Year 4 English: The reporting clause in the middle
Part of the Year 4 English direct speech chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
The reporting clause in the middle
Sometimes the reporting clause comes in the middle of the speech. It splits the spoken words into two parts.
If the first part ends with a comma, the same sentence goes on. The comma goes inside the first closing inverted commas, and the second part starts with a small letter.
If the first part ends with a question mark or an exclamation mark, a new sentence starts. A full stop then follows the reporting clause, and the second part starts with a capital letter.
| Situation | Example | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| the same sentence goes on | "Hurry," said Sam, "or we will be late." | comma inside the first part; small letter o in or |
| a new sentence starts | "Are you ready?" asked Dad. "We must leave now." | question mark inside; full stop after asked Dad; capital W |
Key ideas
- A speech can be split by its reporting clause: the first part, the reporting clause, then the second part.
- When the first part ends with a comma, the second part starts with a small letter.
- When the first part ends with a question or exclamation mark, a full stop follows the reporting clause.
- When a new sentence starts, the second part begins with a capital letter.
Method. Split the spoken words at the reporting clause, then punctuate each part.
- Find the two parts of the speech. The reporting clause sits between the two parts.Hurry | or we will be late
- Put a comma inside the first part. The same sentence goes on, so the first part ends with a comma inside its closing inverted commas."Hurry,"
- Add the reporting clause and its comma. The reporting clause tells who spoke. A comma follows it.said Sam,
- Put inverted commas round the second part. The second part starts with a small letter, because the same sentence goes on."or we will be late."
- Write the answer. "Hurry," said Sam, "or we will be late."
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes inside the first closing inverted commas. The second part starts with a small letter.
Method. Split the spoken words at the reporting clause, then punctuate each part.
- Find the two parts of the speech. The reporting clause sits between the two parts.Wait for me | and then we can go
- Put a comma inside the first part. The same sentence goes on, so the first part ends with a comma inside its closing inverted commas."Wait for me,"
- Add the reporting clause and its comma. The reporting clause tells who spoke. A comma follows it.called Ali,
- Put inverted commas round the second part. The second part starts with a small letter, because the same sentence goes on."and then we can go."
- Write the answer. "Wait for me," called Ali, "and then we can go."
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes inside the first closing inverted commas. The second part starts with a small letter.
Method. Split the speech at the reporting clause. A question or exclamation ends the first part, so a full stop follows.
- Find the two parts of the speech. The first part ends with a question or exclamation mark, so the second part is a new sentence.Are you ready | We must leave now
- Put the end mark inside the first part. The question mark goes inside the closing inverted commas."Are you ready?"
- Add the reporting clause and a full stop. The reporting clause ends the first sentence, so a full stop follows it, not a comma.asked Dad.
- Put inverted commas round the second part. The second part starts with a capital letter, because it is a new sentence."We must leave now."
- Write the answer. "Are you ready?" asked Dad. "We must leave now."
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. No comma follows a question mark or exclamation mark. Use a full stop after the reporting clause.
Watch out
Watch out: when the same sentence goes on, the second part starts with a small letter: "Hurry," said Sam, "or we will be late." Do not write "Or we will be late."
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Read the speech aloud. Ask: does the second part carry on the same sentence, or does a new one begin? That answer decides the capital letter and the full stop after the reporting clause.
Exercise 5D Practice: the reporting clause in the middle
Method. Split the spoken words at the reporting clause, then punctuate each part.
- Find the two parts of the speech. The reporting clause sits between the two parts.Put your shoes on | because the bus is here
- Put a comma inside the first part. The same sentence goes on, so the first part ends with a comma inside its closing inverted commas."Put your shoes on,"
- Add the reporting clause and its comma. The reporting clause tells who spoke. A comma follows it.said Mum,
- Put inverted commas round the second part. The second part starts with a small letter, because the same sentence goes on."because the bus is here."
- Write the answer. "Put your shoes on," said Mum, "because the bus is here."
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes inside the first closing inverted commas. The second part starts with a small letter.
Method. Split the spoken words at the reporting clause, then punctuate each part.
- Find the two parts of the speech. The reporting clause sits between the two parts.Be careful | the path is wet
- Put a comma inside the first part. The same sentence goes on, so the first part ends with a comma inside its closing inverted commas."Be careful,"
- Add the reporting clause and its comma. The reporting clause tells who spoke. A comma follows it.warned Ben,
- Put inverted commas round the second part. The second part starts with a small letter, because the same sentence goes on."the path is wet."
- Write the answer. "Be careful," warned Ben, "the path is wet."
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes inside the first closing inverted commas. The second part starts with a small letter.
Method. Split the spoken words at the reporting clause, then punctuate each part.
- Find the two parts of the speech. The reporting clause sits between the two parts.Count to ten | and then open your eyes
- Put a comma inside the first part. The same sentence goes on, so the first part ends with a comma inside its closing inverted commas."Count to ten,"
- Add the reporting clause and its comma. The reporting clause tells who spoke. A comma follows it.said Aisha,
- Put inverted commas round the second part. The second part starts with a small letter, because the same sentence goes on."and then open your eyes."
- Write the answer. "Count to ten," said Aisha, "and then open your eyes."
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes inside the first closing inverted commas. The second part starts with a small letter.
Method. Split the speech at the reporting clause. A question or exclamation ends the first part, so a full stop follows.
- Find the two parts of the speech. The first part ends with a question or exclamation mark, so the second part is a new sentence.Is the door locked | Yes, I checked it twice
- Put the end mark inside the first part. The question mark goes inside the closing inverted commas."Is the door locked?"
- Add the reporting clause and a full stop. The reporting clause ends the first sentence, so a full stop follows it, not a comma.asked Kofi.
