When introducing a quotation with a signal phrase, what is the correct approach?

• A. Put the quote before the signal phrase.
• B. Introduce the quote with a signal phrase, then include the quotation with quotation marks and an in-text citation.
• C. Place the citation after the paragraph before the quote.
• D. Use a colon after the signal phrase without quotation marks.

Answer: (B)

When you introduce a quotation with a signal phrase, you want to clearly attribute the source before you present the exact words. The signal phrase sets up who is speaking and why their words matter for your point. Then you present the quotation in quotation marks to show these are the source’s exact words, and you follow with an in-text citation so readers can locate the source in the Works Cited or References list. This sequence—signal phrase, quotation, and citation—keeps attribution direct, preserves the source’s wording, and links the evidence to your argument.

Putting the quote before the signal phrase makes it harder to tell who is speaking and can blur attribution. Leaving out quotation marks would disguise the source’s exact words, and inserting the citation in an awkward place (for example, after the paragraph rather than right after the quote) weakens the clear connection between the quotation and its source.