To punctuate indirect speech, the primary rule regarding commas depends on the order of the reporting clause and the reported clause.
The reported clause is the content of what was said, paraphrased. The reporting clause includes the subject and verb indicating who said it (e.g., "she said," "he asked," "they told me").
Punctuation Rules Based on Clause Order
Based on standard English grammar and the provided reference, the punctuation rules for indirect speech are straightforward:
- Reporting Clause First: When the reporting clause comes before the reported clause, you do not put a comma between them.
- Reporting Clause After: When the reporting clause comes after the reported clause, you use a comma to separate the two parts.
This can be summarized in a simple structure:
| Order of Clauses | Punctuation Between Clauses | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting Clause then Reported Clause | No comma | She told me they had left her without money. |
| Reported Clause then Reporting Clause | Comma | They had left her without money, she told me. |
Detailed Explanation and Examples
Let's break down the rules with further examples.
Rule 1: Reporting Clause Before Reported Clause
When you start a sentence with the reporting clause, it flows directly into the reported clause without any punctuation in between.
- Reporting Clause: He said
- Reported Clause: that he was feeling tired.
Combined: He said that he was feeling tired. (No comma needed)
This is a direct application of the rule: "When the reporting clause is first, we don't put a comma between the reporting clause and the reported clause."
More examples:
- They explained that the meeting was cancelled.
- I asked if she would be home soon.
- The teacher announced that the test would be next week.
Rule 2: Reported Clause Before Reporting Clause
If you choose to put the content of the indirect speech (the reported clause) first, you must use a comma before the reporting clause.
- Reported Clause: He was feeling tired
- Reporting Clause: he said.
Combined: He was feeling tired, he said. (Comma needed)
This aligns with the reference: "When the reporting clause comes after the reported clause, we use a comma to separate the two parts: She told me they had left her without any money." (Note: the reference example shows the first rule, but the explanation describes the second rule needing a comma). Let's use an example that matches the second rule's description:
- They had left her without any money, she told me.
More examples:
- The meeting was cancelled, they explained.
- She would be home soon, I asked.
- The test would be next week, the teacher announced.
Understanding the order of the reporting and reported clauses is the key to correctly punctuating indirect speech.
