Which sentence uses a colon to introduce a quotation?

Which sentence uses a colon to introduce a quotation?

• A. He said: "Meet me at noon."
• B. He said, "Meet me at noon."
• C. He said: Meet me at noon.
• D. He said: Meet me at noon.

Answer: (B)

The concept being tested is using a colon to introduce a quotation. When the first part is a complete sentence and what follows is the exact spoken words, a colon can be placed after the introductory sentence to lead into the quotation, which is then set in quotation marks. In the sentence He said: "Meet me at noon," the colon after "He said" signals that the upcoming words are the exact quotation. The quotation marks clearly mark the spoken words, showing it’s a direct quote. The other options either use a comma instead of a colon, omit quotation marks, or place words after the colon without presenting a direct quotation, so they don’t demonstrate colon usage to introduce a quotation.

The concept being tested is using a colon to introduce a quotation. When the first part is a complete sentence and what follows is the exact spoken words, a colon can be placed after the introductory sentence to lead into the quotation, which is then set in quotation marks.

In the sentence He said: "Meet me at noon," the colon after "He said" signals that the upcoming words are the exact quotation. The quotation marks clearly mark the spoken words, showing it’s a direct quote. The other options either use a comma instead of a colon, omit quotation marks, or place words after the colon without presenting a direct quotation, so they don’t demonstrate colon usage to introduce a quotation.