INVERTED COMMAS Meaning and
Definition
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Inverted commas, also known as quotation marks, are punctuation marks consisting of a pair of vertically-oriented, curved lines: " ". They are primarily used to enclose direct speech or a quotation within a written text. Inverted commas serve to distinguish spoken or quoted words from the surrounding text, indicating that the content enclosed within them is being directly attributed to another source or speaker.
The primary function of inverted commas is to lend clarity and ensure accurate representation of quoted material or someone's words in written discourse. By enclosing a direct quote in inverted commas, the writer signals to the reader that the words are not their own but rather those of another person or a text being referred to. It is essential to accurately attribute quotes to the original source to provide transparency and to avoid plagiarism.
Inverted commas can also be used to emphasize specific words or phrases, indicating that they are being discussed or defined. Additionally, they can be employed in linguistic contexts to highlight or introduce terms or phrases that may be unfamiliar or require clarification.
In both American and British English, inverted commas are commonly used for quotations. However, American English predominantly uses double quotation marks ("quote") while British English typically uses single quotation marks ('quote'). Nonetheless, the primary purpose and usage of inverted commas remain consistent across both variations of English.
Common Misspellings for INVERTED COMMAS
- unverted commas
- jnverted commas
- knverted commas
- onverted commas
- 9nverted commas
- 8nverted commas
- ibverted commas
- imverted commas
- ijverted commas
- ihverted commas
- incerted commas
- inberted commas
- ingerted commas
- inferted commas
- invwrted commas
- invsrted commas
- invdrted commas
- invrrted commas
- inv4rted commas
- inv3rted commas
Etymology of INVERTED COMMAS
The term "inverted commas" is derived from the use of punctuation marks called "quotation marks" or "double quotation marks" in writing. Quotation marks are also referred to as "inverted commas" in British English. The word "inverted" in this context refers to the positioning of the commas/quotation marks, which are placed at the start and end of a quoted phrase, dialogue, or emphasized word within a sentence.
Idioms with the word INVERTED COMMAS
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in inverted commas
The idiom "in inverted commas" is used to indicate that a word or phrase being used is borrowed or not used in its literal or conventional sense, implying a certain level of skepticism or irony. It is typically represented by placing quotation marks, or inverted commas, around the word or phrase in question.
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