Inline QuoteInline Quote — illustrated emblem for the Mr. B Quotes glossary, category Punctuation & Style“IPUNCTUATION & STYLE
Punctuation & Style

Inline Quote

A short quotation embedded directly in a sentence, inside quotation marks.

An inline quote is a quotation short enough to be read as part of the surrounding sentence. It is enclosed in quotation marks and does not break the paragraph.

Inline quoting keeps a piece of writing moving. The rule of thumb: if the quotation is shorter than about forty words and fits the rhythm of the surrounding prose, run it inline. If it is longer, set it as a block quote.

Inline quotes interact with the sentence's grammar. The convention is to lightly adjust capitalisation and end punctuation to fit, marking any change with square brackets when it could affect meaning.

Example
“As Orwell warned, "political language is designed to make lies sound truthful."”
— Illustrative inline quotation
Related terms

Keep reading the glossary