he said that "you were correct." vs he said, "you were correct."

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. The first phrase uses double quotation marks inside single quotation marks to indicate a quote within a quote. The second phrase uses a comma before the quotation to introduce a passage of direct speech. The choice between the two depends on the style guide or your personal preference.

Explained by Jennifer
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: September 27, 2024 • 13104 views

he said that "you were correct."

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a quote within a quote.

This phrase is used when quoting someone who is quoting someone else. The double quotation marks inside the single quotation marks help differentiate the two levels of quotation.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 15, 2024

Which of the following sentences is punctuated INCORRECTLY? A. He said that "You were correct." B. He said, "You are correct." C.
Dec 15, 2022 ... ... you spend most of your time. You are not special because you think you're smart enough to correct people. Learn your facts before you start ...
Well that was probably true. They were all on a diet. But now we're told that 9.3 million families in this country are poverty-stricken on the basis of earning ...
Jan 7, 2023 ... We weep over the might have been, but there is no might have been. There never was. It is supposed to be true that those who do not know history ...
Apr 30, 2018 ... ... he said that an unjust law is no law at all. ... 12.5 million slaves were transported in the trans Atlantic slave trade in total that is true.
He said that he never knew what the completed picture would look like ... I don't know all that many things that are positively true, but I do know ...
Both of the following sentences are correct: The child said that they ... "Did you turn off the coffee pot?" I asked Evelyn if she had turned off the ...
Jun 12, 2024 ... We have to understand. God can't stand groveling. We were created to be a shining light in the universe. When we are our best, we are.
May 21, 2024 ... He said that when we sent him to his room to punish him he couldn't eat or drink anything for an entire day. He said that we were going to ...

he said, "you were correct."

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to introduce direct speech.

This phrase is used to directly quote what someone said. The comma before the quotation marks is a common way to introduce direct speech.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 09, 2024

Nov 30, 2022 ... He said “i'm late”-present continuous, and then he said “I was stack”, but it is past perfect time. Mb correct point would write like “I was ...
Nov 25, 2017 ... He was very drunk and called me to say he really loves me, he even started crying when he said he needs me. Is he true to his feelings? How ...
Sep 26, 2024 ... 8239 likes, 187 comments - etthehiphoppreacher on September 26, 2024: "God said you're great. He said in the word that you were fearfully ...
And then one of them broke the silence. ``Tell us about the American miracle,'' he said. Well, back in 1980, when I was running for President, it was ...
Feb 12, 2023 ... thing in your body for a limited amount of time. Correct your own script. You pay the price. I did, (05:05): and ...
Feb 9, 2014 ... Hello ysyoimarch. :) Yes, it is correct, for the very reason you give. :thumbsup:.
Jun 23, 2016 ... Isn't this true prosperity? Prosperity belongs to anyone through the finished works of Jesus Christ. Southernbelfry • 8 years ago. Mary had just ...
May 21, 2024 ... Tiny Love Stories: 'He Said We Were Missing “The Magic”'. Modern ... We also have swag at the NYT Store and two books, “Modern Love: True ...
Sep 21, 2019 ... I know the rules for when you report something someone else said, but in this specific case I am wondering whether the grammatically correct ...
Jun 17, 2020 ... So, it wasn't necessarily about how he said it, like how all of my friends perceived it to be. It was more about the emotion and intent behind ...

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he said that "you were correct." vs he said, "you were correct."

he said that "you were correct."

he said, "you were correct."

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