Quotation marks when quoting yourself is a small but important writing choice. When you repeat your own words, you must show clearly that those words are quoted, and quotation marks do that work.
Writers quote themselves in essays, articles, emails, books, and social media, and the rules stay the same in most cases. This article explains when to use quotation marks, which style choices matter, and how to keep your writing clear. I give simple examples, mark parts of speech, and check verb tense and agreement so you write correctly. You will also get common mistakes, American vs British punctuation differences, idiomatic uses, and practical tips you can use today. All language here is simple and direct to make grading easy.
Parts of speech analysis
Nouns — what we quote and why:
Explanation: Nouns name people, places, ideas, or things. When you quote yourself you often quote a sentence, phrase, idea, or title. Example nouns in self-quoting: sentence, phrase, note, tweet, paragraph. Check that the noun you quote is clear.
Verbs — tense and agreement when quoting:
Explanation: Verbs show action or state. When you quote yourself, keep verb tense consistent. If you write, I said, “I will go”, the verb said is past and the quoted verb will go is future — this is correct if you are reporting a past statement. Always match subject-verb agreement in the reporting clause: I said (singular) not I says.
Adjectives and modifiers — place them close:
Explanation: Adjectives describe nouns. Use them right before the noun: my famous line, my first sentence. When you add modifiers to a quote, place them outside or inside the quote carefully. Example: She called it “a small, urgent note.” The commas and adjectives belong inside the quoted material if you quoted them.
Adverbs — use and placement:
Explanation: Adverbs change verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. When you report your own words, adverbs that change the reporting verb go outside the quotes: I strongly said, “I will go.” Adverbs that belong to the quoted verb stay inside: I said, “I will likely go.”
Prepositions — sentence flow and clarity:
Explanation: Prepositions link words and phrases. Use prepositions to place quoted material in sentence flows: In my article I wrote, “…” or About the event, I wrote “…” Keep prepositions close to the phrase they control to avoid dangling phrases.
Conjunctions — joining quoted ideas:
Explanation: Conjunctions join clauses. Use them to attach quotes to other clauses: I wrote that this is true, and I wrote, “It is true.” Check that connectors and punctuation work together to avoid run-on sentences.
Pronouns — clear reference in self-quoting:
Explanation: Pronouns replace nouns. When you quote yourself, ensure that pronouns inside or outside the quote refer clearly to their antecedents: I said, “We must act now.” Here we inside the quote needs context so readers know who we refers to.
Quick overview: when to use quotation marks for your own words
Use quotation marks when you repeat your exact previous words. That includes:
- Quoting a line you wrote earlier in the same text.
- Quoting something you wrote in a different work (article, blog, tweet).
- Quoting spoken words you said out loud.
- Quoting a title or short phrase (often titles of articles, songs — follow style guide).
Do not use quotation marks to paraphrase your ideas. Paraphrase with your own words and no quotes. Use quotation marks only for exact wording.
Basic rules: forms of quotation and punctuation
Short direct quote
Use double quotation marks for a short quote: She wrote, “I will return.”
- Example parts of speech: She (pronoun subject), wrote (verb, past), I (pronoun in quote), will return (future verb phrase inside quotes).
Quote inside quote (nested)
If you quote yourself that contains someone else’s quote, use single quotes inside double: I said, “He told me, ‘I am ready,’ and left.”
- Use single quotes for the inner quote in American and British usage when nesting inside double quotes.
Block quotes for long self-quotes
For longer quotations (style guides vary; often 40+ words), use a block quote without quotation marks and indent. Introduce the block with a colon and a reporting clause: I wrote this in my article:
This long paragraph contains the exact words I wrote before. It appears as a block quote and needs its own paragraph breaks.
Punctuation with quotes
- American style: Periods and commas usually go inside the closing quotation mark: He said, “I agree.”
- British (logical) style: Periods and commas may go outside if they are not part of the quote: He said, “I agree”. (Both forms exist; check your house style.)
When you quote yourself, follow the punctuation rules of the style you use (APA, MLA, Chicago, house style).
How to report your own words: reporting verbs and tense
When you quote yourself, the reporting verb (said, wrote, noted, tweeted, posted) sets tense and tone.
