No Quotation Marks with Indirect Discourse
The Quotation Mark
Rulebase Summary
Do not use quotation marks with indirect discourse — when someone's words are reported or paraphrased rather than quoted directly. Indirect discourse typically uses words like "said that," "told him that," or "asked whether."
Examples
A. He told me that "he was not going to cooperate."
A. He told me that he was not going to cooperate.
'Said that' signals indirect discourse — no quotes.
A. She asked whether "the documents had been filed."
A. She asked whether the documents had been filed.
'Asked whether' is indirect discourse — no quotation marks.
Transcript Notes
In correct English, indirect discourse is introduced by 'that' or 'whether,' though in reporting we cannot always count on this construction. The test for whether to quote: Are these the exact words you would use if you were talking to someone face to face? If so, quote them. If not (you're paraphrasing or 'thinking'), don't quote. The tense of verbs and choice of pronouns provide clues — 'I' and present tense suggest direct discourse; 'he' and past tense suggest indirect.
Style Guide References (2)
BGGP
Morson's