include a variable in my text

Im working on a web quiz that has a rational for when it grades the test. I am loading all the question into the database and I want to be able to have the rational echo the question that it is refering to. Like below:

I want it change from this
A is incorrect because an apple is red

to
Orange is incorrecct because an apple is red

where orange is already in the database as "ans1"

So the text I think I want to put into the rational field wold be something like this I think

ans1 is incorrect because an apple is red

But I don't know the right code to place it in so that my php script recognizes it as a variable and not text and to print the text instead?