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539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms

Speech representation | 807

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Subscript inverted commas (“… .”) and the symbols «…» are not used in English

to indicate direct speech:

I said, “Oh it’s very kind of you.”

(Not: I said, “Oh it’s very kind of you.” / « Oh it’s very kind of you »)

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506f Direct speech in Appendix: Punctuation for further details concerning

punctuation of direct speech

Punctuation and indirect speech

490b

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In indirect speech, the reporting clause is not separated from the reported

clause by a comma when the reporting clause is first:

The lorry driver simply said that it was meat and bone meal from another delivery.

(The lorry driver simply said, that it was meat and bone meal …)

(The lorry driver simply said that, it was meat and bone meal …)

When the reporting clause is in end position, a comma is used to separate the clauses:

[referring to a picture]

It had been painted with love

,

he said.

Indirect reports of questions do not have question marks:

So people complained and asked him why we were waiting.

(… and asked him why we were waiting?)