How do you correctly use quotation marks in a paragraph?

• A. Use for direct speech or exact phrases; place punctuation inside the quotes in American usage or outside in some cases per style guide.
• B. Use quotation marks for emphasis only.
• C. Place punctuation always outside quotes.
• D. Never use quotes.

Answer: (A)

Quotation marks are used to show the exact words someone has spoken or to highlight a precise phrase being cited. They signal that the material inside is not your own wording.

In American practice, the usual rule is that punctuation that belongs to the quoted material goes inside the quotation marks. So a period or a comma after the quoted speech comes inside. If the punctuation belongs to the larger sentence rather than the quote, it goes outside, though some fields or other style guides follow different conventions. For example, a sentence like She said, "Meet me at five." places the comma inside the quotes, and the period ends the whole sentence inside the closing quote. If the quoted part is a question, as in She asked, "Are we ready?" the question mark stays inside because it belongs to the quoted speech. If the overall sentence is a question but the quote isn’t, you’d place the question mark outside.

When you need a quote inside another quote, use single quotation marks inside the double ones, like He whispered, "She said, 'Be on time.'"

Quotations aren’t for emphasis; other uses that don’t involve direct speech or exact phrases aren’t appropriate.