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PUNCTUATION

490

Punctuation and direct speech

490a

A variety of punctuation conventions exist for direct speech reports. Direct speech

may be enclosed in single or double inverted commas:

‘

I want to do it,

’

Anna said. 

“

Not always,

”

replied Bobby.

As seen in these examples, a comma is used at the end of the direct speech, before

the closing speech marks. A comma is also used when the reporting clause comes

first. The speech marks close after the final full stop:

Anna said hastily

, ‘

She doesn’t mean to be patronizing

.’

The direct speech normally begins with a capital letter. Where a reported sentence

is interrupted (e.g. by a reporting clause or a discourse marker), the continuation

of the report does not have a capital letter:

‘

O

kay, come on Pat,’ she said, ‘

l

et’s go and have some tea.’

A colon may also be used to separate the reporting and reported clause, especially

in quotations (e.g. in academic articles, journalism, quoting famous people):

He said

:

‘If we want to maintain our global role, we must be a leading player in

Europe.’