- Put inverted commas round the second part. The second part starts with a capital letter, because it is a new sentence."Yes, I checked it twice."
- Write the answer. "Is the door locked?" asked Kofi. "Yes, I checked it twice."
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. No comma follows a question mark or exclamation mark. Use a full stop after the reporting clause.
Method. Split the speech at the reporting clause. A question or exclamation ends the first part, so a full stop follows.
- Find the two parts of the speech. The first part ends with a question or exclamation mark, so the second part is a new sentence.Did you see that | It was a hedgehog
- Put the end mark inside the first part. The question mark goes inside the closing inverted commas."Did you see that?"
- Add the reporting clause and a full stop. The reporting clause ends the first sentence, so a full stop follows it, not a comma.asked Ravi.
- Put inverted commas round the second part. The second part starts with a capital letter, because it is a new sentence."It was a hedgehog."
- Write the answer. "Did you see that?" asked Ravi. "It was a hedgehog."
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. No comma follows a question mark or exclamation mark. Use a full stop after the reporting clause.
Method. Split the spoken words at the reporting clause, then punctuate each part.
- Find the two parts of the speech. The reporting clause sits between the two parts.Stop running | the gate is still open
- Put a comma inside the first part. The same sentence goes on, so the first part ends with a comma inside its closing inverted commas."Stop running,"
- Add the reporting clause and its comma. The reporting clause tells who spoke. A comma follows it.shouted Tom,
- Put inverted commas round the second part. The second part starts with a small letter, because the same sentence goes on."the gate is still open."
- Write the answer. "Stop running," shouted Tom, "the gate is still open."
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes inside the first closing inverted commas. The second part starts with a small letter.
Method. Split the speech at the reporting clause. A question or exclamation ends the first part, so a full stop follows.
- Find the two parts of the speech. The first part ends with a question or exclamation mark, so the second part is a new sentence.Where is the cat | It is asleep in the basket
- Put the end mark inside the first part. The question mark goes inside the closing inverted commas."Where is the cat?"
- Add the reporting clause and a full stop. The reporting clause ends the first sentence, so a full stop follows it, not a comma.asked Amira.
- Put inverted commas round the second part. The second part starts with a capital letter, because it is a new sentence."It is asleep in the basket."
- Write the answer. "Where is the cat?" asked Amira. "It is asleep in the basket."
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. No comma follows a question mark or exclamation mark. Use a full stop after the reporting clause.
Method. Compare the sentence with the marks it should have.
- Read the sentence. Check the inverted commas, the end marks, the reporting clause and the capital letters."Hurry," said Sam, "Or we will be late."
- Find the mistake. The same sentence goes on after the reporting clause, so the second part starts with a small letter.the capital O becomes a small o
- Write the correct sentence. Read it aloud. The marks now match the spoken words."Hurry," said Sam, "or we will be late."
- Write the answer. No. "Hurry," said Sam, "or we will be late."
Check. Read the corrected sentence aloud. ✓
Watch out. Read the sentence aloud, and pause where the marks go.
Method. Compare the sentence with the marks it should have.
- Read the sentence. Check the inverted commas, the end marks, the reporting clause and the capital letters."Hurry," said Sam, or we will be late."
- Find the mistake. The second part of the speech has no opening inverted commas.add opening inverted commas before or
- Write the correct sentence. Read it aloud. The marks now match the spoken words."Hurry," said Sam, "or we will be late."
- Write the answer. No. "Hurry," said Sam, "or we will be late."
Check. Read the corrected sentence aloud. ✓
Watch out. Read the sentence aloud, and pause where the marks go.
Method. Compare the sentence with the marks it should have.
- Read the sentence. Check the inverted commas, the end marks, the reporting clause and the capital letters."Are you ready?", asked Dad. "We must leave now."
- Find the mistake. A question mark already ends the first part, so no comma follows it.remove the comma after the question mark
- Write the correct sentence. Read it aloud. The marks now match the spoken words."Are you ready?" asked Dad. "We must leave now."
- Write the answer. No. "Are you ready?" asked Dad. "We must leave now."
Check. Read the corrected sentence aloud. ✓
Watch out. Read the sentence aloud, and pause where the marks go.
Method. Compare the sentence with the marks it should have.
- Read the sentence. Check the inverted commas, the end marks, the reporting clause and the capital letters."Are you ready?" asked Dad, "We must leave now."
- Find the mistake. The second part is a new sentence, so a full stop follows the reporting clause, not a comma.change the comma after asked Dad to a full stop
- Write the correct sentence. Read it aloud. The marks now match the spoken words."Are you ready?" asked Dad. "We must leave now."
- Write the answer. No. "Are you ready?" asked Dad. "We must leave now."
Check. Read the corrected sentence aloud. ✓
Watch out. Read the sentence aloud, and pause where the marks go.
Method. Ask whether the second part is the same sentence or a new one.
- Look at the first example. The same sentence goes on after the reporting clause.or we will be late
- Look at the second example. A new sentence begins after the question, so it starts with a capital letter.We must leave now
- Write the answer. the same sentence goes on, so small letter; a new sentence begins, so capital letter
Check. Read both examples aloud and hear the pause. ✓
Watch out. The question mark is the clue for a new sentence.
Method. Check what sort of mark ends the first part.
- Look at the first part. The first part ends with a question mark, so a new sentence begins."Are you ready?"
- Choose the mark after asked Dad. A new sentence means a full stop follows the reporting clause.asked Dad.
- Write the answer. No. A full stop goes after asked Dad
Check. The full stop closes the first sentence. ✓
Watch out. A comma is used only when the same sentence goes on.