Direct speech (Introductory clauses & verbs in them)

Question

Hi teachers,Could you please check whether what I've written below is correct or not.It's said that when we want to say or repeat or report what somebody else says, we can do it in two ways:One way is "by using direct (quoted) speech' and the other is "by using indirect (reported) speech. DIRECT SPEECH:She said to her father, "I want to become a teacher."(I need your help basically here, teachers.)In the sentence above:'She said to her father' is the introductory clause or main clause or principal clause.The verb in an introductory or main clause of a direct speech is called a reporting verb, so in my example of direct speech above, the reporting verb is 'said'. Please correct me if I'm saying anything incorrect, teachers.Also, is there any other word or term we use to serve the purpose of 'reporting verb'?I mean in what other ways we can call a verb in an introductory clause of direct speech? For example, what all terms / names could we use for the verb 'said' in my example of direct speech? '"I want to become a teacher'" is called quoted speech or quoted words (because it enclosed within quotation marks) or subordinate clause. Am I right, teachers? But Can we also call it "original words of the speaker" or "actual words of the speaker"?  Thank you.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Laboriousplease check

You wrote "two ways", and then wrote only about one way.

Laboriouswhat all terms / names could we use for the verb 'said' in my example of direct speech?

"Reporting verb" is the only term that I can think of. I don't think you really need any others.

LaboriousCan we also call it "original words of the speaker" or "actual words of the speaker"?

Yes. Those are both appropriate.

CJ

Laborious · Answer

Thank you very much, sir, for your replies. I don't know why, but whenever I see a reply from you, I feel genuinely happy form inside. I wish I could see you at least once in my life, but....

Okay, you said that I had written only about one way. So, now I will write about the other way (reported speech) as well and again, I will need you to clear the doubts I have, please.

REPORTED SPEECH:
Sir, In my first post, I wrote that there're two ways of repeating or reporting what somebody else says. One is by using 'direct (quoted) speech' and the other by using 'indirect (reported) speech'.

My direct speech sentence was 'She said to her father, "I want to become a teacher."', which would be transformed into Indirect or reported speech as: She told her father (that) she wanted to become a teacher.

The group of words enclosed in quotation marks can be called 'quoted words' or 'quoted speech' or 'subordinate clause' or even 'the original words of the speaker'. My question is: Since with direct speech as well, we are reporting someone else's words or speech, Can this (the group of words in quotation marks in direct speech) be called 'reported clause' or 'reported words' as well.

Reported speech sentence

She told (is this called reporting verb as well? Or is there a different name for it?) her father (that) she wanted to become a teacher. (this is called reported clause, right sir?, but, is there another name for it?)

Sir, when I wrote about direct (quoted) speech, I said that the verb in the introductory clause or main clause is called reporting verb, but, is this true with direct/reported speech too?

Thank you one more time, sir, for your help.

CalifJim · Answer

LaboriousSince with direct speech as well, we are reporting someone else's words or speech, Can this (the group of words in quotation marks in direct speech) be called 'reported clause' or 'reported words' as well.

I haven't heard those words called the 'reported clause', but I suppose you could say it that way. You shouldn't say 'reported words' in reference to the words used in the reported version, though, because they are often not really exactly the same words as in the quoted version.

LaboriousShe told (is this called reporting verb as well? Or is there a different name for it?) her father

Yes, it's a reporting verb no matter where you find it. There are many reporting verbs in English and in other languages as well. say, tell, inform, state, assert, proclaim, announce, shout, whisper, ...

Laborious(that) she wanted to become a teacher. (this is called reported clause, right sir?, but, is there another name for it?)

You can certainly call it the reported clause. There is no other name for it that I know of. Of course, you can always call it a subordinate clause, but that is not specific to direct and indirect speech.

LaboriousI said that the verb in the introductory clause or main clause is called reporting verb, but, is this true ~~with direct/reported speech too?~~ for both direct and reported speech?

It's a reporting verb no matter whether it's in the context of direct/quoted speech or indirect/reported speech.

CJ

Laborious · Answer

Thank you very much, sir, for explaining everything beautifully and clearly.

I've one more and probably the last question in connection to this thread, please.

Of my reported speech sentence, you said that I can always call 'that she wanted to become a teacher.' a subordinate clause though that is not specific to direct and indirect speech.

But, If we talk about direct speech, we can't call the sentence or clause in quotation marks a subordinate clause, because the group of words in quotation marks is an independent clause. So, what becomes a subordinate clause in indirect/reported speech is actually an independent clause in direct speech. Sir, I need your confirmation on this, please.

Thank you again.

CalifJim · Answer

LaboriousI need your confirmation on this, please.

You have it.

You are correct. Quoted material is unusual. It can act as if it were a noun within a larger sentence.

CJ

Direct speech (Introductory clauses & verbs in them)

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