Interpreting direct speech

Indirect speech requires a great deal more than the mechanical application of 'rules', for we must interpret what we hear or read before reporting it. We need to convey the manner in which the words were spoken or written. So, for example, stress and intonation in direct speech can be 'reported' by means of adverbs or emphatic reporting verbs, such as insist and suggest:

'You really must let me pay the bill,' Andrew said

Andrew insisted on paying the bill.

Why don't we go sailing?' Diana said

Diana suggested they should go sailing.

'You've just won a lottery!' Tom said 'Really⁹' Jennifer exclaimed

Jennifer was amazed when Tom told her that she had won a lottery.

15 Direct and indirect speech

Oral reporting

Oral reporting may be concerned with other people's conversations, gossip, instructions, conveying the gist of lectures and so on. In oral reporting, direct speech is often quoted and there may be sudden changes in the sequence of tenses. A few examples are:

Reporting everyday conversation

'Mrs Come asked me how we all are and I told her all our news Her eldest son has just got his exam results and has done very well, apparently "What do you expect?" I said to her, "he's always been a bright lad " "Oh, he is that," she says, "but he's really lazy " I told her I didn 't think he was lazy '

Passing on instructions

'The boss wants you to go to the airport to pick up the company s guests She says you 're to take the company car. Oh - and she asked me to tell you to phone if there are any flight delays '

Giving the gist of e.g. a lecture

'Or Barnaby gave us a very interesting talk on boat-building in ancient times. He explained how boat-building methods changed over a period of about 1500 years He also had some slides showing us how the ancient world lost most of its forests because so much wood was needed for boats. He began his talk by telling us about Ancient Greece at around 300 BC '

Written reporting

Written reporting includes newspaper reports, records of conferences, minutes of meetings, reports of debates and so on. Consistency in such matters as the sequence of tenses is carefully maintained, particularly in formal reporting. A few examples are: