Before every game, my coach always says the same thing "I believe in you."

Question

Question
Which sentence has the correct punctuation?

Answer options with 4 options
1.
Before every game, my coach always says the same thing: "I believe in you."

2.
Before every game, my coach always says the same thing. "I believe in you."

3.
Before every game, my coach always says the same thing, "I believe in you."

4.
Before every game, my coach always says the same thing; "I believe in you."

Answer 1

The correct option is:

1. Before every game, my coach always says the same thing: "I believe in you."

This option correctly uses a colon to introduce the quotation, as it follows an independent clause.