When and how do you use attributions?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Attributions should pair with all direct and indirect quotes to provide the answer to that “says who?” question. The preferred verb of attribution in this type of writing is “said” as it is nonjudgmental and easy to prove. Other verbs of attribution include Testified, Announced, Asked, and According to. The use of a noun–verb structure would dictate that attributions place the “who” before the “what,” leading to attributions of “Smith said,” or “she said.” Editors and writers often argue that long titles and writing pace should allow for the use of verb–noun structure when necessary. Writers who ascribe to a strict attribution philosophy will argue that each sentence in a story needs to be attributed to the source to avoid confusion and limit the writer’s liability. Writers who see attributions as a disruption to the flow and structure of a story often attribute at key points of a story and allow the reader to mentally “carry” that attribution forward until another source is introduced.