OK, I am getting really confused. I understand, pretty much, when to use double quotation marks (") but single quotation marks have got me. I know to use them when a title is quoted, or a spoken quote is quoted withing a single longer quotation. Now the english teacher says that whenever you are quoting from, say, a novel, and the author of that novel uses quotation marks, the proper response in, say, writing an essay is to use single quotation marks.
For example, the author might write John says “Don’t sit there.”
I would have thought the proper manner in using that would be: When John exclaims “Don’t sit there.”(pg. 160)
The teacher says the proper form is When John exclaims ‘Don’t sit there.’ (pg. 160)
Which is correct?
Use them like this:
“I like bread and butter,” said Timmy.
“I like Toast and Jam,” said Jill.
"Uhh… how did that next line go? ‘I like peas and porridge?’ " said Shirley, who was just a bit slow.
Technically, you don’t have to put a space between ’ and ", but I feel that it’s practically required when typing.
I don’t think there’s really a ‘proper’ use of any quotation mark. The use can vary with style. However, you do want to be consistent in any particular work. If you use doubles for main quotes and singles for quotes-within-quotes in one place, you should do the same everywhere. Just be sure to think it over and stick with whatever you decide is ‘your way’ of using quotes.
Generally, the rule is to always use double quotation marks, except when you would need to use a quote within a quote. Nested quotation marks are single quotations. I don’t know of any standard American style guide that deviates from this usage. Many British styles, though, do it in reverse: with single quotes being the default and double quotes being used for single-nested quotes.
Your teacher is only right in the sense that you would use single quotes when quoting an author’s material that extends beyond his use of the quotation marks. OK, that explanation is a bit convoluted. Say for example I’m reading this:
“Don’t sit there,” said John. “The chair is broken.”
When quoting in a paper, I would construct my sentences thusly:
John warned Alice of the broken chair by saying “[d]on’t sit there”.
Pulykamell wrote the following as an example: " ‘Don’t sit there,’ said John. ‘The chair is broken.’ "