Ask Jerry
quote marks
Asked by Velma stewart on April 11, 2020
Are these quotes correct, or should there be single quotes since a telegram message is being quoted?
“All my treasures are now yours. Please come soon.” Avis Greene skimmed the telegram.
Jerry's Answer
If Avis is reading it aloud, yes, there would be single quotes within the double quotes.
But regardless of my not knowing the context, it does seem the line about skimming the telegram could be deleted. I assume we're in Avis's point of view, so she's our camera. If she describes or reads or quotes something, we know she saw it, skimmed it, etc.
Avis opened the message. “'All my treasures are now yours,'" she read aloud. "'Please come soon.' Can you believe it, Steve? What do you make of that?”