Comparing Direct and Indirect Quotations
Different ways of writing what was said

We have been looking at how direct quotations represent exactly what was said or written by someone. The quotation marks and commas are used to set off the words that could have been heard or read.

An indirect quotation is a summary or paraphrase of what was said. Although the general meaning is the same, the wording is different. We use indirect quotations all the time when we want to refer to what someone said without using the exact words.

Here are some examples of direct quotations and corresponding indirect quotations with basically the same meaning. Notice the differences in wording and punctuation.

Direct quotation:

"I left my keys at Patrick's house," said Justin.

Indirect quotation:

Justin said that he left his keys at Patrick's house.

Direct quotation:

"Has anyone seen my keys?" asked Justin.

Indirect quotation:

Justin asked if anyone had seen his keys.

The differences between direct and indirect quotations

Both sets of the above quotations are correctly punctuated and worded. Let's take a look at the differences between them. It's important to know how each is written so you can use either one without confusing the reader about what was actually said.

1. Inside punctuation: The most obvious difference between the two is the punctuation. Notice how the indirect quotation has no punctuation except for the final period. Some people want to insert a comma after "that" or "if," but this is incorrect. If you read the indirect quotation aloud, you will hear no signficant pauses.

2. End punctuation: Even an indirect quotation referring to a question has only a period because it is just stating that a question was asked. The only exception is when the writer asks a question about what was said, like this: Did he say that I sounded nervous?

3. Pronoun point of view: Notice the changes in wording. In the direct quotation, the speaker refers to himself using words like "I" or "my." In the indirect quotation, the writer is summarizing what Justin said, so "he" and "his" are used. In other words, if you are familiar with the terms, first person or second person ("you") often switches to third person. An exception occurs when you are referring to something you said yourself. I told him that I never get nervous.

4. Indicator words: The word "that" or "if" (for a question) is often used to make the indirect quotation clearer. These words do not usually occur in direct quotations. While these words do not always appear with an indirect quote, they almost never do with a direct quotation.

Using direct and indirect quotations

The direct and indirect quotation are both correct forms. It's the purpose of the writing that determines which form is more effective. A conversation recounted in entirely indirect quotations could be rather boring, and research without a few direct quotations of the sources does not sound as authoritative. Here are some specific writing situations where you would use direct quotations:

• In a narrative essay, to add interest, realism, or drama;

• In a research report, to include specific and authentic support from a source of information;

• In a memo, letter, or report at work to show exactly what a client or employee said when reporting an incident, complaint, or a compliment.

Indirect quotations, on the other hand, are used whenever you want to give information from another source but keep the flow of the writing going. Indirect quotations are usually used in summaries. Also, you naturally use indirect quotations in your speech when you're quickly recounting a conversation:

Carol told me that she was going to quit her job at the restaurant next month. I asked her why, and she said she'd been invited to accompany her grandmother on a tour through Europe. When she told her boss about it, he said he couldn't cover her position for that long, so she just decided to look for a new job when she got back.

Practice with Direct and Indirect Quotations
Exercise on determining the differences

In this class, our main goal regarding indirect quotations is that you can tell the difference between them and direct quotations. You should know by the wording and punctuation which is which and use the appropriate punctuation for either in your writing. Access the quiz/practice link and see if you can tell the difference.

Click on the link Practice with Direct and Indirect Quotation in the assignment list below for practice in identifying these two types of quotations.

Another Common Use for Quotation Marks
Quotations for titles

Quotation marks have another use that you may be familiar with. They are used to indicate titles of shorter works, such as articles, songs, short poems, and TV shows. Longer pieces, such as titles for books, magazines, newspapers, movies, and plays, are underlined in college papers and italicized just about everywhere else. I am not going to spend time on this in this class because formatting such as underlining does not come through most email.