4.3 GRAMMAR: Reported Speech
Another new element of academic writing is to use information from outside sources as evidence to support your thesis. This means you will need to report what others have said or written. This is, not surprisingly, called reported speech. It’s very common in research and academic writing, but it’s important to learn how to do this correctly so that you avoid plagiarism.
There are two basic ways: direct speech and indirect speech. Direct speech is an exact account of what someone said or wrote. To include direct speech in your writing, enclose the words in “quotation marks.” Indirect speech is a restatement of what someone said or wrote. Indirect speech does not use the person’s exact words. You do not need to use quotation marks for indirect quotations.
Direct speech (quoting)
One way to report what a person said or wrote is to repeat their exact words. This is called direct speech. The person’s words are called a quotation.
To use direct speech, you must repeat the person’s words exactly. You use a verb of attribution and specific punctuation. Quotation marks show readers another person’s exact words. Often, you will want to identify who is speaking. You can do this at the beginning, middle, or end of the quote. Notice the use of commas and capitalized words.
Look at these examples:
- “I’m no prophet. My job is making windows where there were once walls,” said philosopher Michel Foucault.
- Michel Foucault said, “I’m no prophet. My job is making windows where there were once walls.”
- “I’m no prophet,” said philosopher Michel Foucault. “My job is making windows where there were once walls.”
They all mean exactly the same thing. The difference between these three options is merely a matter of style. What is important, however, is the punctuation. Pay attention to quotation marks, commas, periods, and spaces.
Use single quotation marks to enclose a quote within a quote. For example: “He said, ‘The futurist told me to buy stock in plastics.'”
Remember:
- A quotation must be exactly the same as the original text.
- A quotation must use “quotation marks” surrounding the exact text.
- A quotation must give credit to the original author or speaker.
- Normally, put a comma or a period before the first quotation mark and also before the second quotation mark. Here are two examples of this:
- According to Sports Illustrated, “Eliminating drug use from Olympic Sports would be no small challenge.”
- “Eliminating drug use from Olympic Sports would be no small challenge,” according to Sports Illustrated.
Indirect speech (paraphrasing)
Another way to report what a person says is indirect speech. Here, you don’t need to use the other person’s exact words. In informal situations, you may change only a word or two (such as the verb tense). Other times, such as in formal academic research writing, you paraphrase, or say the same thing using different words or a different word order. When you paraphrase, you usually use a verb of attribution followed by a noun clause, often introduced by the relative pronoun that. Here’s how you can paraphrase the example from above:
- Philosopher Michel Foucault says he doesn’t see the future, but instead helps people find ways to put windows in walls.
- Michel Foucault says he’s not a philosopher; rather, he helps people see beyond what is immediately in front of them.
The 4 Rs of paraphrasing
According to the Virtual Library, here are four steps to paraphrase:
- Reword the text by using synonyms or different parts of speech; change verb tense or change active verbs to passive and vice versa.
- Rearrange by moving words to make new sentences or reorganize the sentences in a passage.
- Realize that not all words or phrases can be changed; you won’t be able to replace names, dates, titles, or technical words.
- Recheck your work to make sure it carries the same meaning as the original; a paraphrase does not add or
omit any information, and it does not include your personal opinion.
NOTE: In formal academic writing, we often use a reporting verb in the present simple tense. Example: The author of this book suggests that the real reason for the wildfires was human carelessness.
Let’s look at another example:
Using quotation: Many people believe they can get more done if they do several things at the same time. However, Steven Pinker disagrees. In his article “Mind Over Mass Media” in The New York Times (2010), Pinker says, “Genuine multitasking, too, has been exposed as a myth, not just by laboratory studies but by the familiar sight of an S.U.V. undulating between lanes as the driver cuts deals on his cellphone” (A31). Pinker goes on to explain that there are better ways to be more effective and efficient …
Using paraphrase: Many people believe they can get more done if they do several things at the same time. However, Steven Pinker disagrees. Pinker (2010) writes that people cannot really do more than one thing at a time; one can see this from scientific research projects and also from just watching a car moving unpredictably down the highway while the driver is talking on a cell phone (A31). Pinker goes on to explain that there are better ways to be more effective and efficient …
Note the three steps we took in making this paraphrase:
- We defined the key term. (“Genuine multitasking” = “do more than one thing at a time”)
- We used different vocabulary. (“laboratory studies” = “scientific research projects”; “an S.U.V. undulating between lanes” = “a car moving unpredictably down the highway”)
- We used different grammar. (“has been exposed” = “one can see”; “by the familiar sight” = “from just watching”)
Remember:
- A paraphrase has the same meaning (all main ideas included; no new ideas added).
- A paraphrase is different enough to be considered your own words (uses no more than a few words in a row from the original source; changes vocabulary and grammar as much as possible)
- A paraphrase refers to (cites) the original source.
Practice
Use the following exercise to check your understanding. This exercise is for practice; it is not graded, and you may complete it as many times as you wish.
QUIZ
1. Which of the options below describes this sentence best? The artist said the studio smelled like “paint and possibility.”
- The sentence uses a quotation to explain what the artist said.
- There is no paraphrase (because there are “quotation marks”), but there is also no direct speech because the quote is not a full sentence.
- The sentence uses a quotation, but the whole sentence is incomplete and therefore only a fragment.
- The sentence paraphrases what the artist said.
2. Paraphrasing, which is also called “indirect speech,” uses the exact same words as the original source.
- True
- False
3. Here is a sentence from an article by Mary Lynch: The value of education is more than knowledge. How would I report this as indirect speech (paraphrase)?
- The value of education is more than knowledge, believes Mary Lynch.
- In Mary Lynch’s opinion, “The value of education is more than knowledge.”
- Mary Lynch suggests that knowledge is not the only important thing about learning.
- Mary Lynch says education and training are very important.
4. Here is a sentence from an article by Doug Drial: Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859. How would I report this as direct speech (quotation)?
- Doug Drial writes Oregon as a state in 1859.
- According to Doug Drial, February 14, 1859 was the date when Oregon became a state.
- Doug Drial says Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859.
- Doug Drial says, “Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859.”
5. In formal academic writing, we should …
- use a variety of both direct and indirect speech
- use only direct speech
- always use only my own ideas and never support from outside sources
- use only indirect speech
6. Which of the following are ways to help you paraphrase? (choose all that apply)
- change only the punctuation
- change the word forms
- change the word order
- use the other person’s exact words
- use synonyms
- use quotation marks
- change the verb tense
- use a metaphor or simile
7. In formal academic writing, you usually use the __________________ tense to report what others have said or written.
- present perfect
- simple future
- simple present
- simple past
8. A comma or period usually goes outside (after) the quotation mark.
- True
- False
9. Which of the following uses correct grammar?
- My teacher said me to cite my outside sources of information.
- My teacher told me to cite my outside sources of information.
- My teacher says me to cite my outside sources of information.
- My teacher tells to cite my outside sources of information.
10. A quotation, which is also called “direct speech,” must use the speaker’s or writer’s exact words.
- True
- False
Some text has been adapted from “Quotation Marks | English 112: Exposition and Persuasion.” Courses.lumenlearning.com, courses.lumenlearning.com/ivytech-engl112/chapter/quotation-marks/. Accessed 29 Dec. 2021.
