Question

Read the sentence below and answer the question that follows.

George C. Parker, a con artist from around the 1900s, conned others into buying the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, Grant’s Tomb, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

How should the sentence above be changed to demonstrate the correct use of quotation marks?
A.
The word “buying” should be in quotation marks because it is an ironic use: Parker wasn’t authorized to sell those landmarks, and the people who gave him money didn’t really buy anything.
B.
The titles of the famous landmarks should be in quotation marks because they are large and well-known.
C.
The words “conned others” should be in quotation marks for special emphasis.
D.
“A con artist from around the 1900s” should be in quotation marks because it is a direct quotation.

Answer 1

The answer would be (A). Because buying is being used ironically

Answer 2

The correct answer is: A) The word “buying” should be in quotation marks because it is an ironic use: Parker wasn’t authorized to sell those landmarks, and the people who gave him money didn’t really buy anything.

In this case scare quotes are being used to distance from the word "buying", either because it is odd or inappropiate. In this case it is used to express irony.

The people paying for the Brookyn Bridge or the Statue of the Liberty thought they were doing a real deal but they were being scammed. For them, it was all a real transaction in which they had to pay in exchange for a product. For George C. Parker and us that know the real story, they were not buying anything, that is why the quotes are used.