1. To indicate a word is being used in a specific way:
* Slang or informal language: "She's totally 'awesome'!" - Here, "awesome" is used in a more casual way than its literal meaning.
* Technical term: "The 'control group' in the experiment showed no significant change." - "Control group" might be a specific term with a technical definition.
* Foreign word: "He said "bonjour" to the waiter." - "Bonjour" is a French word, and the quotes highlight its foreignness.
* Word used ironically: "He was the "brains" of the operation." - The speaker uses "brains" ironically, suggesting the person is actually not very intelligent.
2. To emphasize or draw attention to a word:
* "He was 'happy' to see her." - The quotes make the reader pause and consider the meaning of "happy," suggesting it might not be genuine happiness.
* "He was 'only' joking." - The emphasis on "only" implies that the joke might not have been entirely innocent.
3. To distinguish a word from surrounding text:
* "The word 'love' can have many meanings." - The word "love" is being referred to as a word itself, separate from its usual meaning.
4. To mark a word as a title:
* "The novel 'Pride and Prejudice' is a classic." - The quotes indicate that "Pride and Prejudice" is the title of a specific novel.
5. To denote a direct quote within a longer quote:
* "He said, 'She told me, "You're the best!"'" - The nested quotes indicate two layers of direct speech.
It's important to note that the specific meaning of the inverted commas can vary depending on context. The writer's intent should be clear from the surrounding text.