On reporting what was said

This article presents a range of examples from written and spoken discourse to illustrate how speakers and writers report what was said using forms and structures which receive virtually no coverage in the textbooks available to English language learners. It is argued that the mechanical exercises for converting direct to indirect speech typically presented in such textbooks provide little preparation for the interpretation of many types of naturally occurring reported discourse in official records, literary narrative, and casual conversation. To improve students' ability to interpret reported discourse, both teachers and students would benefit from a greater awareness of the wider range of forms and constructions used in contemporary English for reporting what was said.