A-Z House Style Guide
- quotations #
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Use single quotation marks, and then double quotation marks for quotations within quotations. This rule applies to Bible quotations as well as speech, even if this is different to NIV style.
Quotations should add colour, not carry facts. Prioritise individuals from communities we work with when choosing who to quote: failing that, quote a partner, then a Tearfund staff member.
Partial quotations: begin with no punctuation and contain no punctuation. He said it was ‘amazing and unforgettable’. But it’s not great style and can be a lazy substitute for clear writing.
Full quotations: can begin with a comma and contain punctuation eg He said, ‘It was amazing, truly amazing.’ Or they can be used to start a sentence, if it works eg ‘It was amazing, truly amazing,’ said Manfred.
Quotations across several paragraphs: Open every paragraph of a quotation with a quotation mark. Close only the final paragraph with one.
See also direct speech.