Quotation
Definition
A quotation is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. Quotation marks are punctuation marks used in pairs in various writing systems to set off direct speech, a quotation, or a phrase. The pair consists of an opening quotation mark and a closing quotation mark, which may or may not be the same character.
Quotations are used for a variety of reasons: to illuminate the meaning or to support the arguments of the work in which it is being quoted, to provide direct information about the work being quoted (whether in order to discuss it, positively or negatively), to pay homage to the original work or author, to make the user of the quotation seem well-read, and/or to comply with copyright law. Quotations are also commonly printed as a means of inspiration and to invoke philosophical thoughts from the reader.
History
The usage of quotations is as old as human speech itself, and a notable part of political oratory, storytelling and folk wisdom since antiquity. In English writing, quotation marks or inverted commas (informally known as quotes or speech marks) have been used since the late 17th century, identified as a pair of punctuation marks used primarily to mark the start and end of a passage attributed to another and repeated word for word.
Types of Quotations
There are two types of quotations, direct and indirect. Direct quotations use the exact language, punctuation, and grammar of the original author or speaker. Indirect quotations, also called paraphrases or summaries, do not use the exact language of the original author or speaker but give a version of the original material that can be significantly shorter than the original and that is in the language and style of the person doing the paraphrasing.
Usage
Quotations are used in a variety of contexts in English. The quoted material is usually introduced by a colon or a comma, although the colon is stronger. Quotations are also introduced by a verb (says, said, states, stated, etc.). In American English, the rule is to use double quotation marks: "What do you mean?" and single quotation marks for quotations within quotations: "What do you mean when you say, 'The end's in sight?'"
Quotation Marks
Quotation marks, also known as quotes, quote marks, speech marks, inverted commas, or talking marks, are punctuation marks used in pairs in various writing systems to set off direct speech, a quotation, or a phrase. The pair consists of an opening quotation mark and a closing quotation mark, which may or may not be the same character.
Misquotations
A misquotation is a statement that incorrectly reproduces a quotation, often to serve the purpose of the misquoter. Misquotations can be unintentional or intentional.