CLAUSE TYPE IN THE REPORTED CLAUSE
When we quote an offer, order or suggestion directly, there is typically an imperative in the quoted clause:
1 ‘Hurry up!’, she said (to us).
2 ‘Do eat more slowly’, she begged the child.
3 ‘Come in and sit down’, I suggested (to her).
In reported directives, the imperative of the quoted type is replaced by a to-infinitive or a that-clause. The examples 1–3 of quoted directives would be reported as follows:
4 She told/urged us to hurry up.
5 She begged the child to eat more slowly.
6 I suggested that she (should) come in and sit down.
Say takes a that-clause containing either the semi- auxiliary be to or a modal of obligation (should, must, have to).
Using say, example 1 could be reported as follows:
7 She said (that) we were to hurry up.
8 She said (that) we should/must hurry up.
Say can also report a to-infinitive clause with no subject (9). In AmE a subject of the reported clause is here preceded by for (10). In both cases the use of say rather than tell suggests that the message is being relayed by a 3rd person. Compare these with 11:
9 She said to hurry.
10 She said for us to hurry.
11 She told us to hurry.
Of the verbs of quoted speech indicating emotion and used in fictional narrative, only a few can be used in reporting, and require a prepositional Object.
(‘Turn off the gas!’, he yelled.) He yelled to me to turn off the gas.
(‘Stay a little longer’, he whispered.) He whispered to her to stay a little longer.
Verbless clauses are quite common in quoted speech, especially in fictional narrative:
‘Not a word!’, he whispered (to us). He whispered to us not to say/breathe a word.
The absence of a verb presents a problem in reporting. Frequently a verb can be provided, although again this involves an interpretation on the part of the reporter. Inevitably, therefore, more than one reported version is possible, some differing considerably from the quoted version:
‘This way, please’, the usher said. The usher asked/invited (us?) to accompany him.
The usher showed (us?) the way.
The verbless clause itself does not provide this information, such as who the receiver is. In effect, the two versions are different messages.
