Recounted dialogue in dialogue

evangaline

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If a person is speaking and recounts the exact words of two people (about two sentences each), does each sentence have to be in its own set of single quotes (which, if my math is correct, would mean four sets of single quotes) or can there just be single quotes around each person's words (two sets of single quotes)?
*shakes head* Please forgive the asinine wording of the question.
 

Chase

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If a person is speaking and recounts the exact words of two people (about two sentences each), does each sentence have to be in its own set of single quotes (which, if my math is correct, would mean four sets of single quotes) or can there just be single quotes around each person's words (two sets of single quotes)?
*shakes head* Please forgive the asinine wording of the question.

I forgive you for everything, Evangaline. Please come home. :D
However, I'm not sure what you're asking. Any chance of some example sentences?
 

Nymtoc

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I'm confused, too. If I understand your question, you're wondering about something like this:

Jason said, "When I got to the house, Susan was saying, 'Get out of my house,' and Ronald said, 'Why should I?' Susan picked up a hatchet and said, 'Because I know how to use this,' and Ronald said, 'I'm going.'"

In such a construction, I think you do need all those quotes, but there are other ways of doing it. Why do you need direct quotes? Couldn't you write something like:

Jason said, "When I got to the house, Susan was telling Ronald to get out, and Ronald was standing there refusing to go, but when she picked up a hatchet, he left."

:Huh:
 

King Neptune

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I agree with Nymtoc. The easy way probably is to have a character paraphrase; that would eliminate all of the single quotation marks.
 

evangaline

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*sigh* See? I told you the wording was asinine. Okay. *takes a deep breath*

Sam and Bill (*g* names changed to protect the guilty) are good friends. They're having an argument about whether or not Bill is a bad person. (Sam doesn't think so). Sam says, "Our so-called friends never missed an opportunity to throw it in your face. 'Bill doesn't think of anyone except himself.' 'Don't get involved.' 'He'll throw you under the bus.' 'You're only asking for trouble.' I know the party line by heart."

The first two single quote sentences were originally said by one friend. The third and fourth single quote sentences were said by another. Can I put just one set of single quotes around the first two sentences and another around the last two or does each sentence need its own set of single quotes? Paraphrasing won't work in this case. It has to be exact. *sighs again* Thanks for putting up with me!
 

Kolta

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Sam and Bill (*g* names changed to protect the guilty) are good friends. They're having an argument about whether or not Bill is a bad person. (Sam doesn't think so). Sam says, "Our so-called friends never missed an opportunity to throw it in your face. 'Bill doesn't think of anyone except himself.' 'Don't get involved.' 'He'll throw you under the bus.' 'You're only asking for trouble.' I know the party line by heart."

The first two single quote sentences were originally said by one friend. The third and fourth single quote sentences were said by another. Can I put just one set of single quotes around the first two sentences and another around the last two or does each sentence need its own set of single quotes? Paraphrasing won't work in this case. It has to be exact.

Maybe it's just the way I happen to read these things, but I would be slightly confused by just the inclusion of quotes as to what a character is doing if they start off on this. Perhaps make it clearer that he's reciting something from memory?

"Our so-called friends never missed an opportunity to throw it in your face. 'Bill doesn't think of anyone except himself. Don't get involved. He'll throw you under the bus. You're only asking for trouble.' I know the party line by heart."

With the context given here, it looks as if it's less important to specify how many things were said by the same person than it is to relate the incessant stream of insults Bill's had thrown at him. I don't think either putting every sentence in quotes or setting them off into pairs is necessary. Everything Sam's quoting would probably all be closed off by one set of quotes. He's not bothering to attribute each insult to their speakers anyway. He's simply rattling everything off in one go to make a point.
 

evangaline

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"He's not bothering to attribute each insult to their speakers anyway. He's simply rattling everything off in one go to make a point." Yes, exactly. It doesn't matter which friend said what, but I wanted to make sure I had the punctuation correct with the quotation marks. Thanks!
 

chompers

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If it's a quote within a quote, you use single quotes for the embedded quote and double quotes for the person speaking it.*

For example:
John explained, "Sally told me the easiest way to know if that snake is venomous is to recite, 'Red to black, venom lack; red to yellow kills a fellow.'"

Notice you need to close both quotes, even if the quotation marks are next to each other.

*This is for American standards.
 
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evangaline

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If it's a quote within a quote, you use single quotes for the embedded quote and double quotes for the person speaking it.*

For example:
John explained, "Sally told me the easiest way to know if that snake is venomous is to recite, 'Red to black, venom lack; red to yellow kills a fellow.'"

Notice you need to close both quotes, even if the quotation marks are next to each other.

*g* That I know but using that particular guide would result in four sets of single quotes within the double quotes.
 

chompers

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Oh, sorry, I hadn't read the entire thread when I responded earlier. I just saw the OP.
 

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*sigh* See? I told you the wording was asinine. Okay. *takes a deep breath*

Sam and Bill (*g* names changed to protect the guilty) are good friends. They're having an argument about whether or not Bill is a bad person. (Sam doesn't think so). Sam says, "Our so-called friends never missed an opportunity to throw it in your face. 'Bill doesn't think of anyone except himself.' 'Don't get involved.' 'He'll throw you under the bus.' 'You're only asking for trouble.' I know the party line by heart."

The first two single quote sentences were originally said by one friend. The third and fourth single quote sentences were said by another. Can I put just one set of single quotes around the first two sentences and another around the last two or does each sentence need its own set of single quotes? Paraphrasing won't work in this case. It has to be exact. *sighs again* Thanks for putting up with me!
I think you can have it the way you have it here, or the way you mention below, since two people said two things each, or you could even combine them all as an example of what "our so-called friends" as a collective say. It's how you want it read. I read the example you use as staccato expressions, emphasizing each thing they said. If you combine some, the reader will read them as part of the same expression. "Bill doesn't think of anyone but himself. (So) Don't get involved."
 

guttersquid

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Sam says, "Our so-called friends never missed an opportunity to throw it in your face. 'Bill doesn't think of anyone except himself.' 'Don't get involved.' 'He'll throw you under the bus.' 'You're only asking for trouble.' I know the party line by heart."

The first two single quote sentences were originally said by one friend. The third and fourth single quote sentences were said by another. Can I put just one set of single quotes around the first two sentences and another around the last two or does each sentence need its own set of single quotes? Paraphrasing won't work in this case. It has to be exact. *sighs again* Thanks for putting up with me!

Now I understand the question, and here's the answer.

If the first two quotes were spoken in one speech, on one occasion, then you put quotation marks around both together.

'Bill doesn't think of anyone except himself. Don't get involved.'

If they were spoken at different times, then you separate them (as you have).

'Bill doesn't think of anyone except himself.' 'Don't get involved.'

Same for the second set.
 

evangaline

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"If they were spoken at different times, then you separate them (as you have). 'Bill doesn't think of anyone except himself.' 'Don't get involved.' "
That's what my gut told me after searching for answers. Each quote was spoken at different times. Thanks, guys, for your input!
 

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They don't have to be direct quotes. They just have to be expressed as if they are. But the OP says that they are direct quotes.
 

evangaline

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Yes, all four sentences (spoken by two people) are direct quotes.