark the beginning and end of direct speech (i.e., a speaker’s words written down exactly as they were spoken). Example: ‘Tat,’ she said, ‘is nonsense.’


Tere should be a comma, full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark at the end of a piece of speech. Tis is placed inside the closing inverted comma or commas. Examples: ‘Can I come in?’ she asked. ‘Wait!’ he shouted. ‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘I didn’t expect to lose.’


2.


To mark off a word or phrase that’s being discussed, or that’s being directly quoted from somewhere else. Her new single is called ‘February 3rd’. What does ‘meander’ mean?


7. Brackets and dashes ( ) –


Brackets or dashes can be used instead of commas to separate extra information from the main statement or sentence.


Example: ● Te car was travelling at 60 kilometers (approximately 37 miles) per hour. In this example, the information in brackets is unimportant but may help some readers.


Example: ● It is possible – indeed very likely – that the house will need to be demolished. In this example, the information between the dashes is important and is being emphasised.


If you do not wish to break the flow of your sentence, a pair of commas creates less distraction.


Example: ● My elderly aunt, who is quite frail, has been admitted to hospital.


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