direct speech (inverted)

Point 13 in REPORTED SPEECH (DIRECT SPEECH) is defined as:

Report speech directly inverting the subject and verb in the reporting clause where the subject is a proper noun or noun phrase.

A search in iWeb for:

" thought|said|asked * *

1 ” SAID HE , 4159
2 ” SAID HEAD COACH 3022
3 ” SAID SMITH . 2335
4 ” SAID ONE OF 2221
5 ” SAID LEAD AUTHOR 1525
6 ” SAID THE MAN 1479
7 ” SAID BROWN . 1394
8 ” SAID HE . 1374
9 ” SAID JOHNSON . 1325
10 ” SAID JONES . 1284
11 ” SAID I , 1230
12 ” SAID SHE , 1220
13 ” SAID WILLIAMS . 1184
14 ” SAID THE FORMER 1157
15 ” SAID THE REPORT 1064
16 ” SAID MILLER . 1029
17 ” SAID A STATEMENT 1009
18 ” SAID THE OLD 945
19 ” SAID CAPT . 900
20 ” SAID WILSON . 887
21 ” SAID ANOTHER . 877
22 ” SAID ANDERSON . 873
23 ” SAID DIRECTOR OF 861
24 ” SAID THE WOMAN 859
25 ” SAID MARTIN . 847
26 ” SAID SMITH , 827
27 ” SAID TAYLOR . 821
28 ” SAID DAVIS . 786
29 ” SAID LEE . 731
30 ” SAID UNIVERSITY OF 726
31 ” SAID WHITE . 717
32 ” SAID STUDY CO-AUTHOR 700
33 ” SAID SCOTT . 686
34 ” SAID THOMAS . 682
35 ” SAID JOHNSON , 674
36 ” SAID STUDY AUTHOR 674
37 ” SAID THE STATEMENT 674
38 ” SAID HIS MOTHER 669
39 ” SAID LEAD RESEARCHER 643
40 ” SAID THOMPSON . 640
41 ” SAID THE KING 639
42 ” SAID CAMPBELL . 638
43 ” SAID THE SOURCE 626
44 ” SAID MOORE . 622
45 ” SAID THE STUDY 617
46 ” SAID CHIEF EXECUTIVE 602
47 ” SAID ONE . 597
48 ” SAID CLARK . 596
49 ” SAID A SPOKESMAN 593
50 ” SAID A SPOKESPERSON 577
51 ” SAID DR. DAVID 571
52 ” SAID EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 567
53 ” SAID THE YOUNG 566
54 ” SAID MURPHY . 552
55 ” SAID JACKSON . 550
56 ” SAID KING . 548
57 ” SAID MURRAY . 540
58 ” SAID THE JUDGE 536
59 ” SAID CONST . 533
60 ” SAID HOLMES . 533
61 ” SAID GENERAL MANAGER 531
62 ” SAID YOUNG . 528
63 ” SAID HER MOTHER 524
64 ” SAID THE MAYOR 516
65 ” SAID PRESIDENT AND 515
66 ” SAID A SOURCE 514
67 ” SAID KELLY . 510
68 ” SAID WILLIAMS , 510
69 ” SAID BROWN , 509
70 ” SAID HARRIS . 502
71 ” SAID THE OTHER 501
72 ” SAID LEWIS . 491
73 ” SAID RYAN . 489
74 ” SAID JAMES . 488
75 ” SAID ROBINSON . 488
76 ” SAID A SENIOR 478
77 ” SAID WALKER . 478
78 ” SAID STEWART . 474
79 ” SAID JONES , 472
80 ” SAID THE MOTHER 471
81 ” SAID HIS FATHER 466
82 ” SAID JOHN . 456
83 ” SAID THE COMPANY 452
84 ” SAID SENIOR AUTHOR 445
85 ” SAID HALL . 443
86 ” SAID DR. JOHN 442
87 ” SAID THE BOY 440
88 ” SAID THE DOCTOR 438
89 ” SAID SHE . 435
90 ” SAID GOV . 432
91 ” SAID THE PRESIDENT 431
92 ” SAID THE LITTLE 423
93 ” SAID BAKER . 422
94 ” SAID PHILLIPS . 421
95 ” SAID THE GIRL 420
96 ” SAID DR. MICHAEL 419
97 ” SAID WRIGHT . 419
98 ” SAID MACDONALD . 412
99 ” SAID PAUL . 411
100 ” SAID HAMILTON . 408

B1:
author (4)
director (2)
former (1)
general (1)
judge (1)
lead (2)
president (2)
report (1)


PELIC STUDENTS:

694,dl7,Chinese,Male,117,5,w,48,1,557

“People come into your life and people go. But it’s comforting to know the ones you love are always in your heart.” said Carrie, who was a character acted by Parker in the famous HBO TV series, Sex and the City.

*There are many examples of ‘said’ in PELIC, similar to the above.  But below we see some task effect in the B1 short answer exercises with many students with the same string:

10873,bm6,Arabic,Male,224,3,w,1596,1,8

“Why did we miss th[e] bus?” asked Mary.

