Use quotation marks to enclose direct quotations, unless the direct quote is more than four lines long. In the case of a block quote set the quote apart from the text without quote marks.
Single quote marks are used to indicate a quote within a quote. Even in block quotes, the single quote mark is used to indicate a quote within a quote.
Quotation marks are used to enclose: titles of poems titles of songs, titles of chapters in books titles of magazine articles, parenthetical families of titles of articles or chapters titles of essays in books.
Quotation marks are used to enclose words used in special ways (CLICHES) which might not otherwise be appropriate to the form or context.
Rules: periods and commas go inside quote marks unless a parenthetical citation is necessary; colons and semicolons go outside quote marks.
Semicolons
1. Use a semicolon between independent clauses not joined by coordinating conjunctions but bearing a dose relationship.
2. Use a semicolon between independent clauses joined by conjunctive adverbs or transitional expressions: however, moreover. Going to the circus is fun; however, I hate the animal abuse.
3. Use a semicolon between items in an already punctuated series.
Colon
Use a colon before a list or series with introductory word or words.
Use a colon before an element that defines, renames, or illustrates the preceding independent clause.
Use a colon before a formal quotation.
Use colons in time (32:30), biblical quotations (John 3:16), Memos (To: From:)