College Composition / Unit 7 CMP 0162 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Commas With Quotations
Captions available
The idea
Use a comma between a signal phrase and a direct quotation.
In practice
"As the report states, “The labs are outdated.”" The comma separates the writer's words from the quoted words.
Where people slip
An indirect quotation, introduced by that, takes no comma: "The report states that the labs are outdated."
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it · Sources for College Composition