Can this be correct? “‛“What are you laughing at, Frog?”’” David asks, worried lines cutting his forehead. This is supposed to be a boy quoting a book – Frog and Toad are Friends – that he and his sister have read. The quote was in quotes in the original book, because it was speech. I say that it should be, “‘What are you laughing at, Frog?’” Can you help me please?

Question

Can this be correct?  	“‛“What are you laughing at, Frog?”’” David asks, worried lines cutting his forehead.  This is supposed to be a boy quoting a book – Frog and Toad are Friends – that he and his sister have read.  The quote was in quotes in the original book, because it was speech.  I say that it should be, “‘What are you laughing at, Frog?’”  Can you help me please?

anonymous · Answer

I would only use one set of quotation marks and simply say:

The boy quoted - Frog and Toad are Friends -, "What are you laughing at, Frog?"

anonymous · Answer

The problem is, however, that this is a quote from a novel.  I am trying to teach my students how to quote and I am sure this is wrong as it is.  I think the editor of the novel I am using to teach the concept of quoting a quote actually did not catch the mistake.  The boy in the novel, David, is autistic, and quotes from the book, "Frog and Toad are Friends" when speaking to his sister.  He is saying, "What are you laughing at, Frog?" to her in the novel, but it is shown as "'"What are you laughing at, Frog?"'" because he is quoting a quote.  I was taught that to quote a quote, you put double quotes on the outside, and single quotes around the original quote.  Is there a possibility that the extra set of quotes is there because it was printed in a book he is quoting from?  That just doesn't make sense to me.  What is the general consensus?  Do you think it is right as is, or wrong as is?