Quotation marks

Date adopted: 
October 25, 2022
Last update: 
July 28, 2023

Headings

Use double quotation marks in text and single quotation marks in headings.

Quotations

Place punctuation such as commas and periods outside quotation marks unless the punctuation is part of the text you’re quoting or you’re quoting a complete sentence.

Not: Some people take part in activities to “get away.”

But: Some people take part in activities to “get away”.

Not: The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms says everyone has “freedom of conscience and religion.”

But: The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms says everyone has “freedom of conscience and religion”.

Not: The focus group participant said: "I've had type 1 diabetes since I was 29".

But: The focus group participant said: "I've had type 1 diabetes since I was 29."

Premier and ministerial statements

Start each paragraph of the statement with double quotation marks. Close the quotation marks only at the end of the final paragraph of the statement.

View a good example.