Learn English – use quotation marks to suggest that somebody should say something

grammar

Simple question, can I use double quotes (") to suggest that somebody should say something?

For example, can I say:

You should say "Hello" to your neighbours

Is this grammatically correct?

Best Answer

Yes, you should use quotation marks. It is grammatically correct, and intuitive as well. It is the only way to advise about using a particular phrase or expression. For example, you could have said:

You should greet your neighbors.

That sentence has a different meaning. The only way to suggest that somebody should say something specific is to express yourself as follows,

You should say "Hello" to your neighbors.

or "Good morning" or "Howdy" or "Good day" or whatever salutation you feel is best.

I realize that this is not Etiquette Stack Exchange, but Emily Post is known for her correct grammatical usage as well. The online version of her work has an entry on this subject which is consistent, with "Hello" in quotation marks:

Greet neighbors whenever you see them. A smile, a wave, and a pleasant "hello" are probably the easiest way to show neighbors that they matter to you.

You might not want to capitalize the "h" in "hello", but I am less certain about that. It looks right to me. (Your question was not about that anyway, but rather, the use of quotation marks).

Related Topic