Which sentence correctly uses a colon to introduce a quotation?

Which sentence correctly uses a colon to introduce a quotation?

• A. He whispered: "Follow your heart."
• B. He whispered, "Follow your heart."
• C. He whispered; "Follow your heart."
• D. He whispered: Follow your heart.

Answer: (A)

Using a colon to introduce a quotation works when the part before the quote is a complete sentence and the quoted material is a direct statement that follows it. The colon signals that what comes next is an exact words spoken.

Here, the sentence before the quotation is complete: “He whispered.” The colon then introduces the direct quotation, and the first word of the quote is capitalized, which is the correct convention for a full sentence quoted after a colon. That makes this option the best choice.

The other options don’t fit the same rule. A comma after the introductory clause is acceptable in everyday writing, but it doesn’t use a colon to introduce the quotation. A semicolon isn’t used to introduce a quotation at all. And a colon followed by a complete sentence that isn’t capitalized after the colon breaks the capitalization rule that applies when the quoted material is a full sentence.