COMMON GRAMMAR & STYLE ISSUES
Quotations
When quoting someone’s actual words, use double quotes (“...”):
Abraham Lincoln famously said, “Four score and seven years ago...”
When using a colloquial phrase, word or saying, use the single (‘...’):
This is the very definition of our ‘Lasting Purpose.’
When writing a letter or memo containing a long quote (more than a
sentence or two), make the quote its own paragraph within the body of
the text.
For a quote within a quote, use double quote (“…”) to begin and end the
larger quote and use single quote (‘…’) for the internal quote:
“When I graduated from chiropractic school,” she says, “my father
said, ‘I’m so proud of you.’”
Final punctuation always comes before the end quote:
“What’s the deal?” he asked.
Says Riekeman, “This is what LIFE is all about!”
State Abbreviations
AP style no longer accepts state abbreviations. When writing the name
of a state, always spell it out completely.
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