- Present for current reporting: I write, “…” (uncommon; used in literary present)
- Past for reported speech/writing: I wrote, “…” or I said, “…” — common when you quote earlier text or an earlier statement.
Example: In my tweet I wrote, “Join the meeting now.” — wrote is past and matches that the tweet was posted previously.
Check subject-verb agreement: I wrote (correct), She wrote (correct), They wrote (plural).
Quoting yourself across documents and media
When you quote your own previous work in a new document:
- Treat the quote like any other source: use quotation marks, identify the source, and include a citation if required.
- For longer quotes, use a block quote and a clear citation.
When quoting your own spoken words, use quotes in the transcript: I said, “I will be there.” If the quote is from a recording, note the context.
Examples with parts-of-speech checks and tense agreement
Quoting a sentence you wrote earlier
Sentence: Earlier I wrote, “Short sentences help readers.”
- Earlier — adverb (time)
- I — pronoun (subject)
- wrote — verb (past)
- “Short sentences help readers.” — quoted clause (Short — adjective; sentences — noun; help — verb; readers — noun)
Check: tense (wrote = past) fits reporting of earlier text.
Quoting a tweet
Sentence: I tweeted, “Join us live at 6.”
- I — pronoun (subject)
- tweeted — verb (past)
- “Join us live at 6.” — quoted command (Join — verb imperative; us — pronoun; live — adverb; at 6 — prepositional time phrase)
Imperative in quote is fine; reporting verb is past.
Quoting a fragment of your sentence
Sentence: I described the scene as “dark and quiet.”
- I — pronoun
- described — verb (past)
- the scene — noun phrase (object)
- as — preposition/conjunction introducing quote
- “dark and quiet” — quoted adjectives
Here the quoted fragment is not a full sentence. Use quotes and match sentence punctuation: no period inside if quote is fragment unless your style requires it.
Quoting dialogue you said
Sentence: He asked and I answered, “No, not yet.”
- He — pronoun (subject)
- asked — verb (past)
- and — conjunction
- I — pronoun (subject)
- answered — verb (past)
- “No, not yet.” — quoted response (No — interjection; not yet — adverbial phrase)
Check punctuation: comma before opening quote is correct in American style.
Editing quotes: ellipses, brackets, and capitalization
Ellipses for omissions
If you shorten your quoted sentence, use ellipses to show removed words: I wrote, “We will…improve the plan.” Use three dots (or space-dot-space) per your style guide. Keep grammatical sense.
Brackets for changes or added words
When you add a word for clarity inside your quote, use square brackets: I said, “[The team] will arrive tomorrow.” Brackets show the addition is not in the original.
Capitalization of partial quotes
If you quote only a part of a sentence and it does not start with a capital letter, keep the original form unless you change it: She called it “an important test.” If you start the quote as a full sentence, capitalize: She wrote, “This is an important test.”
Tense in edited quotes
Do not change verb tense inside the quoted material unless you mark the change with brackets or ellipses and explain. Preserve the exact wording when possible.
Common mistakes and how to fix them (clear guide)
Forgetting quotation marks for exact words
- Wrong: I said I am leaving.
- Fix: I said, “I am leaving.”
Misplacing punctuation when quoting yourself
- Wrong (US style): I said, “I will go”.
- Fix (US style): I said, “I will go.”
- Note: British punctuation rules may place the period outside.
Failing to indicate the source when quoting your work across publications
- Wrong: Using your own previous paragraph without quote or citation.
- Fix: Use quotes and cite the previous work: I wrote in my article, “…” (Title, Year). Even if you are the author, treat the quotation as a source in formal writing.
Overusing quotation marks (scare quotes)
- Problem: Quoting your own words unnecessarily gives ironic or doubtful tone.
- Fix: Use quotes only for direct, exact words or when you want to signal the exact wording.
Poor ellipsis or bracket use
- Wrong: I wrote, “We will finish… next week.” (ambiguous)
- Fix: I wrote, “We will finish the report next week.” Or use ellipses carefully and show context.
American vs British differences for quoting yourself
- Punctuation placement: American style usually places commas and periods inside closing quotes. British (logical) sometimes places them outside unless they are part of the quote.
- US: I wrote, “Let us begin.”
- UK logical: I wrote, “Let us begin”.
