Don't get your quotes (' ') mixed up with your double quotes (" "), since the first is used in dialogue, between two characters, and the second is used when you are quoting someone – well, that's its normal usage.  If you do things the other way around, at least make sure you are consistent.

Note the weak interruption with the bracketing commas in the last two sentences – keep that next word in lower case whether it comes after a comma or not. It is a weak interruption.

Square brackets may be used in quotes to clarify meaning or an object:

You may also use square brackets when highlighting errors (so that people don't think you made the error yourself), by using [sic] (note the italicised lettering):

The brackets may also be used in conjunction with an ellipsis (...). When you are quoting someone and miss out great chunks so as to focus on only the relevant parts, the ellipsis shows missing words.

Doesn't make much sense does it? Well, we can put new words within brackets to show our meaning and to help bridge the gap:

Word to your Mother!

Whenever you discuss a word in a sentence, wrap those inverted commas around it (show some support) and define your sentence's meaning:

Where Do I Put My Closing Punctuation?

There are two schools of thought: the right way, and the American way. Unfortunately for purists, the American way will out:

*  The correct way (note the full stop is after the quote):

*  The American way (note the full stop is inside the quote):

Stick to the American way – end of!

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