 

10884,fx2,Turkish,Male,224,3,w,1596,1,8

“Why did you miss the bus?” asked Mary.

 

39013,ey2,Japanese,Female,759,5,r,5041,1,194

“Seven more years?” asked William.


removing ‘said’ which is by far the most common, and note not all of these are inverted:

1 ” ASKED ONE OF THE 135
2 ” ASKED THE KING . 66
3 ” ASKED THE MAN . 66
4 ” THOUGHT I , ” 66
5 ” THOUGHT HE , ” 61
6 ” ASKED THE GIRL . 57
7 ” THOUGHT IT WOULD BE 55
8 ” ASKED DOROTHY . 51
9 ” THOUGHT IT WAS A 49
10 ” THOUGHT OF THE DAY 41
11 ” ASKED THE OLD MAN 38
12 ” ASKED MARCO . 37
13 ” ASKED THE JUDGE . 36
14 ” ASKED HARRY . 35
15 ” THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 35
16 ” THOUGHT TO BE THE 34
17 ” ASKED BOB . 32
18 ” ASKED THE BOY . 32
19 ” ASKED THE REPORTER . 32
20 ” THOUGHT LEADER ” IN 31
21 ” ASKED THE DOCTOR . 30
22 ” ASKED THE OFFICER . 30
23 ” THOUGHT ” I WAS 30
24 ” ASKED THE LAWYER . 29
25 ” THOUGHT ” IT WAS 29
26 ” ASKED FOR IT ” 28
27 ” ASKED HOLMES . 28
28 ” ASKED THE TEACHER . 28
29 ” ASKED ANOTHER . 25
30 ” ASKED THE FATHER . 25
31 ” ASKED THE WOMAN . 25
32 ” ASKED HE . 24
33 ” ASKED HIS WIFE . 24
34 ” ASKED THE RABBI . 24
35 ” THOUGHT HE . ” 24
36 ” ASKED SCROOGE . 23
37 ” ASKED THE MAN , 23
38 ” ASKED THE YOUNG MAN 23
39 ” ASKED TO LEAVE ” 23
40 ” ASKED ZORIAN . 23
41 ” THOUGHT ” AND ” 23
42 ” ASKED THE CAPTAIN . 22
43 ” ASKED THE OTHER . 22
44 ” ASKED THE PRINCESS . 22
45 ” ASKED THE SCARECROW . 22
46 ” THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE 22
47 ” ASKED HIS FATHER . 21
48 ” ASKED IF HE WOULD 21
49 ” THOUGHT ” OR ” 21
50 ” ASKED ANOTHER . ” 20
51 ” ASKED ONE . ” 20
52 ” ASKED THE GENIE . 20
53 ” ASKED THE PRIEST . 20
54 ” THOUGHT ” I HAD 20
55 ” THOUGHT SHE , ” 20
56 ” ASKED BOBBY . 19
57 ” ASKED HIS MOTHER . 19
58 ” ASKED NARUTO ” 19
59 ” ASKED TANABI . 19
60 ” ASKED THE PRINCE . 19
61 ” ASKED THE STRANGER . 19
62 ” THOUGHT NARUTO AS HE 19
63 ” THOUGHT PRINCE ANDREW , 19
64 ” THOUGHT TO BE A 19
65 ” ASKED HIS FRIEND . 18
66 ” ASKED JACK . 18
67 ” ASKED JOHN . 18
68 ” ASKED MARY . 18
69 ” ASKED NARUTO AS HE 18
70 ” ASKED THE CHIEF . 18
71 ” ASKED THE OLD WOMAN 18
72 ” ASKED HE . ” 17
73 ” ASKED IF HE WAS 17
74 ” ASKED THE FARMER . 17
75 ” ASKED THE FRIEND . 17
76 ” THOUGHT LONG AND HARD 17
77 ” THOUGHT PIERRE . ” 17
78 ” ASKED KARL . ” 16
79 ” ASKED ONE . 16
80 ” THOUGHT ” IN THE 16
81 ” THOUGHT ” THEY WERE 16
82 ” THOUGHT POLICE . ” 16
83 ” ASKED HER MOTHER . 15
84 ” ASKED PIERRE . ” 15
85 ” ASKED THE EMPEROR . 15
86 ” ASKED THE KING , 15
87 ” ASKED THE LITTLE BOY 15
88 ” ASKED THE LITTLE PRINCE 15
89 ” ASKED THE MAYOR . 15
90 ” ASKED THE POLICEMAN . 15
91 ” THOUGHT IT NOT ROBBERY 15
92 ” THOUGHT POLICE ” . 15
93 ” ASKED HARRY . ” 14
94 ” ASKED IF HE HAD 14
95 ” ASKED NARUTO . 14
96 ” ASKED NED . 14
97 ” ASKED THE DOCTOR , 14
98 ” ASKED THE MEXICAN . 14
99 ” ASKED THE SHAGGY MAN 14
100 ” THOUGHT LEADER , ” 14

 

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