PUNCTUATION - Quotation Marks

The exact rules for quotation marks vary greatly from language to language and even from country to country within the English-speaking world. In North American usage, you should place double quotation marks (") before and after directly quoted material and words of dialogue:

One critic ended his glowing review with this superlative: "It is simply the best film ever made about potato farming."
May replied, "This is the last cookie."

You also use quotation marks to set off certain titles, usually those of minor or short works -- essays, short stories, short poems, songs, articles in periodicals, etc. For titles of longer works and separate publications, you should use italics (or underlined, if italics are not available). Use italics for titles of books, magazines, periodicals, newspapers, films, plays, long poems, long musical works, and television and radio programs.

Once when I was sick, my father read me a story called "The Happy Flower," which was later made into a movie entitled Flower Child, starring Tiny Tim.

Sometimes, you will use quotation marks to set off words specifically referred to as terms, though some publishers prefer italics:

I know you like the word "unique," but do you really have to use it ten times in one essay?
"Well" is sometimes a noun, sometimes an adverb, sometimes an adjective and sometimes a verb.


Quotations Marks with Other Punctuation:

One question that frequently arises with quotation marks is where to place other punctuation marks in relation to them. Again, these rules vary from region to region, but North American usage is quite simple:

1. Commas and periods always go inside the quotation marks.

I know you are fond of the story "Children of the Corn," but is it an appropriate subject for your essay?
"At last," said the old woman, "I can say I am truly happy."

2. Semicolons and colons always go outside the quotation marks.

She never liked the poem "Dover Beach"; in fact, it was her least favourite piece of Victorian literature.
He clearly states his opinion in the article "Of Human Bondage": he believes that television has enslaved and diminished an entire generation.

3. Question marks, exclamation marks, and dashes go inside quotation marks when they are part of the quotation, and outside when they do not.

Where is your copy of "The Raven"?
"How cold is it outside?" my mother asked.

Note that in North American usage, you should use single quotation marks (') only to set off quoted material (or a minor title) inside a quotation.

"I think she said `I will try,' not `I won't try,'" explained Sandy.

http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/qmarks.html

Using Quotation Marks:
To enclose a direct quotation (a person's exact words) but not indirect quotations:

ex. John said, "The ref made a good call that time." (direct quotation)
John said that the referee made a good call that time. (indirect quotation)

For titles of works that are published within other works

ex. We read the short story "Looking for Jake" in China Miéville's anthology of the same name, Looking for Jake.

With other punctuation marks:

Commas and periods are always placed inside the closing quotation marks.

ex. "As a matter of fact," I added, "we will end class early today."

Semicolons and colons are always placed outside the closing quotation marks, unless they are part of the direct quotation.

ex. Jim promised, "I will cut the grass, dad"; however, that was three weeks ago.
ex. You must admit one thing about "Honest Jim": he keeps his promises, eventually.

Question marks and exclamation points are placed inside the closing quotation marks if they belong with the quotation, otherwise they are placed outside.

ex. "Who is coming to the party?" my sister asked.
ex. Once again he claims, "I am an honest politician"!

Avoid common misuses of quotation marks:

Overusing them with slang terms:

ex. Bob said the new car was "cool" and that he would not be a "slacker" about getting to work on time. (Do you need the slang? If so, why not quote Bob? Dialogue adds immediacy to writing).

As a smokescreen to cover up cliches and weak expressions in writing:

ex. Issac Newton was "busy as a bee" all of the time. (Use a fresh expression instead).

http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/quotemrk.html