Reported speech

Elizabeth Holt
Table of contents

Typically the term ‘reported speech’ is used to refer to the presentation of discourse that purports to be from a prior occasion, and may originate from another author. It is often used as a synonym of ‘quotation’ or ‘citation’. The category includes, for example, the replaying of the words of another speaker, or the same speaker on a previous occasion, in spoken discourse. The term can also include less prototypical instances such as reports of hypothetical locutions (see Irvine, 1996; Mayes, 1990). Reports of discourse not covered by the term ‘speech’, for example, thought and writing, are closely related and sometimes subsumed by it. Thus, the portrayal of the words of characters in a novel, or the quotation of a comment made by a public figure in a newspaper, can be included within the category. Instances of reported speech are recurrently preceded or followed by a reporting clause such as ‘he said’, ‘I thought’, ‘she goes’, ‘he whispered’, ‘they were like’.

Full-text access is restricted to subscribers. Log in to obtain additional credentials. For subscription information see Subscription & Price.

References

Aikhenvald, A.Y. & R.M.W. Dixon
(eds.) 2003 Studies In Evidentiality. John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bakhtin, M.M.
1981 The Dialogic Imagination (M. Holquist, ed., and C. Emerson & M. Holquist, Trans.). University of Texas Press. Google Scholar
1986 Speech Genres and Other Late Essays (M. Holquist, ed., and C. Emerson & M. Holquist, Trans.). University of Texas Press. Google Scholar
Banfield, A.
1973 Narrative style and the grammar of direct and indirect speech. Foundations of Language 10: 1–39. Google Scholar
1982 Unspeakable Sentences: Narration and Representation In the Language of Fiction. Routledge & Kegan Paul.  BoPGoogle Scholar
Basso, E.
1986 Quoted dialogues In Kalapalo narrative discourse. In J. Sherzer & G. Urban (eds.), Native South American Discourse: 119–68. Mouton de Gruyter. Google Scholar
Baynham, M. & S. Slembrouck
1999 Speech representation and institutionaldiscourse. Text 19(4: 439–458.  BoPGoogle Scholar
Bergman, J.R.
1993 Discreet Indiscretions: The Social Organization of Gossip. Walter de Gruyter.  BoPGoogle Scholar
Besnier, N.
1993 Reported speech and affect on Nukulaelae Atoll. In J.H. Hill & J.T. Irvine (eds.), Responsibility and Evidence in Oral Discourse: 161–181. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar
Bolden, G.
2004 The quote and beyond: defining boundaries or reported speech In conversational Russian. Journal of Pragmatics 36: 1071–1118. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
Buttny, R.
1997 Reported speech in talking race on campus. Human Communication Research 23: 477–506. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Buttny, R. & P.L. Williams
2000 Demanding respect: The use of reported speech In discursive constructions of interracial contact. Discourse and Society 11: 109–133. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Chafe, W.L.
1982 Integration and Involvement in Speaking, Writing and Oral Literature. In D. Tannen (ed.), Spoken and Written Language: Exploring Orality and Literacy: 35–44. Ablex.  BoPGoogle Scholar
Clark, H.H. & R.J. Gerrig
1990 Quotations as demonstrations. Language 66: 764–805. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Clayman, S.E.
1988 Displaying neutrality in television news interviews. Social Problems 35(4): 474–492. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2007 Speaking on behalf of the public In broadcast news interviews. In E. Holt & R. Clift (eds): 221–243. Google Scholar
Clift, R.
2007 Getting there first: non-narrative reported speech In interaction. In E. Holt & R. Clift (eds): 120–149. Google Scholar
Cohen, D., M-C. Simeone-Senelle & M. Vanhove
2002 The grammaticalisation of ‘say’ and ‘do’: An areal phenomenon In East Africa. In T. Güldemann & M. Von Roncador (eds.), Reported Discourse: A Meeting Ground for Different inguistic Domain: 227–251. John Benjamins. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
Coulmas, F.
1986 Reported speech: Some general issues. In F. Coulmas (ed.), Direct and Indirect Speech: 1–28. Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
(ed.) 1986 Direct and Indirect Speech. Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
Couper-Kuhlen, E.
2007 Assessing and accounting. In E. Holt & R. Clift (eds.): 81–119. Google Scholar
Cukor-Avila, P.
