In an audio essay, the same voice may narrate, paraphrase and read somebody else’s words. A listener cannot see quotation marks, so the script needs to make those changes understandable through language.
Before a short quotation, identify its source and explain why it belongs here. After it, use a transition that makes your own commentary recognisable. A change in tone can help, but it should not carry all the attribution.
An invented structure might be: “In her written response, the organiser describes the delay this way…” followed by the permitted short quotation, then “That explanation addresses the schedule; it does not answer the question about access.” The last sentence clearly returns to the narrator’s analysis.
Keep three forms separate
- Quotation
- The source’s exact words, used with appropriate permission or other applicable basis.
- Paraphrase
- Your wording of the source’s meaning, still attributed.
- Commentary
- Your interpretation or argument about the material.
During a script review, highlight each form differently in your working copy. Check that a listener would understand the change even without seeing those colours.
Finally, listen to the recorded transition. If the quote sounds like a claim made directly by the host, strengthen the spoken attribution. Clear source boundaries protect the meaning of the piece as well as the listener’s ability to follow it.