You can call me 'Zoli' if you'd like.

Zoli

Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2015
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Hungarian
Home Country
Hungary
Current Location
Romania
Which type of quotation marks should I use for the phrase: You can call me "Zoli"?

Here's the text:

You can call me 'Zoli' if you'd like. It's the shortened name for Zoltan that everyone close to me uses.

In this context, for American English, should I use single quotes or double quotes to enclose the name? 'Zoli' or "Zoli"?
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
There are no hard and fast rules. American publishing houses typically use double quotes and many British publishers favour single quotes.

Having said that, I have two library books here – both published in the UK – one uses singles and the other one uses doubles..

I always use single quotes because there's one on my keyboard (it's the same as an apostrophe) and to make double quotes I have to use the shift key and 2. (Don't judge me—If you ever reach 85 you'll be glad to save time and effort by avoiding every extra keystroke you can. ;))

In your own writing, just be consistent. Nobody will care and they won't even notice unless you're inconsistent.

If you ever get a book or magazine article published, the publisher will decide which to use.
 
Last edited:

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
(y) ... and there's a tendency nowadays to omit the quotes entirely, especially in contexts like this. I haven't checked, but I should think the Paul Simon song is
If I call you Betty you can call me Al
 
Top