SOME British readers might wonder why a London-based publication uses double inverted commas like "these". And some American readers may wonder why commas and full stops (er, periods) sometimes appear ...

Inverted commas are used to show direct speech. They are also known as speech marks. They are placed before and after the exact words a character says. “Shall we go to Grandpa’s house?” asked Sally.

They are inaudible and unpronounceable. They do not exist in spoken English—they are at best a pause rather than a presence: no one (with apologies to those listening to this article in our audio ...