2002 She say, she go, she be like: Verbs of quotation over time In African American Vernacular English. American Speech 77(1: 3–31. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Davidson, D.
1968–9 On saying that. Synthèse 19: 130–46. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
1984 Quotation. In D. Davidson (ed.), Inquiries into Truth and Interpretation: 79–92. Pergamon. Google Scholar
Drew, P.
1998 Complaints about transgressions and misconduct. Research on Language and Social Interaction 31: 295–325. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
Du Bois, J.W.
1986 Self-evidence and Ritual Speech. In W. Café & J. Nichols (eds.), Evidentiality: The Linguistic Coding of Epistomology: 313–331. Ablex. Google Scholar
Ferrara, K. & B. Bell
1995 Sociolinguistic variation and discourse function of constructed dialogue introducers: The case of be+like. American Speech 70: 265–289. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Glock, N.
1986 The use of reported speech in Sacamaccan discourse. In G. Huttar & K. Gregerson (eds.), Pragmatics In Non-Western Perspective (Publications In Linguistics 73): 35–61. Summer Institute of Linguistics and University of Texas. Google Scholar
Goffman, E.
1974 Frame analysis: An essay on the Organization of Experience. Harper & Row.  BoPGoogle Scholar
1981 Footing. In E. Goffman (ed.), Forms of Talk: 124–159. Blackwell.  BoP DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Golato, A.
2002 Self-quotation in German: reporting on past decisions. In T. Güldemann & M. Von Roncador (eds.), Reported Discourse: A Meeting Ground for Different Linguistic Domains: 49–70. John Benjamins. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
Goodwin, C.
2007 Interactive footing. In E. Holt & R. Clift (eds.), Reporting on Talk: Reported Speech In Interaction: 6–46. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar
Goodwin, M.H.
1990 He-said-she-said: Talk as social organization among black children. Indiana University Press. Google Scholar
Günthner, S.
1997 The contextualization of affect In reported dialogues. In S. Niemeier & R. Dirven (eds.), The Language of Emotions: Conceptualization, Expression and Theoretical Foundation: 247–275. John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Haiman. J.
1985 Natural syntax.Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar
Haakana, M.
2007 Reported thought in complaint sequences. In E. Holt & R. Clift (eds.), Reporting on Talk: Reported Speech In Interaction: 150–178. Google Scholar
Halliday, M.A.K.
1985 An Introduction to Functional Grammar. Arnold. Google Scholar
Holt, E.
1996 Reporting on talk: the use of direct reported speech In conversation. Research on Language and Social Interaction 29(3): 219–45. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
2000 Reporting and reacting: Concurrent responses to reported speech. Research on Language and Social Interaction 33: 425–454. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
2007 ‘I'm eyeing your chop up mind’: reporting and enacting. In E. Holt & R. Clift (eds.): 47–80. Google Scholar
Holt, E & R. Clift
(eds.) 2007 Reporting on Talk: Reported Speech In Interaction. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar
Irvine, J.T.
1996 Shadow conversations: The indeterminacy of participant roles. In M. Silverstein & G. Urban (eds.), Natural Histories of Discourse: 131–159. University of Chicago Pressniversity of Chicago Press. Google Scholar
Klewitz, G. & E. Couper-Kuhlen
1999 Quote-unquote: The role of prosody in the contextualization of reported speech sequences. Pragmatics 9: 459–485. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Labov, W.
1972 Language In the Inner City. University of Pennsylvania Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar
Larson, M.L.
1987 The Functions of Reported Speech in Discourse. The Summer Institute of Linguistics. Google Scholar
Lehrer, A.
1989 Remembering and presenting prose: Quoted speech as a data source. Discourse Processes 13: 105–125. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Levinson, S.C.
1988 Putting linguistics on a proper footing: Explorations In Goffman's concepts of participation. In P. Drew & A. Wootton (eds.), Erving Goffman: Exploring the Interaction Order: 29–45. Mouton de Gruyter. Google Scholar
Li, C.
1986 Direct and indirect speech: A functional study. In C. Coulmas (ed.), Direct and Indirect speech: 29–45. Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Longacre, R.
1985 Sentences as combinations of clauses. In T. Shopen (ed.), Language typology and syntactic description: 235–286. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar
Lucy, J.A.
