Which of the following best explains an indirect quotation?

• A. It repeats someone's exact words with no changes
• B. It provides a numerical representation of a quote
• C. It paraphrases the original words without using them directly
• D. It is a verbatim account of a conversation

Answer: (C)

An indirect quotation is best defined as a paraphrase of someone's words without using the exact language they employed. This means that the essence and meaning of the original statement are conveyed, but the wording is altered to fit the context of the new statement or the narrator's voice. For example, if someone originally said, "I am feeling tired," an indirect quotation would express this as, "She said she was feeling tired." This approach allows for more fluid integration of the quoted content into a larger narrative or argument while maintaining the original idea.

The other descriptions do not encapsulate the concept correctly. Direct quotations require the exact wording, while numeric representations are unrelated to quoting spoken or written lines. A verbatim account indicates a complete and unaltered representation of dialogue, which does not align with the concept of indirect quoting.