What are single quotation marks used for?

Single quotation marks are used to mark a quote within a quote or a direct quote in a news story headline. Periods always go inside all quotation marks. A question mark is only placed inside of single quotation marks if the quote within a quote is a question.

What is the difference between single and double quotation marks?

If you are an American, using quotation marks could hardly be simpler: Use double quotation marks at all times unless quoting something within a quotation, when you use single. It’s different in the greater Anglosphere, where they generally use singles in books and doubles in newspapers.

How do you type a single quotation mark?

You can make single quotation marks on most computers by pressing the apostrophe/quotation mark key to the left of ENTER. Double quotation marks are made on most computers by holding SHIFT and pressing the apostrophe/quotation mark key to the left of ENTER.

Do you use single quotation marks for thoughts?

When you’re quoting a source, use quotation marks to indicate a character’s thoughts, and make it clear in your prose that you are quoting thoughts, not speech: If you’re writing fiction, you may style a character’s thoughts in italics or quotation marks.

How do you quote a thought?

Never use quotation marks for thoughts, even if those thoughts are inner dialogue, a character talking to himself. Reserve quotation marks for speech that’s vocalized. Readers should be able to tell when a character is speaking inside his head and when he’s talking aloud, even if he’s the only person in the scene.

How do you write thoughts in a first person narrative?

In the first-person narrative, everything you write is straight out of the main character’s brain. You don’t need to clarify the character’s thoughts by placing them in italics or qualifying them with an “I thought” tag.

How do you write dialogue in first person?

First person narrative: 7 tips for writing great narratorsEvoke the senses, not only the narrator’s inner world. Avoid overusing words that place distance between the narrator and your reader. Avoid merely reporting in first person narrative. Use either expository or scene narration for the right reasons. Vary the way your narrator expresses feelings, thoughts and experiences.