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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Do you use quotation marks when naming something?
When naming something mundane or unimportant, do you use quotation marks to more clearly denote that the quoted word is the name of object? For example:
Scientists used to think that living things were composed of special organic compounds that contained a 'life force'. Compounds that didn't possess this property were called 'inorganic'.
I find myself often confused with these, I also do it with hyphenated words!
Scientists used to think that living things were composed of special organic compounds that contained a 'life force'. Compounds that didn't possess this property were called 'inorganic'.
I find myself often confused with these, I also do it with hyphenated words!
Top answer
Hi, Very broadly speaking, I would consider quotation marks if I thought the reader may not have heard the word before, and I wish to draw attention to it. eg Your thigh-bones are called 'femurs'. But not eg This is 'a chair'.
- Hi, Very broadly speaking, I would consider quotation marks if I thought the reader may not have heard the word before, and I wish to draw attention to it.
- eg Your thigh-bones are called 'femurs'.
- But not eg This is 'a chair'.
- Quotation marks are also used ometimes to suggest that the words are being used with some unusual meaning.
- eg Tom is an honest man.
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1 Answers
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Hi,
Very broadly speaking, I would consider quotation marks if I thought the reader may not have heard the word before, and I wish to draw attention to it.
eg Your thigh-bones are called 'femurs'.
But not eg This is 'a chair'.
Very broadly speaking, I would consider quotation marks if I thought the reader may not have heard the word before, and I wish to draw attention to it.
eg Your thigh-bones are called 'femurs'.
But not eg This is 'a chair'.
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