Grammar of Reporting

REPORTINGREPORTING

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(c) 2014 Prof. Adeleke A. Fakoya Lagos State University, Nigeria

“This month has been a busy one for us. We have been having these lectures for three days. I would like to thank the organizers for this great opportunity and also the participants for their attention. To say the least, it has been an unusually good time for us, and we hope that whenever such an opportunity arises again in future, you will call on us. Well, in a way, this is just one of those things that that make your job worthwhile”.

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The teacher remarked that the month had been a busy one for him and his colleague. He said that they had been having those lectures for three days and thanked the organizers for the great opportunity and the participants for their attention. He affirmed that it had been an unusually good time for him and his colleague and they hoped that whenever such an opportunity arose again, the organizers would call on them. He observed that that was one of the things that made one’s job worthwhile.

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Notice that there are differences between what the teacher actually said and what the reporter presented. But the essential part of the teacher’s speech was thoroughly preserved.

The differences in the two versions illustrate the grammar of reporting. In other words, reporting has its own grammar.

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The first and most important aspect of the grammar of reporting is the tense of the verbs in the report.

Reporting tense usually goes one step backwards in time. So that the present tense changes to the past tense; the past tense changes to the past perfect, etc.

Look at the following examples:5


I love you so much. She said she loved me so much.

The judge wants to see you right away.

The registrar told the rude lawyer that the judge wanted to see him right away.

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My father attended a wake two days before he died.

He said his father attended a wake two days before he died.

He said his father had attended a wake two days before he died.

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Your wife saw the cashier before he jumped out of the window on the tenth floor.

They told me that my wife had seen the cashier before he jumped out of the window on the tenth floor.

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Pronouns are words like he/his/him/himself; she/her/hers/herself; it/its/itself; you/your/yours/yourself (/yourselves); I/me/my/mine/myself; they, their, them/themselves; we/us/our/ours/ourselves.

In reporting, all these have to change – unless the ‘reporter’ is included in the reference.

Look at the examples below:

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I want all of you to attend the programme.

The boss said he wanted all of us to attend the programme.

I see you here every day.You wife told me that she saw me at her office every day.

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Your husband is inside with the home help.

The landlord whispered to the woman that her husband was inside with the home help.

We’re here, sir.We told the Chairman where we were.

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Words and phrases expressing time and day also change according to the situation.

Such expressions are: now, this time, today, yesterday, next week, two years ago, last night, in the next few minutes, right now, at present, in a year’s time, in our day.

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now – then this time – that time yesterday – the day before/the previous day today – that day next week – the following week / the week after two years ago – two years earlier/two years before

last night – the night before / the previous night

in the next few minutes – in the following few minutes

right now – immediately / at that moment at present – at that time/at the time in a year’s time – within a year from then in our day – at an earlier period

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These need to be rephrased to indicate a shift in time and place:

1.He was this huge. 2.My house is on this side of the road if you stand in front of the bank.

3.Bring that pen. 4.Look what I’ve got...

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1. He described the assailant.

2. She told us how far her house was from the bank.

3. My father told me which pen to bring.

4. Her son showed her what he had in his pocket.

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Look at these questions:

1.What do you have in the boot?2.Do you love me?3.Why do you keep asking me if I love you?

4.What’s your name?5.How do you make a cake?6.Can you ride a horse?7.Where do you come from?

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When we report questions:Question marks are not usedDo is not used.A question becomes a statement with the verb after the subject

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1. The policeman asked us what we had in the boot.

2. His wife wanted to know if he loved her.

3. He asked his wife why she kept asking if he loved her.

4. I asked what your name was.5. My wife asked the caterer how

cake was made.6. We asked the dispatch rider if he

could ride a horse.7. They asked us where we came from.

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Look at these commands:1.Get out of my sight at once!2.Put your hand in the box and bring out the snake.

3.Kiss me.4.Don’t let me catch you kissing my wife again!

5.Start the engine.

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The ‘command’ becomes an infinitive; that is, it becomes to do X.

A verb of command is necessary (e.g. ask, tell, command).

The person addressed must be included.

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1. She told her husband to get out of her sight at once.

2. The pastor asked me to put my hand in the box and bring out the snake.

3. Mrs. Show told the gardener to kiss her.

4. Mr. Show told the gardener not to let him catch him kissing his wife again.

5. The robber commanded Chief to start the engine.

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1. In some cases, words may ‘disappear’ or be expressed in other ways:

Well, yes, I suppose the president is just a weakling.

=The commissioner agreed that the

president was a weakling.22


Go on, shoot me!=She dared the policeman to shoot her.

Thank you.=I thanked the Chief Judge for the opportunity.

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I hear you’re 60 today. Wow! Congratulations!

=My father-in-law congratulated me on my 60th birthday.

Yeah! That’s my wife!=Her husband expressed his delight in her.

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2. Sometimes, the tenses are the same as the original speaker’s, e.g. when reporting people saying things that are still true when we report them:

a. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

b. Two plus six is eight.c. I’m only 60.

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a. Scientists proved many centuries ago that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

b. It was our late professor that taught us that two plus six is eight.

c. Your wife told me she’s only 60.

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Questions & further

discussion27


Grammar of Reporting

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