Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

SPEECH REPORTS IN SPECIFIC REGISTERS

502

Newspaper headlines

502a

Newspaper headlines have developed special conventions for reporting speech

not normally found elsewhere. A typical convention is an indirect report with the

reporting clause in end position, and an ellipted passive reporting verb:

STAND UP TO S CHO OL BULLIES , 

T EAC H E R S  TO LD

(teachers have been told)

Inversion of subject and verb in reporting verbs in end position may occur, with or

without inverted commas:

BR O CCOLI MAY PREVENT CANCER , 

SAY U .S . D O CTO R S

Unattributed quotations also occur:

[NHS = British National Health Service]

RE CORD SHORTAG E OF NURSES 

‘C O U LD T H R EAT E N N H S CA R E’

(it is not clear who spoke the words could threaten NHS care)