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When should you use italics versus quotation marks?
Today, I’d like to share a way a writer can add major consistency to a manuscript, website page, or article. So let’s dive in and talk about when to use italics or quotation marks around a word or phrase.
When is it appropriate to use italics? And what about quotation marks? These are easy to confuse. You may be using them here or there without thinking about it. In reality, using the correct form makes a big difference in the professionalism of your documents.
Italics are usually used to emphasize or contrast a specific word or phrase that the writer wants to stand out. Just remember this: italics = emphasis.
For example, which of these looks more professional?
1. The airplane crash caused a loud "boom."
2. The airplane crash caused a loud boom.
If you guessed that number 2 is correct, you are right. The airplane caused a loud boom. When I get into the discussion about quotation marks, you'll see why "boom" is not appropriate.
Another way to appropriately use italics is when distinguishing thoughts a character has versus spoken words. The following is an example from a memoir I'm reviewing:
She thought, "If only they knew!"
which I changed to:
She thought, If only they knew!
The beauty in italicizing thoughts is that they clearly stand out from spoken words in quotations.
Let's move on to ways quotation marks should be used. It’s best to use quotations to highlight irony or euphemism. I like this short blog post that humorously points out why quotations should only be used this way and not for general emphasis: Can I Get a "Ruling": Quotation Marks for Emphasis - Nathan Bransford | Writing, Book Editing, Publishing. In it, you can see why using quotations for emphasis may steer attention away from the true meaning you are trying to convey.
Quotation marks can get confusing because they are used to show wit, humor, and outlandish meanings. And yet they are also used around spoken words, conveying truth through references and longer titles of works. Thanks a lot, English grammar!
Finally, let’s discuss what seems to be the biggest confusion between the two: titles!
Use italics when referring to long works (and collections of works) like tv series, novels, albums, or movie titles.
Use quotation marks for small sections of works like individual tv episodes, titles of chapters, magazine articles, and poems.
The following shows proper italics and quotations in action:
I like the episode "Written in the Stars" from Gilmore Girls, Season 5.
Let's summarize the basics:
Italics = emphasis, thoughts, long titles
Quotations = irony, euphemism, spoken phrases & words, shorter titles
Until next time,
Jessica
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When should you use a hyphen or a dash?
Dear authors,
Do the number of various lines that separate words in the English language make you want to cry while hugging yourself in the fetal position? Or is it just me? These used to confuse the heck out of me, and I didn't ever learn them in school. Why I wasn't taught them is a mystery to me, because they are such an important editing tool for writing professionally.
I want to help simplify them for you here. Here are the basics.
Hyphens: a tiny line between words that make up one person or thing, like mother-in-law or well-known. Hyphens are tricky because, depending on the part of speech, the hyphen may need to be removed.
For example, mother-in-law is a noun. There is nothing complicated about hyphens when it comes to a group of words that make up a noun like mother-in-law, which is ironic considering how complicated mother-in-laws can be.
But look at the difference in these two sentences with hyphens in an adjective (as a refresher, adjectives describe nouns):
The well-known detective lost the suspect.
The detective on the case is well known.
Why is well-known missing the hyphen in the second sentence? Well, it's not. in the second sentence, well known is an adjective describing the detective but comes after the verb is. When an adjective comes after the verb, you drop the hyphen.
Dashes: There are two common dashes, the en dash and the em dash.
En dash: signals ranges between numbers and dates. For example, "pages 80–90." There is a nifty keyboard shortcut to make the en dash. Making sure num lock is on, hold down Alt and type 0150. Also, note that there are no spaces between the dash and the words/numbers surrounding it.
Em dash: signals emphasis between thoughts, like, "There was only one thing—her dog was gone." Notice there are no spaces around the em dash either. The keyboard shortcut to make the em dash is to hold Alt and type 0151. Many writers like to use a colon instead, but the em dash makes writing look professional and classy, provoking more feeling in the emphasis—at least in my opinion.
Until next time,
Jessica
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