Use these Quotation Mark practice questions to review direct quotations, nested quotations, punctuation placement, quoted questions, and unnecessary quotation marks. After answering each question, open the explanation to see the rule behind the correct answer.
Quotation Mark Topics Covered
- Direct quotations
- Interrupted quotations
- Single quotation marks inside double quotation marks
- Quoted questions
- Periods and commas with quotation marks
- Question marks with quotation marks
- Unnecessary quotation marks
- Missing closing quotation marks
- Using [sic] in quotations
Quotation Mark Practice Questions
- “What, he asked “do you expect me to do?”
- “What” he asked, “do you expect me to do?”
- “What,” he asked, “do you expect me to do?”
- No error
Show Answer
Answer: C. “What,” he asked, “do you expect me to do?”
When a quotation is interrupted by a phrase such as he asked, commas are used to separate the quoted words from the interruption.
A comma should appear after What, and another comma should appear after he asked.
- ‘When I asked him where he was, he said, “I was at home all night.”’
- “When I asked him where he was, he said, I was at home all night.”
- When I asked him where he was, he said, “I was at home all night.”
- No error
Show Answer
Answer: D. No error
The sentence is punctuated correctly.
When one quotation appears inside another quotation, the outer quotation uses double quotation marks, and the inner quotation uses single quotation marks.
The witness’s full statement is enclosed in double quotation marks, and the quoted words inside that statement are enclosed in single quotation marks.
- She asked, “what time you would be arriving.”
- She asked what time you would be arriving.
- She asked ‘what time you would be arriving.’
- No error
Show Answer
Answer: B. She asked what time you would be arriving.
This sentence reports what someone asked, but it does not give the person’s exact words.
Quotation marks are used for direct quotations, not for indirect quotations.
A direct quotation would be written like this: She asked, “What time will you be arriving?”
- Did he ask you first, “May I have permission to leave now?”
- Did he ask you first, May I have permission to leave now?
- Did he ask you first, “May I have permission to leave now??”
- No error
Show Answer
Answer: A. Did he ask you first, “May I have permission to leave now?”
Only one question mark is needed.
Because the quoted material is a question, the question mark belongs inside the closing quotation mark.
The sentence should not use another question mark after the quotation mark.
- Robert replied, I asked Sally and she said, “I will not help your group.”
- Robert replied, “I asked Sally and she said, I will not help your group.”
- Robert replied, “I asked Sally and she said, ‘I will not help your group.’”
- No error
Show Answer
Answer: C. Robert replied, “I asked Sally and she said, ‘I will not help your group.’”
The sentence contains a quotation inside another quotation.
The larger quotation should use double quotation marks, and Sally’s quoted words should use single quotation marks.
The period belongs inside the single quotation mark and before the closing double quotation mark.
- Haven’t you heard the old saying, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be?”
- Haven’t you heard the old saying, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be?
- Haven’t you heard the old saying, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.”?
- No error
Show Answer
Answer: D. No error
The sentence is punctuated correctly.
The quoted saying is not a question, but the full sentence is a question. Therefore, the question mark belongs outside the quotation marks.
Choice A incorrectly makes the quoted saying a question. Choice B is missing the closing quotation mark, and choice C uses both a period and a question mark.
- We are forming an ad hoc committee and appointing you as its “chairperson.”
- We are forming an ad hoc committee and appointing you as its chairperson.
- We are forming an “ad hoc committee” and appointing you as its chairperson.
- No error
Show Answer
Answer: B. We are forming an ad hoc committee and appointing you as its chairperson.
Quotation marks are not needed around ordinary terms such as ad hoc committee and chairperson.
Quotation marks should be used for direct quotations, certain titles, and special wording that truly needs to be set apart.
- “This is a step that you should never, ever skip when following this procedure correctly,” said the professor.
- “This is a step that you should never, ever skip when following this procedure correctly, said the professor.”
- This is a step that you should never, ever skip when following this procedure correctly, said the professor.
- No error
Show Answer
Answer: A. “This is a step that you should never, ever skip when following this procedure correctly,” said the professor.
The quotation needs both an opening quotation mark and a closing quotation mark.
The words spoken by the professor should be inside quotation marks, but the phrase said the professor should remain outside the quotation.
- “It is wonderful to be here in the great state of Chicago.”
- “It is wonderful to be here in the great [sic] state of Chicago.”
- “It is wonderful to be here in the great state of [sic] Chicago.”
- No error
Show Answer
Answer: D. No error
The sentence is correct.
The term [sic] is used inside a quotation to show that an error appeared in the original wording.
Here, [sic] appears after the word state to show that the original quotation incorrectly referred to Chicago as a state.
- “Roosters, Hens, and Unisex.”
- “Roosters, Hens, and Unisex”.
- “Roosters”, “Hens”, and Unisex.
- No error
Show Answer
Answer: D. No error
The sentence is punctuated correctly.
Each sign name is enclosed in quotation marks, and the commas and period are placed inside the closing quotation marks.
Choice A incorrectly places all three names inside one set of quotation marks. Choice B incorrectly places the period outside the quotation marks. Choice C leaves Unisex outside quotation marks.
How to Use These Quotation Mark Practice Questions
Answer each question before opening the explanation. Then compare your answer with the rule described in the solution.
If you miss a question, review the punctuation pattern carefully. Quotation mark questions often depend on small details, such as whether the quotation is direct or indirect, whether another quotation appears inside it, and where commas, periods, and question marks should be placed.