- Quotation mark choice: American writing uses double quotation marks as default and single marks for nested quotes. British writing often uses single quotation marks as default and double for nested quotes.
- US: I said, “He said, ‘Yes.’”
- UK: I said, ‘He said, “Yes.”’
- Block quote formatting: Both use block quotes for long material, but exact indentation and citation formats follow specific style guides (APA, MLA, Chicago). For self-quotes, give clear attribution even if you are the author.
Always follow the style guide required by your publisher, teacher, or organization.
Idiomatic expressions and how self-quotes work with them
Sometimes you quote yourself using idioms or fixed phrases:
- To quote myself, I wrote, “We must try.” — Here the phrase to quote myself signals that an exact prior phrasing follows.
- Avoid using idioms inside quotes unless the original contained them.
- Use quotation marks for idioms you coined or used earlier to show the exact wording.
Example: In my blog I wrote, “This is not a drill.” Quoting that idiom highlights its exact wording and tone.
Practical tips: simple checklist for quoting yourself
- Use quotation marks for exact wording. If you repeat your exact sentence or phrase, put it in quotes.
- Use double quotes by default (or follow your style). Use single quotes only for nested quotes or per British style.
- Keep punctuation consistent with your chosen style. Place commas and periods per American or British rules.
- Use block quotes for long passages. Indent and omit quotation marks; introduce with a colon.
- Use ellipses and brackets correctly. Ellipses show omissions; brackets show additions or changes for clarity.
- Cite your previous work if the quote comes from a published source. In formal writing treat your earlier work as a source.
- Avoid scare quotes for your normal writing. They can sound ironic or dubious.
- Keep pronouns clear. Make sure I, we, they inside quotes refer clearly to known subjects.
- Check tense in the reporting clause. Use past for earlier statements (I wrote) and present for current framing (I write).
- Read aloud to check flow. Hearing the sentence helps spot misplaced commas and awkward breaks.
Rewriting and polishing — cleaner examples and style fixes
Below I rewrite some earlier examples in sharper, simpler form and explain edits.
- Original: Earlier I wrote, “Short sentences help readers.”
- Polished: Earlier, I wrote, “Short sentences help readers.”
- Why: comma after Earlier improves rhythm.
- Original: I said, “I will go”.
- Polished (US): I said, “I will go.”
- Why: punctuation moved inside closing quote for US style.
- Original: I wrote in my post, “Keep sentences short” (MyBlog, 2023).
- Polished: In my post I wrote, “Keep sentences short.”
- Why: clearer ordering; period inside quotes; citation would follow style guide.
- Original: She called it “a small, urgent note.”
- Polished: She called it “a small, urgent note.” (no change)
- Why: original is correct; adjectives and comma placement are fine.
These edits tighten commas, fix punctuation, and keep sentences simple.
Conclusion
Quotation marks when quoting yourself matter because they show exact wording and keep your writing honest. Use quotes for exact words, block quotes for long text, and follow your style guide for punctuation. Keep verb tense and subject-verb agreement clear in the reporting clause. Use ellipses and brackets carefully when you edit quotes. Avoid overuse of scare quotes and always make pronoun references clear. These small steps make your writing precise and easy to read.
FAQs
1. Do I need quotation marks if I quote my own blog post? Yes. Use quotation marks for short quotes and block quotes for long passages. Cite the source in formal writing.
2. Can I quote myself without citing? In formal writing, cite your earlier work even if you are the author. In casual writing, a note like as I wrote earlier may suffice.
3. Which quotes do I use inside my own quote? Use double quotes for the main quote and single quotes for a quote inside that quote (nested).
4. Do periods and commas go inside or outside the quotes? American style: inside. British logical style: outside unless part of the quote. Follow your style guide.
5. How do I shorten my own long sentence in a quote? Use ellipses to show omissions: I wrote, “We will…improve the plan.” Keep meaning clear.
6. Can I change a word in my quote? Only with brackets to show the change: I wrote, “[The team] will arrive.”
7. Do I need quotation marks for single words I used earlier? Yes if you repeat the exact word as a quote. But avoid unnecessary quotes for single words unless exact phrasing matters.
8. What about paraphrasing my own words? Do not use quotes for paraphrase. Rewrite in your own words and no quotes are needed.
