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

REPORTS IN SPEECH AND WRITING

500

Subject-verb inversion

500a

In written direct speech reports, the subject and verb in the reporting clause may

be inverted. This occurs particularly in literary writing and in journalism. It is very

rare in informal speech:

‘And have we found a tenant for that charming room upstairs?’ 

asked Mr

Perkins.

‘This is certainly someone the city wants to celebrate,’ 

said a spokesman for the

city council.

add 

admit 

advise 

agree 

announce 

argue 

assert 

beg 

claim 

comment 

complain 

confess 

confirm 

continue 

deny

disclose 

explain 

hint

inform 

interrupt 

intervene

maintain 

note 

observe

offer 

order 

plead

point out 

protest 

repeat 

reveal 

state 

suggest

threaten 

warn

Û

539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms

Speech representation | 817

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This kind of inversion is even less frequent when the reporting clause comes

before the reported clause, but does occur in written journalism:

Says a spokesman cagily: ‘Pamela is away on holiday at the moment.’

Reports of questions and answers

500b

In direct speech reports in formal written styles, a question is normally reported

with a verb such as ask, demand, enquire, but in informal spoken language,

questions are often reported with say:

‘What happened?’ the policeman 

demanded. 

(written)

He 

said, ‘Are you going to catch the bus home?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘Are you

paying?’ 

(spoken)

I 

said, ‘D’you know anyone here?’

Similarly, an answer to a question is often reported with verbs such as answer and

reply

in formal written style:

‘Has the chaplain informed the family yet?’

‘No,’ Captain Anderson 

answered. 

Reply

is often used in this way in literary style:

‘Am I allowed back into the kitchen yet?’

‘No,’ she 

replied with a grin. 

In informal spoken language, reply is normally only used to refer to written

answers to letters and other written communications, and say is preferred for

reporting answers:

‘What do you mean?’ she said. ‘Well,’ I 

said, ‘I don’t know the whole story yet.’

(spoken)

Verbs used in formal written styles to report questions and answers include:

‘Didn’t your surveillance team see anything?’ Graham 

demanded.

Remembering I hadn’t a receipt for the luggage transported by Melchett’s

chauffeur, I 

enquired if it was to hand. 

‘Who is it?’ Smylie 

queried. 

answer 

ask 

demand 

enquire/inquire 

query 

question 

reply 

respond 

wonder

818 | Speech representation

Cambridge Grammar of English

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The use of such verbs for direct speech in informal spoken language is extremely

rare, except for ask:

Then they 

asked him, ‘Did you mean this?’ and he said, ‘No, I just wrote it as a

joke.’