You're writing a paper, an article, or a report, and you come across the perfect quote — except it's already inside someone else's quote. Now what? Do you use double quotation marks? Single ones? Both? What does the citation even look like?
Knowing how to quote a quote is one of those skills that sounds simple until you're actually staring at the page. This guide breaks it all down in plain English, with practical examples you can follow immediately — whether you're writing an academic essay, a blog post, or a professional report.
What Does It Mean to "Quote a Quote"?
Quoting a quote — sometimes called a nested quotation or quote within a quote — happens when the source you're citing already contains a quotation from someone else. For example, imagine you're reading a book by Author A, and Author A quotes Author B. If you want to use Author B's words in your own writing, you're quoting a quote.
This situation is extremely common in:
- Academic essays and research papers
- Journalism and long-form articles
- Legal writing and business reports
- Literary analysis and criticism
The good news: the rules are consistent once you understand them. Let's walk through exactly how to do it.
How to Quote a Quote in General Writing
In standard American English writing, the basic rule is straightforward:
- Use double quotation marks (" ") for your main, outer quotation.
- Use single quotation marks (' ') for the quote that already exists inside the source.
Here's a simple example. Suppose you found this passage in an article by Maria Chen:
"When Lincoln said 'Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe,' he was really talking about the power of preparation."
If you want to quote Chen's full passage in your own writing, it looks like this:
Maria Chen argues that "when Lincoln said 'Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe,' he was really talking about the power of preparation."
Notice how Lincoln's words stay in single quotes, while Chen's passage sits inside double quotes. That layering is the key to quoting a quote correctly.
Note for British English writers: The convention is reversed — single quotes go on the outside, double quotes on the inside. Always match the style guide your audience expects.
How to Quote a Quote in MLA
When writing in MLA format, you'll follow the same double/single quotation mark rule described above. However, there's an important citation detail to know.
MLA uses the abbreviation qtd. in (quoted in) to signal that you found a quote inside another source — rather than tracking it down in its original form.
Example in-text citation (MLA):
Lincoln reportedly believed that "give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe" (qtd. in Chen 47).
In your Works Cited list, you cite Chen's work (the source you actually read), not the original speaker's work. This is because you haven't verified the original source yourself — you're relying on Chen's account of it.
Key MLA rules for quoting a quote:
- Use qtd. in followed by the secondary source author and page number.
- Only list the secondary source (the one you read) in your Works Cited.
- Keep single quotation marks around the embedded quote.
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How to Quote a Quote in APA
APA style takes a slightly different approach. Instead of qtd. in, APA uses the phrase "as cited in" within the in-text citation.
Example in-text citation (APA):
Lincoln's emphasis on preparation — "give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe" — has been widely interpreted as a philosophy of deliberate practice (as cited in Chen, 2021, p. 47).
Just like MLA, you cite the secondary source (the one you actually read) in your reference list, not the original.
Key APA rules for quoting a quote:
- Use as cited in followed by the secondary source author, year, and page number.
- Include only the secondary source in your reference list.
- Try to find the original source whenever possible — APA discourages relying on secondary sources if the primary is accessible.
How to Quote a Quote Within a Quote (Triple Nesting)
Things get trickier when you need to nest a quote three levels deep — a quote, inside a quote, inside another quote. This is rare, but it does happen, especially in literary criticism.
The solution: alternate back to double quotation marks for the innermost quote.
Pattern: Double → Single → Double
"Chen notes that 'when Lincoln said "Give me six hours to chop down a tree," he was speaking metaphorically,' which reframes the entire anecdote."
Honestly, if you find yourself at three levels of nesting, it's usually a sign to restructure your sentence. Over-quoting can make writing feel cluttered and hard to follow — which brings us to a smarter alternative.
How to Paraphrase a Quote Instead
Sometimes the best way to handle a quote within a quote is to simply paraphrase it. Paraphrasing means restating the idea in your own words, which often makes your writing flow better and shows that you've genuinely understood the source.
Here's the original nested quote again:
"When Lincoln said 'Give me six hours to chop down a tree,' he was really talking about the power of preparation." — Maria Chen
Paraphrased version:
According to Chen, Lincoln's famous tree-chopping remark was less about physical labor and more about the value of thorough preparation (Chen, 2021, p. 47).
Notice how the paraphrase is cleaner, uses your own voice, and still gives credit to both Chen and Lincoln — without the awkward punctuation juggling.
If you're struggling to rephrase a dense or complex quote, the Paraphraser at WriteGenius can help you reword passages while preserving the original meaning. It's especially useful when you need to paraphrase without accidentally plagiarizing.
How to Introduce a Quote Effectively
A quote — nested or otherwise — should never float on its own. It needs a signal phrase that tells readers who said it and why it matters. This is called introducing a quote, and doing it well is what separates good writers from great ones.
Common Signal Phrases
- According to [Author], "..."
- [Author] argues that "..."
- As [Author] observes, "..."
- In the words of [Author], "..."
- [Author] writes that "..."
The Three-Part Quote Sandwich
A reliable formula for using any quote effectively:
- Introduce it: Name the source and set up context.
- Present it: Drop in the quote with correct punctuation.
- Analyze it: Explain what the quote means and why it supports your point.
Example:
Chen draws a sharp connection between Lincoln's rhetoric and modern productivity philosophy, noting that "when Lincoln said 'Give me six hours to chop down a tree,' he was really talking about the power of preparation" (Chen, 2021, p. 47). This reframing suggests that even 19th-century leaders understood what behavioral scientists now call "deliberate practice."
The quote is introduced, presented cleanly, and then unpacked. That's the full package.
Quick-Reference: Quoting a Quote Cheat Sheet
- Standard writing: Outer quote = double marks (" ") | Inner quote = single marks (' ')
- MLA citation: Use qtd. in + secondary source in Works Cited
- APA citation: Use as cited in + secondary source in References
- Triple nesting: Double → Single → Double (but consider restructuring instead)
- Best alternative: Paraphrase the inner quote to simplify your writing
- Always introduce: Use a signal phrase before any quote
Final Thoughts
Quoting a quote correctly comes down to three things: using the right punctuation, citing the source you actually read, and introducing the quote so your reader understands its purpose. Once those three habits click, nested quotations stop feeling like a grammar puzzle and start feeling like a natural part of your writing toolkit.
And if you want to make sure your citations are perfectly formatted before you submit, run them through the Citation Generator — it supports MLA, APA, Chicago, and more, and takes just seconds to use.
Write smarter, cite cleaner, and let your sources work for you.