"You can keep half of the strawberries you pick," shouted Paul, looking over the hedge.(Here, a colon has been selected because the quotation is an independent clause. Paul looked over the hedge and shouted: "You can keep half of the strawberries you pick.".Only a comma can be used after a quotation. There is only a choice between a comma and a colon when the quotation is being introduced. (Rule 4) You can only use a comma (i.e., not a colon) after a quotation. Granddad looked at me over the top of his glasses and said, "I've seen it all and done it all.(You should use a comma here as neither the introduction nor the quotation is an independent clause.) She said, "tomorrow, definitely tomorrow.".You should opt for a comma if the introduction is not an independent clause. (Rule 3) Use a comma if the introduction is not an independent clause. The prisoner uttered: "Leave me alone.".You could opt for a colon if the quotation itself is an independent clause, especially if you intend to start it with a capital letter. (Rule 2) You can use a colon if the quotation is an independent clause. (Here, "The guides always gave the same advice" is an independent clause.)
The guides always gave the same advice: "Leave them alone, and they will leave you alone.".You should opt for a colon if the introduction is an independent clause (i.e., a clause that could stand alone as a sentence), and you should start the quotation with a capital letter. (Rule 1) Use a colon if the introduction is an independent clause. In more formal writing, however, punctuation is expected after an introduction for a quotation.
#How to introduce a quote in an essay examples free
In creative writing especially, writers are free to choose to achieve their desired flow of text. When introducing a quotation with words like "He said," "She whispered," "It stated," or "He said the following," you have to decide whether to follow the introduction with a comma, a colon, or nothing. (These are the actual words on the sign.)