Which sentence uses correct punctuation in a quotation?

• A. The manager said, 'Please review the report.'
• B. The manager said, 'Please review the report'
• C. The manager said 'Please review the report.'
• D. The manager said, Please review the report.

Answer: (A)

When reporting speech, place a comma after the verb that introduces the quotation and enclose exactly what was spoken in quotation marks. If the spoken sentence ends with a period, that period stays inside the quotation marks. In this example, the manager said, 'Please review the report.' follows that rule: the comma after said separates the reporting clause from the quoted speech, the spoken sentence is inside the quotation marks, and the period ends the quoted sentence, appearing inside the marks. That combination is the standard, clear way to show who is speaking and what they said.

The other options falter because they mishandle the separation between the reporting clause and the quoted speech, or they misplace the period and quotation marks, which obscures where the spoken words begin and end.