A reporting clause is a clause that shows that you’re talking about what someone has said or thought. For example, in the sentence, ‘She said she was going out,’ the reporting clause is ‘she said.’
But, the reporting clause reports which said or thought something.
How do you use a Reporting Clause?
You use a reporting clause within a sentence before or after the direct or indirect speech. Direct speech uses speech marks (”) to show that someone is speaking or has spoken, while indirect speech doesn’t use speech marks and is often someone paraphrasing or repeating what someone else has said.
Reporting Clause Examples
Here are some examples of when reporting clauses are used within a sentence:
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
| ‘I have to go now,’ she said. | Mum told me to clean my room first. |
| He said, ‘I’m having pizza for dinner tonight.’ | I knew it was a secret because she had whispered it to me. |
| ‘I’m coming!’ Nina shouted. | They invited me to the party. |
Reporting clauses include a pronoun or proper noun (someone’s name), ‘said,’ or a synonym for said. The reporting clause can be placed before or after the rest of the sentence. It makes sense both ways.
The reporting clause is sometimes placed in the middle of direct speech. Here are some examples:
| ‘I couldn’t sleep,’ he said.’I was so excited.’ |
| ‘I lost my necklace,’ she confessed. ‘I’m looking for it.’ |
| ‘The waffles are delicious,’ they beamed. ‘Can I have some more?’ |
| ‘I’m scared,’ Fiona paused. ‘Did you hear that?’ |
| ‘You need to clean your room,’ Dad warned. ‘Or you can’t play your game.’ |
The second section of direct speech can stay on the same line because it’s the same person speaking. However, it’s still a new sentence, so we have to use a full stop after the reporting clause and begin the recent direct speech with a capital letter.
