Definition

Noun: A punctuation mark (either single ' ' or double " ") used in pairs to indicate that the enclosed text is a direct quotation, a title, or to highlight a word or phrase being discussed. The term "inverted comma" is primarily used in British English; the more common term in American English is "quotation mark."

Usage

Inverted commas are used to: 1. Enclose direct speech or a direct quotation from another source. 2. Indicate the title of a short work (e.g., a poem, article, or song). 3. Draw attention to a specific word or phrase, often to indicate irony, slang, or that it is being defined.

Examples

• Direct Speech: She said, "The meeting starts at nine."
• Quotation: The article referenced the concept of 'the sublime'.
• Title: His short story 'The Garden' was published last year.
• Highlighting a Term: So-called 'experts' disagreed with the findings. (Here, inverted commas suggest doubt about the term.)

Advanced Usage

• Nested Quotations: When a quote appears within another quote, standard British practice is to use double inverted commas for the main quote and single for the internal quote (or vice versa).
  • Example: He explained, "The witness stated, 'I saw nothing,' before leaving."
• Punctuation Placement: In British English, punctuation like periods and commas typically go outside the closing inverted comma unless they are part of the quoted material itself.
  • Example: She called it a 'masterpiece'. (The period is outside as it is not part of the quoted word.)

Variants and Related Words

• Quotation Mark: The standard American English term for an inverted comma.
• Quote (informal noun/verb): Often used informally to mean either the punctuation marks or the act of quoting.
  • Example: Don't forget to put that in quotes.
• Scare Quotes: A specific use of inverted commas to express skepticism, irony, or distance from a term.
  • Example: The company's 'generous' offer was actually quite poor.

Synonyms

• Quote marks
• Speech marks
• Quotes (informal)

Notes

• The term "inverted comma" explicitly refers to the shape of the punctuation mark (a comma turned upside down and reversed). It is less common in everyday American English, where "quotation mark" is universally used.
• The singular form "inverted comma" can refer to one of the marks, but they are almost always used in pairs (opening and closing).

Noun

1. a punctuation mark used to attribute the enclosed text to someone else