FAQs about punctuation

How do I make quotation marks in Spanish?

When writing in Spanish, you can use either regular quotation marks (“ ”), known as comillas inglesas, or angular quotation marks (« »), known as comillas angulares or comillas latinas.

You should consult your style guide for which format is preferred and be consistent throughout your document.

To type angular quotation marks, use the following keyboard shortcuts:

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Read this FAQ: How do I make quotation marks in Spanish?

When should I use single quotation marks?

In American English, single quotation marks (‘ ’) are used to indicate quotes within quotes.

In British English, single quotation marks are typically used in the ways double quotation marks are in American English. So, quotes within quotes are indicated with double quotation marks.

QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you ensure you’re using quotation marks correctly.

Read this FAQ: When should I use single quotation marks?

Should I put a period before or after quotation marks?

Typically, a period goes before the ending quotation marks in American English.

However, in British English, the period only goes inside the quotation marks if the quotation itself is a full sentence. Otherwise, it goes outside. Additionally, British English typically uses single quotation marks instead of double.

Try QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to make sure you’re using punctuation correctly.

Read this FAQ: Should I put a period before or after quotation marks?

How do I make quotation marks in French?

French uses guillemets (« ») instead of quotation marks (e.g., The sign said: « Allumez vos feux »). Note that there is always a space after the opening guillemet and before the closing guillemet.

To type guillemets, use the following keyboard shortcuts:

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Read this FAQ: How do I make quotation marks in French?

Does the comma go inside the quotation marks?

Yes, commas typically go inside quotation marks in a sentence in American English.

In British English, commas typically go outside of quotation marks (and single quotation marks are often used in place of double).

Use QuillBot’s Grammar Checker to make sure you’re using punctuation with quotation marks correctly.

Read this FAQ: Does the comma go inside the quotation marks?

Is mom capitalized?

Words that refer to family relationships (e.g., “mom,” “dad,” “grandma,” “uncle”) are not capitalized unless they are used in place of a name.

QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker will help you use capitalization correctly.

Read this FAQ: Is mom capitalized?

What’s the difference between an en dash and a hyphen?

A hyphen (-) is shorter than an en dash and is used to connect words in compound adjectives (e.g., “fast-paced,” “old-fashioned”) or compound nouns (e.g., “seven-year-olds,” “jack-of-all-trades”).

An en dash (–) is slightly longer and can be used for several purposes:

• To indicate number ranges (e.g., “2020–2024”)
• To indicate a relationship or connection (e.g., “the London–Dublin train,” “the employer–employee relationship”)
• To connect complex compound adjectives (e.g., “the Booker Prize–winning novelist”)

In many everyday writing situations, the hyphen is used in place of the en dash because it is easier to type. However, it is important to know the difference for academic and professional writing contexts.

QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can help you ensure you’re using different types of punctuation correctly.

Read this FAQ: What’s the difference between an en dash and a hyphen?

What is an n dash?

The term “n dash” is a misspelling of en dash, which is the dash that is used in number ranges (e.g., “pp. 207–221”), among other uses.

The en dash is longer than a hyphen (-) but shorter than an em dash (—).

QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can help you use punctuation correctly.

Read this FAQ: What is an n dash?

How do I type an en dash in Word?

There are several ways to type an en dash (–) in Microsoft Word:

• On a Mac computer, you can hold down option and press the hyphen key (to the right of the 0).
• On a Windows computer, you can hold down Alt and type 0150 on the numeric keypad.
  • If you don’t have a numeric keypad, you can press the Windows button + period (.) to bring up the symbols menu.
• You can navigate to “Symbols” under the “Insert” menu to manually add an en dash.

If you’re looking for additional special characters, like invisible text, try QuillBot’s invisible character generator.

Read this FAQ: How do I type an en dash in Word?

How do I type an en dash on a Mac?

To type an en dash (–) on a Mac computer, hold down option and press the hyphen (-) key (to the right of the 0).

If you’re looking to insert additional special characters, like blank text, try QuillBot’s invisible character generator.

Read this FAQ: How do I type an en dash on a Mac?