Reporting
Advanced Techniques for Summarizing Speech and Thoughts
β° When do we use Advanced Reporting?
We use reporting structures to convey what someone else said, thought, or believed at a later time. At an advanced level, we move beyond simple repetition to summarize the intent or attitude of the speaker using specific verbs, nouns, and adjectives.
π Structure
Reporting involves several grammatical shifts, but also stylistic choices to add variety.
1. Standard Tense Backshifting: Usually, pronouns, tenses, and time/place references shift “back” into the past relative to the original speech.
- Direct: “I think the system will have an impact here.”
- Reported: She thought the system would have an impact there.
2. No Change (Unchanged Situations): If the situation described is still true in the present or future, you do not need to change the tense.
- Direct: “There will be storms tonight.”
- Reported: The forecast said there will be storms tonight.
3. Advanced Reporting Verbs: Replace generic verbs like say or tell with verbs that capture the specific function of the speech (e.g., stipulate, profess, echo, maintain, implore, counter).
- Example: “The exam rules stipulate that no dictionaries can be used”.
4. Noun Collocations & Adjectives: We can use verb + noun phrases (raise the issue, voice concerns) or adjectives (confident, doubtful, insistent) to describe the speaker’s state.
- Example: He raised the issue of traffic congestion.
- Example: The politician was confident that the law would pass.
π Notes
- Past Modals: Past modal verbs (e.g., shouldn’t have, could have) do not change in reported speech.
- Direct: “You shouldn’t have overstated the case.”
- Reported: I told them they shouldn’t have overstated the case.
- Formal “Whether”: In formal contexts and after prepositions, use whether instead of if.
- Example: “We talked about whether to strike or not”.
- Nouns instead of Clauses: You can shorten a clause into a noun phrase for conciseness.
- Example: “She accepted the difficulty…” (instead of “She accepted that it was difficult…”).
Comparison Table: Reporting Verbs
| Function | Basic Verb | Advanced Reporting Verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agreement | Agreed | Echoed, Acknowledged | The footballer echoed his manager’s comment. |
| Requirement | Said (it’s a rule) | Stipulated | The rules stipulate no phones allowed. |
| Claiming | Said (he knew) | Professed, Maintained | He professed never to have seen the letter. |
| Concern | Worried | Voiced concerns | We voiced our concerns about the deadline. |
π¬ Examples
- Introductory Phrase: “According to my doctor, I should be eating far more fruit.”
- Noun Phrase: “He questioned the managerβs ability to deal with the problems.” (Reporting a doubt)
- Unchanged Tense: “The manager was satisfied that the contract was as comprehensive as possible.”