The Basic Mechanics

When you quote a passage that already contains a quotation, you're creating nested quotes. The standard American English convention is double quotes on the outside, single quotes on the inside.

Example:

According to Smith, "When the researcher announced that 'all results were preliminary,' the committee reconsidered their decision" (2023, p. 45).

The outer quote (Smith's words) gets double quotes. The inner quote (the researcher's words, as quoted by Smith) gets single quotes.

British English conventions are often reversed—single quotes outside, double inside. Follow your style guide or publisher's preference.

Who Do You Cite?

This is the more important question. You have two options:

Option 1: Cite the source you actually read (secondary citation)

If you read Smith, and Smith quotes the researcher, you cite Smith—with a note that you're accessing the researcher's words through Smith.

APA format:

The researcher claimed that "all results were preliminary" (as cited in Smith, 2023, p. 45).

Your reference list includes only Smith (the source you read).

Option 2: Find and cite the original source

If the inner quote is important to your argument, track down the original source (the researcher's actual paper) and cite that directly.

This is almost always the better choice for substantive quotes.

When to Track Down the Original

Go find the original source when the quote is central to your argument, you're relying on the quote for evidence, the original is reasonably accessible, and academic rigor matters (theses, publications).

A secondary citation is acceptable when the quote is peripheral or illustrative, the original is genuinely inaccessible (historical, untranslated, lost), you're discussing how the secondary source used the quote, and it's a casual reference in less formal writing.

Punctuation Details

For American English, the period and comma go inside all quotation marks:

Smith noted that the process was "entirely 'unprecedented,' according to witnesses."

For question marks and exclamation points, placement depends on what's being questioned or exclaimed:

Did Smith really say the results were "entirely 'preliminary'"?

(The question is yours, not Smith's, so the question mark goes outside.)

Block Quotes With Nested Quotes

For longer passages (typically 40+ words in APA, 4+ lines in MLA), use block quote formatting. In a block quote, don't use outer quotation marks—the indentation signals it's a quote. Inner quotes use regular double quotes:

Smith described the scene in detail:

The committee members sat in stunned silence. When the lead researcher finally spoke, saying "all results must be considered preliminary at this stage," several members audibly gasped. The implications were clear to everyone present.

(Smith, 2023, p. 45)

Multiple Layers of Nesting

What if there's a quote within a quote within a quote? This happens rarely, and it's usually a sign you should restructure.

Technically, you'd alternate: double, single, double, single. In practice, if you're three levels deep, paraphrase instead or cite the original source directly.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to change quote marks: Double quotes throughout creates ambiguity about where quotes begin and end.

Citing the wrong source: If you cite the inner source but only read the outer source, you're misrepresenting your research.

Not verifying accuracy: Secondary sources sometimes misquote. When possible, check that the inner quote is accurate.

Over-nesting: If your sentence has too many quotation marks, rewrite it. Clarity matters more than preserving every layer.

The exact formatting for nested quotations depends on your required citation style. Check the specific guide for your discipline below.