quotation

quotation — noun

1. a sentence or group of words that a person repeats from a longer piece of writin

1.名詞B1
釋義

a sentence or group of words that a person repeats from a longer piece of writing — such as a novel, poem, or speech — especially when the words are well-known or fit what the speaker wants to say.

例句

Trang began her speech with a quotation from a poem by Rumi.

quotation + from [source]

The teacher asked the class to find a quotation from the novel showing its main theme.

find a quotation from [text]

同義詞
  • quote

    informal, shortened form, very common in speech

  • excerpt

    a longer selected passage, not necessarily an exact reproduction of a famous line

  • citation

    more formal, often used in academic writing with a reference

  • passage

    any section of text, does not imply it is someone else's words being repeated

文法句型

quotation + from [source]

quotation + by [person]

用法筆記

Often followed by 'from' to indicate the source (a quotation from Shakespeare). Distinguished from sense 4 (ACT OF QUOTING), which refers to the process or practice rather than the specific text itself.

常見錯誤

❌I found a quotation of Einstein.
✅I found a quotation from Einstein.
💡The source of a quotation is introduced with 'from', not 'of'.
❌She read a quotation about the book.
✅She read a quotation from the book.
💡Use 'from' before the work the words are taken out of, not 'about'.

2. a written statement from a business or worker telling a customer how much a spec

2.名詞B1
釋義

a written statement from a business or worker telling a customer how much a specific job or service will cost, usually given in advance so the customer can decide whether to accept the price.

例句

Pedro asked three different builders to give him a quotation for repairing the roof.

ask [someone] + for a quotation + for [work]

The company accepted the lowest quotation for installing the new air conditioning system.

同義詞
  • quote

    informal, very common in business speech

  • estimate

    similar meaning but may be less firm; a quotation is usually a fixed promise, while an estimate can change

  • price

    broader term; a price can be a fixed label, whereas a quotation is a proposal for specific work

  • tender

    formal, used when companies compete for large contracts

文法句型

get + quotation

quotation + for [work]

用法筆記

Frequently used with the verbs 'get', 'ask for', 'give', and 'send'. In informal British English, the shortened form 'quote' is very common ('Can you give me a quote for the work?'). Unlike an invoice, a quotation is given before the work is done.

常見錯誤

❌The quotation was too high so I didn't buy it.
✅The quotation was too high so I didn't accept it.
💡A quotation is a price offer, not the goods themselves.
❌Please send me a quotation of the new phone.
✅Please send me a quotation for repairing the phone.
💡A quotation is for work or a service, not for a product you buy off the shelf.

3. an official current price for a company's shares on a stock exchange, or the sit

3.名詞B2
釋義

an official current price for a company's shares on a stock exchange, or the situation of those shares being listed and available for trading on that exchange.

例句

The company gained a quotation on the Tokyo Stock Exchange last year.

gain a quotation on [stock exchange]

Erik checked the stock quotation for his shares in the morning newspaper.

同義詞
  • share price

    more common in everyday speech; refers to the current value of one share

  • stock price

    the American equivalent of 'share price'

  • listing

    refers specifically to the fact that shares are traded on an exchange

  • market price

    broader term, used for any traded asset

文法句型

quotation + on [stock exchange]

stock + quotation

用法筆記

When meaning 'listing on an exchange', the verb 'gain' or 'obtain' is typical. When meaning 'current price', it is often used attributively ('stock quotation', 'share quotation'). More commonly replaced by 'share price' or 'stock price' in everyday financial discussion.

常見錯誤

❌The company's quotation went up 5%.
✅The company's share price rose 5%.
💡'Quotation' in the stock sense usually refers to the official listing status or the published price data, not the day-to-day price movement — use 'share price' instead.
❌I bought a quotation of the stock.
✅I bought shares of the stock.
💡A quotation is the price or listing, not the shares themselves.

4. the activity or practice of repeating someone else's exact words from a book, sp

4.名詞B2
釋義

the activity or practice of repeating someone else's exact words from a book, speech, or other source, especially in writing or formal speaking — for example, when a student copies a sentence from a novel into an essay and marks it with quotation marks.

例句

Ryo's essay relied too heavily on direct quotation and lacked his own analysis.

direct quotation [uncountable, academic writing]

The professor explained the difference between paraphrasing and direct quotation.

同義詞
  • citing

    more formal, often implies providing a full reference

  • quoting

    the more natural gerund form; 'quotation' as a noun for this sense is more formal

  • referencing

    broader; includes paraphrasing as well as direct quotation

反義詞
  • paraphrasing

    restating in your own words, the opposite of direct quotation

文法句型

direct quotation

through quotation

用法筆記

Uncountable — do not say 'a quotation' when referring to the practice. Distinguish from sense 1 (LITERARY QUOTATION), where 'quotation' is countable and refers to a specific instance of quoted text.

常見錯誤

❌He made a quotation of the whole poem.
✅He quoted the whole poem.
💡For the uncountable act, use the verb 'quote' or the gerund form 'quoting' instead of 'make a quotation'.
❌Good writers use many quotations.' (when meaning the practice)
✅Good writers use quotation effectively.
💡Use the uncountable form when referring to the general practice, not individual instances.