Quote marks

Single quote marks

Use single quote marks (inverted commas) in the first instance. 

Use double quote marks only for quotes or direct speech within other quotes (which is rare).

Punctuation with single quotes

Punctuation within a sentence, like a comma, comes outside the quotation mark:

She complained, ‘Today has been so hectic’, while eating her lunch.

A full stop at the end of a sentence comes after the quotation mark:

For example, ‘When you go back to school next week, you’ll need to wear a face mask. This is one way to keep everyone safe from COVID-19’.

The exception to this rule is when the quoted material concludes with a question mark or an exclamation mark. No full stop is used after the quotation mark in this instance. For example:

Ask your child what she thinks – for example, ‘Tegan, is it fair for you to have the computer all the time?’

Let your child know exactly what you liked about his behaviour – for example, ‘Sami, I loved the way you tidied up your blocks when I asked!’

For extended dialogue within quotation marks use sentence case, but with one-word answers, particularly ‘please,’ ‘no’ and ‘yes,’ within quotation marks use lower case: 

She complained, ‘Today has been so hectic’, while eating her lunch.

If you want your child to say ‘please’, say it yourself.

The exception to one-word answers is when the word needs to be emphatic:

Your child might very well answer, ‘No!’

Interviews and long quotes

Interviews and extensive quotes (those that go on over several paragraphs) rarely appear in our content. When they do, they should appear with a single opening quotation mark at the beginning of each paragraph then a single closing quotation mark at the end of the last paragraph. For example:

‘Quote …

‘Quote …

‘Quote …’

An example of this usage can be seen in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dads.

Quotes and attributions in call out boxes

Use the block quote style. The attribution goes under the quote with en dash, name, affiliation (teenager, parent, organisation):

Family is the most important thing to me. They’re my own support system. Everybody thinks friends are more important, but they’re not. Friends are great, but they’ll come and go. Family is always there.

– Brianna, teenager