Key learning points

1. Quotes from witnesses or experts give additional information about the event being reported on.
2. Quotes from witnesses are often more informal in language and tone from the rest of the report.
3. A reporting clause is used either before or after speech to tell the reader who the quote is from.
4. Inverted commas are used to demarcate speech and a piece of punctuation separates speech from the reporting clause.
5. A range of synonyms for 'said' and use of adverbs can offer detail about the emotions of the witness.

Keywords

• Quotes - exact words or statements taken from a source to support or provide evidence in a piece of writing

• Informal language - a linguistic style of speaking or writing that is relaxed and casual

• Direct speech - when the exact words spoken by someone are written down, usually enclosed within inverted commas to indicate speech

• Reporting clause - a clause that tells the reader who said the speech sentence and how

Common misconception