direct speech (inverted) – English Grammar Profiler
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