Final answer:
The sentence "john said" he would call at eight o'clock." is incorrectly punctuated and should be "John said, 'He would call at eight o'clock.'" proper punctuation helps clarify meaning and set the tone in writing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sentence in question "john said" he would call at eight o'clock." is not punctuated correctly. To correct the punctuation of this sentence, we should start with a capital letter because it is the beginning of the sentence. Then, since it's direct speech, we need to place a comma after the speaker's tag and before the actual spoken words if the spoken sentence is a complete statement.
Furthermore, the spoken portion should be enclosed in quotation marks. Given these rules, the correct punctuation should be: "John said, 'He would call at eight o'clock.'"
The use of correct punctuation is essential for clarity and to convey the appropriate tone in writing. Instances from literature demonstrate various uses of punctuation to set the tone or emphasize a point. For example, referring to the text snippets provided, the careful placement of hyphens, quotes, and commas alters the reading experience and underscores certain aspects of the narratives.
Shifting punctuation can indicate formality, as seen with Mateo's text messages, or it can help illustrate a character's mood, as seen with Daisy's conversation or the description of a protagonist's passionate monologue.