Presentations Skills: Quotations

Quotations are safe to use because if the quotation is not funny, it doesn't matter since you are just reciting it. You did not write it. It can still be used to make your point. You can use the power of the name of the person who did write it. People will be more likely to laugh or at least chuckle if a famous person made up the quotation.


If you are not sure to whom the quotation belongs, it does not matter at all. Unless I am absolutely certain who said something, I always give myself an out. I usually say I BELIEVE it was ____________ who said. This keeps me out of trouble for attributing the quotation to the wrong person.

Sometimes I say, "My great, great grandpappy used to say," or "my old aunt Maude used to say." However, if you know for sure who said something and their name carries weight, go ahead and use it. There are literally thousands and thousands of notable quotations available to you. To give you some examples, I'll dedicate the speaker humor section below to quotations.

Academics and purists don't read the next two paragraphs

(Now that they aren't reading I can tell you about real world stuff for the humorous speaker. The purists will claim I'm committing some kind of mortal sin.)

Don't feel bad about twisting the quotations to meet your situation. Mark Twain will never say a word about it. Neither will anyone else if you introduce your quotation by saying, "Someone once said," or "My great, great, grandpappy used to say." Then change the quotation around any way that suits you.

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