Direct speech is a representation of the actual words someone said. A direct speechreport usually has a reporting verb in the past simple. The most common reporting verb issaid. The reporting clause may come first or second.
reporting clause first | reported clause | reporting clause second |
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The reporting clause may sometimes come in the middle of the reported clause, especially in literary styles:
“No,”she said, “I’ve never seen it before.”
‘Was it,’he asked, ‘the first time you had spoken to Mrs Dalton?’
We can use adverbs with the reporting verb to describe the way someone said something. This is more common when the reporting clause comes second:
“I will not accept it!” he saidangrily.
‘Can I speak to the doctor?’ she askedrather nervously.
See also:
Reported speech: punctuation
Reported speech: reporting and reported clauses
Direct speech: inversion of subject and reporting verb
In narratives, especially novels and short stories, when the reporting clause comes second, we often invert the subject (s) and reporting verb (v):
“Things have always been the same in this village,”[V]said[S]the old man.
‘Hold on! I’m coming!’[V]cried[S]Maurice.
Direct speech: present simple and continuous reporting verbs
Informal narratives
In informal conversation, we sometimes use the present simple in the reporting clause. This makes the direct speech more vivid and dramatic:
So then this guysays, “I’ve got something for you. Come over here.” And he picked up a box and hesays, “Open that.”
We can make the direct speech even more vivid and dramatic by using the present continuous. This is very informal:
And he’s looking at me and he’sasking, “Who are you?” and I said, “I’m your nephew” and he’smumbling, “I don’t know you. I’ve never seen you before in my life.”
In very informal conversation, people sometimes usesaysas a reporting verb for all persons (I, you, she, he, we, they):
Shesays, ‘What’s going on here?’ andI says, ‘Nothing. There’s nothing happening – everything’s okay.’
Many speakers consider the above examples to be incorrect. This applies especially to the use ofsayswith all persons.
Newspaper headlines
We also use the present simple in newspaper headlines. This makes the reported words more dramatic:
‘I WON’T RESIGN,’SAYSMINISTER
See also:
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