24 Quotations and Attributions
KEY CONCEPTS
Direct quotes use the exact words of a speaker. Use direct quotes:
• if exact language is needed for clarity.
• to demonstrate the speaker’s personality or originality.
• to clearly connect important information with an important source.
Example: “I usually have at least three hours of extra work every stinking night,” Susie Johnson, a local accountant, said. “By midnight I feel like my brain is chopped and fried.”
For direct quotations of more than one sentence, media writers often start with the first sentence of the quotation, followed by an attribution using said and a period. The remainder of the direct quotation can then stand alone after the attribution.
In direct quotations, commas and periods go inside of closing quotation marks.
Annotated Example: “I usually have at least three hours of extra work every stinking night(comma),” Susie Johnson, a local accountant, said(period). “By midnight I feel like my brain is chopped and fried(period).”
Indirect quotes involve rewording and rephrasing a quote without changing the meaning. Use a paraphrase to accurately portray the meaning of a quote in a more efficient manner.
Example: Susie Johnson, an accountant for Belvedere Recycling Services, said she works at least three additional hours each night.
“Before you answer any flip-card questions, I suggest that you study usage rules about quotes,” the instructor said. “I encourage you to read this chapter twice and look closely at how punctuation is used in each example .”
The example above is a direct quotation. Here’s another direct quotation about punctuation:
“Cut out all these exclamation points,” American author F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote. “An exclamation point is like laughing at your own joke.”
Accurate quotations can add credibility to media writing. Instead of quotations, many writers use the shortened term quotes.
Quotes require writers to pay close attention to punctuation. For example, any content that appears within quotation marks should be the exact words of the informational source, such as a public speaker, an interview subject or a document. For writers who conduct interviews, this means that direct quotes should be a word-for-word representation of what was spoken by an interviewee.
When you first cite a person who provides a quote, you should fully identify the source, including full name and the job title if applicable. In most cases, put the source’s name first, followed by the word said. If a direct quote contains two or more sentences, you will usually split the quote by using the first sentence followed by the attribution and the remainder of the quote. Here’s an example:
DIRECT QUOTE – “I bought a dresser for $40 and sold it for $85,” Blueville Mayor Richard Snodgrass said. “That gave me gas money for two weeks.”
Note that the comma and period go inside the closing quotation marks. After the attribution and the period, the beginning of the next directly quoted sentence is capitalized.
Instead of using a direct quote, writers have the option to rephrase information provided by a source. This is called an indirect quote or a paraphrase.
PARAPHRASE – Blueville Mayor Richard Snodgrass said he made $45 in profit by reselling a dresser that he had bought for $40 at a garage sale last year.
Media writers follow specific guidelines for attributions. For the first reference to an interview source, provide full identification, including any appropriate titles (such as mayor in the example below):
“I bought a dresser for $40 and sold it for $85,” Blueville Mayor Richard Snodgrass said. “That gave me gas money for two weeks.”
For the second reference to a person and any remaining references later in the same story, you will typically use just the last name.
Snodgrass said he will look for more bargains in the future.
Next, we’ll cover additional protocols for job titles and other identifying information about sources. On first reference, you will not use commas if the job title or other identifying information comes before the name.
State Senator Julian Velquet said he supports the bill.
(no commas)
Sophomore Sonya Moore said her apartment rent doubled in one year.
(no commas)
However, if the name comes first, you should use commas to set off the identifying information.
Julian Velquet, a state senator, said he supports the bill.
(use commas)
Sonya Moore, a sophomore, said her apartment rent doubled in one year.
(use commas)
If the writer uses an indirect quote with the attribution at the end of the sentence, use a comma between the paraphrased information and the attribution.
The bill would add crucial revenue for the state each year, State Senator Julian Velquet said.
(comma before the attribution)
Local apartments are becoming unaffordable for most students, sophomore Sonya Moore said.
(comma before the attribution)
In the two examples above, notice that capitalization depends on the type of identifying information. If a formal job title comes immediately before a name, you capitalize the job title (such as State Senator before Julian Velquet). You do not need to capitalize informal identifying information (such as sophomore before Sonya Moore).
Study the difference in capitalization for the two sentences below:
The bill would add crucial revenue for the state each year, State Senator Julian Velquet said.
(The job title is capitalized before the name with no commas.)
Julian Velquet, a state senator, said he supports the bill.
(The job title is not capitalized after the name, and you should use commas.)
In journalistic writing, you capitalize a formal job title only when it comes immediately before a name. Otherwise, you do not capitalize the job title.
Now that you are familiar with some of the quotation rules, we’ll try a few flip cards for practice. The first flip card covers direct quotes. Study punctuation usage closely:
Next, this flip card covers paraphrasing:
And here’s one more flip card for paraphrasing:
The third quotation style is in between a direct quote and a paraphrase. A partial quote uses a mixture of a paraphrase and a direct quote within a single sentence. Here is an example of a partial quote:
Due to three hours of extra work each night, Executive Accounts Coordinator Susie Johnson said she often feels as if her brain has been “chopped and fried.”
Use partial quotes sparingly to emphasize distinctive words and phrases from a source.
The following sentence is an exaggerated example of ineffective partial quotes:
Professor Dave Bostwick said to avoid “using” quotation marks for artificial emphasis on “single” words because that can be “annoying.”
MORE PRACTICE FOR PROFICIENCY
Below are additional questions based on this chapter. These questions may help you study for course assignments or a proficiency exam.
DIRECT QUOTES – Advance through the following set of practice questions about direct quotations by using the forward button.
PARAPHRASING – Advance through the following set of practice questions about indirect quotations by using the forward button.
WRITING EXERCISE
Using content from the video above, frame quotes in the following formats, which are explained in this lesson. The video’s opening includes a text graphic that provides the speaker’s name and job title.
1. A direct quote of two sentences with full attribution for first reference.
2. A paraphrase of one sentence with attribution for second reference.
3. A partial quote with attribution for second reference.
4. In two tightly constructed sentences, explain your key takeaway from this chapter. Do not use any first-person pronouns (such as I, me, my or mine) in your writing.
