Single and Double Quote Nesting with Question Marks
The Quotation Mark
Rulebase Summary
When single quotes are nested inside double quotes and question marks are involved: if the question is inside the single quotes, put the question mark inside the single quotes regardless of what the double quotes are doing.
If the single quotes contain a statement but the double quotes contain a question, close the single quotes first, then put the question mark, then close the double quotes.
If the single quotes contain a statement inside double quotes that also contain a statement, and the overall sentence is a question, close the single quotes, close the double quotes, then put the question mark.
Examples
A. He said, "Did she really say 'I'm leaving?'"
A. He said, "Did she really say 'I'm leaving'?"
Single quotes = statement; double quotes = question. ? after single, before double close.
Q. Did he say, "She told me 'I'm not going?'"
Q. Did he say, "She told me 'I'm not going'"?
Both quotes are statements; overall sentence is the question. ? goes outside both.
Transcript Notes
Single quotation marks are used ONLY inside double quotation marks — never alone. All rules that apply to double quotes also apply to single quotes: periods and commas go inside; colons and semicolons go outside.
When both single and double quotes end the sentence with a question mark involved, there are exactly three possible arrangements: interrog/close single/close double (?'"), close single/interrog/close double ('?"), or close single/close double/interrog ('"?). The placement depends entirely on which layer — single quotes, double quotes, or the overall sentence — is asking the question.
Style Guide References (3)
BGGP
BGGP
BGGP