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

SPEECH REPORTS INTRODUCED BY NOUNS

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Speech reports may be introduced by nouns. Nouns used in this way include:

accusation complaint

point

advice concern

remark

answer denial 

response

argument

excuse statement

assertion explanation suggestion

claim news

comment observation

The noun may be the subject of a clause with be, with the reported clause as

complement. Such reports may be direct or indirect:

A: I mean if they didn’t insist on that, would we bother?

B: Yeah.

A: And the answer’s probably, 

‘No, we wouldn’t.’

Two weeks ago Senator John D Rockefeller of West Virginia abruptly

abandoned his exploratory campaign for the Democratic nomination. 

His

explanation was

that he didn’t have time to mount an effective bid

. 

The report may be the complement of the reporting noun:

The excuse

that the computer was down

was a bit weak.

I had a place next to my father, and 

the news came down 

that war had broken

out

.

I did make 

a suggestion

as to whether I should increase the price of the

property

.