In this issue’s grammar spot, we answer the puzzling question – which is correct: single or double quotation marks (or quotes)? The short answer is there is no definitive agreement. Even newspapers are divided on the issue with The Times, The Independent and The Sun preferring double quotes, while The Daily Mail and The Observer opt for single quotes.
Defenders of the single quote cite the advantages of simplified and more contemporary typography but double mark enthusiasts point to the usefulness of using double quote marks for direct speech and leaving single quote marks for everything else.
Our advice is whether you opt for single or double quotation marks, always ensure you follow the convention for enclosing an additional direct quote within a quote. If you use double marks, the extra quote should be encapsulated in single quotes within the double marks – and vice versa if you are a single mark user. For example, “People are always asking me ‘Which is right – the single or double quotation mark?’ and I have to tell them there is no right or wrong answer.”
