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

clauses

reporting

reported

1 She said, “What shall I do?”

2 “Where are you going?” he asked.

Indirect reports

An indirect report consists of a reporting clause, plus a reported clause which is

more fully integrated as the object of the reporting verb and not usually separated

by punctuation. The reported clause has a form which reflects the speech act of

the original utterance. 

The reported clause may be a that-clause (reporting a statement), a wh-clause

(reporting a wh-question or exclamation), a clause with if or whether (reporting a

polar question) or an infinitive clause (reporting a directive):

● Reporting statements:

She informed me 

that she used to know my mother and was on friendly terms

with half a dozen of my aunts

.

I told him 

I hadn’t seen it

.

(that-clause with zero-that)

● Reporting wh-questions and exclamations:

Miguel told me 

what happened at the farmhouse tonight

.

She asked 

who we’d been talking to

.

She remarked

what a beautiful house it was

.