1. Apostrophes and Quotation Marks
Andrea Lunsford
The Everyday Writer
Apostrophes and Quotation Marks

2. Apostrophes Practice: The buss fumes overpowered her.
Anyones guess is as good as mine.
Anyone’s guess is as good as mine.
The mens department sells business attire.
The men’s department sells business attire.

3. Apostrophes Practice: The secretary of states speech was televised.
Both her daughters-in-laws birthdays fall in July.
Both her daughters-in-law’s birthdays fall in July.
Wallace and Gromits creator is Nick Park.
Wallace and Gromit’s creator is Nick Park.

4. Apostrophes Practice: It is cold outside. It’s cold outside.
I am not happy. I’m not happy.
This disease is unusual; it’s symptoms vary from person to person.
This disease is unusual; its symptoms vary from person to person.
Its a difficult disease to diagnose.
It’s a difficult disease to diagnose.

5. Apostrophes
Many style guides now advise against using apostrophes for any plurals; others still use them.
The gymnasts need marks of 8s and 9s to qualify for the finals.
The five Shakespeare’s in the essay were spelled five different ways.

6. Quotation Marks Practice:
President Bush referred to an axis of evil in his speech.
President Bush referred to an “axis of evil” in his speech.
She smiled and said, Son, this is one incident that I will never forget.
She smiled and said, “Son, this is one incident that I will never forget.”
Alice Walker’s Everyday Use is about more than just quilts (short story).
Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” is about more than just quilts.

7. Quotation Marks Practice:
In social science, the terms sample size means the number of individuals being studied in a research project.
In social science, the terms sample size means “the number of individuals being studied in a research project.”
The banquet consisted of dried-out chicken and canned vegetables.
The “banquet” consisted of dried-out chicken and canned vegetables.

8. Other punctuation with quotation marks
Periods and commas go inside closing quotation marks.
Colons, semicolons, and footnote numbers go outside closing quotation marks.
“Don’t compromise yourself,” said Janis Joplin.
I felt one emotion after finishing “Eveline”: sorrow.

9. Other punctuation with quotation marks
Question marks, exclamation points, and dashes go inside if they are part of the quoted material, outside if they are not.
The cashier asked, “Would you like to super-size that?”
What is the theme of “The Birth-Mark”?