Quotation Marks Around Fragments of Quoted Material
The Quotation Mark
Rulebase Summary
Use quotation marks for fragments of quoted material that are embedded within a sentence. No commas are used to set off the fragments, and no capitals are used for the first word of fragments within a sentence.
Morson's Rule 98 · p.59
Examples
✗
Q. Your answer is unclear. Please explain what you mean by, 'Taking chances.'
✓
Q. Your answer is unclear. Please explain what you mean by 'taking chances.'
Fragment quote — no comma, no capital.
✗
Q. You are the officer who described the crime as, 'The most heinous in the county's history.'
✓
Q. You are the officer who described the crime as 'the most heinous in the county's history.'
Embedded fragment — lowercase, no separating comma.
Style Guide References (1)
Morson's
Rule 98
Page 59