(ed.) 1993 Reflexive Language: Reported Speech and Metapragmatics. Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Macaulay, R.
1987 Polyphonic monologue: Quoted direct speech In oral narrative. IPrA Papers In Pragmatics 2: 1–34 DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2001 You're like ‘why not’: The quotative expressions of Glasgow adolescents. Journal of Sociolinguistics 5(1): 3–21. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Mathis, T. & G. Yule
1994 Zero quotatives. Discourse Processes 18: 63–76. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
Matoesian, G.
2000 Intertextual authority In reported speech: Production media In the Kennedy Smith rape trial. Journal of Pragmatics 32: 879–914. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
Mayes, P.
1990 Quotation In spoken English. Studies In Language 14: 325–363. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Mcgregor, W.
1994 The grammar of reported speech and thought In Gooniyandi. Journal of Linguistics 14: 63–92. Google Scholar
Mchale, B.
1978 Free indirect discourse: A survey of recent accounts. PTL: A Journal for Descriptive Poetics and Theory of Literature 3: 249–287. Google Scholar
Myers, G.
1999 Functions of reported speech in group discussions. Applied Linguistics 20(3): 376–401. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
Noy, C.
2007 A narrative community: Voices of Israeli backpackers. Wayne Sate University Press. Google Scholar
Partee, B.H.
1973 The syntax and semantics of quotation. In S.R. Anderson & P. Kiparsky (eds.), A Festschrift forMorris Halle: 410–418. Holt Rinehart & Wilson. Google Scholar
Philips, S.U.
1986 Reported Speech as Evidence In an American Trial. In D. Tannen & J.E. Alatis (eds.), Languages and Linguistics: The Interdependence of Theory, Data and Application: 154–179. Georgetown University Presseorgetown University Press. Google Scholar
1992 Evidentiary standards for American trials: just the facts. In J.H. Hill & J.T. Irvine (eds.), Responsibility and Evidence In Oral Discourse: 248–259. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar
Quine, W.V.O.
1960 Word and Object. MIT Press. Google Scholar
Romaine, S. & D. Lange
1991 The use of like as a marker or reported speech and thought: A case of grammaticalization in progress. American Speech 66(3): 227–279. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Semino, E. M. Wynne & M. Short
2004 Corpus Stylistics: Speech, Writing and Thought Presentation in a Corpus of English Writing. Routledge.  BoPGoogle Scholar
Schegloff, E.A.
2000 On granularity. Annual Review of Sociology 26: 715–720. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Sternberg, M.
1982 Proteus In quotation-land: Mimesis and the forms of reported discourse. Poetics Today 3: 107–156. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Tagliamonte, S. & R. Hudson
1999  Be like et al. Beyond America: The quotative system in British and Canadian youth. Journal of Sociolinguistics 3: 147–172. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
Tannen, D.
(ed.) 1982 Spoken and Written Language: Exploring Orality and Literacy. Ablex.  BoPGoogle Scholar
1986 Introducing constructed dialogue In Greek and American conversational and literary narrative. In F. Coulmas (ed.), Direct and Indirect Speech: 311–332. Mouton de Gruyer.  BoP DOI logoGoogle Scholar
1989 Talking voices. Repetition, Dialogue and Imagery In Conversational Discourse. Cambridge University Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar
Thompson, G.
1984 Voices In the text: Discourse perspectives on language reports. Applied Linguistics 17: 501–530. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
Vincent, D. & L. Perrin
1999 On the narrative vs non-narrative functions of reported speech: a socio-pragmatic study. Journal of Sociolinguistics 3: 291–313. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
Volosinov, V.N.
1971 Reported speech. In L. Matejka & K. Pomorska (eds.), Readings in Russian Poetics: Formalist and Structuralist Views: 149–175. MIT PressIT Press. Google Scholar
Wierzbicka, A.
1974 The Semantics of Direct and Indirect Discourse. Papers in Linguistics 7(3/4): 267–307. DOI logo  BoPGoogle Scholar
Wooffitt, R.
1992 Telling Tales of the Unexpected: the Organisation of Factual Discourse. Harvester Wheatsheaf. Google Scholar
2007 The dead In the service of the living. In E. Holt & R. Clift (eds.): 244–269. Google Scholar
Wortham, S.E.F.
1994 Acting out participation examples in the classroom. John Benjamins Publishing Company DOI logoGoogle Scholar