Occasionally a writer will ask, $$What if I need to put a quotation within a quotation?$$ In these cases, there is a general rule to follow. Use double $($sometimes called traditional$)$ quotation marks for the initial or outer quotation, and use single quotation marks $($sometimes called apostrophes$)$ for the quote within the quote. Flip this approach as many times as necessary. Consider this example:

The witness told the police officer, $$I was running down the street, and all of a sudden I heard this woman scream, $$Help$!$ He$$s got a knife!$$ So I ran over to her, and that$$s when I saw him.$$

Notice how switching from double quotes to single quotes helps the reader to understand who is speaking in each part of the sentence.

Directions: Each of the following sentences asks you to punctuate a quotation within a quotation. Use the dropdown menu to select the correct option.

The star point guard told the post$-$game interviewer, a matter of listening to our coach when he says because otherwise we try too hard and end up making

I was talking to my parents, and my father said, to work together next week. Your mother is right when she says and none of us will be happy if we all try to because that will only lead to all of us feeling overwhelmed