this is a random question about quotations.

It is included as it is part of what Megan says.

It is included IF it is part of what Megan says.

That's an indirect quotation and doesn't even need quotation marks.

If a person wants to show that it is a direct, exact quotation, QMs are in order.

In a case like this - quotes should just be around the words that were actually stated by the person you are quoting.

Like Sturges said it more likely is that Megan actually said the word the so "the only path to healthy living." is the correct choice.

Couldn't Megan have said

"veganism is the only path to healthy living"?

She could have; however, unless we were told that was part of what Megan said, it is presumed she did not. Quite possibly, it was a group of people discussing their vegan lifestyle.

Actually we were told, in a manner of speaking, which wasn't completely clear, so you may well be correct, Sturgis.

In reported speech, there isn't often a need to try to quote anything, which is why we have and use reported speech grammar mechanisms. If a speaker feels there is some special need then whatever was an actual quote, and whatever the speaker feels needs to be a direct quote would come within the QM.

Roger said, "That's an indirect quotation and doesn't even need quotation marks". He too is correct but again, should the speaker choose to highlight a certain portion of the speech for reasons known only to them, then QMs would work.

If it was speech and the portion was important/crucial for some reason or other, we could see air quotes being employed.

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ORIGINAL: Say I want to quote a sentence that begins with "the," do I include the "the" in the quotation, or leave it out? Does it matter?

Megan said that veganism was the "only path to healthy living."

Megan said that veganism was "the only path to healthy living."

Say I want to quote a sentence that begins with "the," do I include the "the" in the quotation, or leave it out? Does it matter?