| 词组 | Reporting |
| 释义 | Reporting ◊ GRAMMAR quote structures One way of reporting what someone has said is to repeat their actual words. When you do this, you use a reporting verb such as 'say'. I said, 'Where are we?' 'I don't know much about music,' Judy said. Sentences like these are called quote structures or direct speech. Quote structures are used more in stories than in conversation. See entry at ↑ In stories, you can put the reporting verb after the quote. The subject is often put after the verb. 'I see', said John. ◊ WARNING However, when the subject is a pronoun, it must go in front of the verb. 'Hi there!' he said. The only reporting verb you use in conversation is 'say'. However, in stories you can indicate what kind of statement someone made using reporting verbs such as 'ask', 'explain', or 'suggest'. 'What have you been up to?' he asked. 'It's a disease of the blood,' explained Kowalski. 'Perhaps,' he suggested, 'it was just an impulse.' You can also use verbs such as 'add', 'begin', 'continue', and 'reply' to show when one statement occurred in relation to another. 'I want it to be a surprise,' I added. 'Anyway,' she continued, 'it's quite out of the question.' She replied, 'My first thought was to protect him. In a story, if you want to indicate the way in which something was said, you can use a reporting verb such as 'shout', 'wail', or 'scream'. 'Jump!' shouted the oldest woman. 'Oh, poor little thing,' she wailed. 'Get out of there,' I screamed. The following verbs indicate the way in which something is said: call, chorus, cry, mumble, murmur, mutter, scream, shout, shriek, storm, thunder, wail, whisper, yell You can use a verb such as 'smile', 'grin', or 'frown' to indicate the expression on someone's face while they are speaking. 'I'm awfully sorry.' ---'Not at all,' I smiled. 'Hardly worth turning up for,' he grinned. ◊ report structures In conversation, you normally give an idea of what someone said using your own words in a report structure, rather than quoting them directly. You also use report structures to report people's thoughts. She said it was quite an expensive one. They thought that he should have been locked up. Report structures are also often used in writing. A report structure consists of two parts: a reporting clause and a reported clause. ◊ reporting verbs The reporting clause contains the reporting verb and usually comes first. I told him that nothing was going to happen to me. I asked what was going on. The reporting verb with the widest meaning and use is 'say'. You use 'say' when you are simply reporting what someone said and do not want to imply anything about their statement. He said that you knew his family. They said the prison was surrounded by police. See entry at ↑ You can use a reporting verb such as 'answer', 'explain', and 'suggest' to indicate what kind of statement you think the person was making. She explained that a friend of her husband's had been arrested. I suggested that it was time to leave. You can also indicate your own personal opinion of what someone said by using a reporting verb such as 'admit' or 'claim'. For example, if you say that someone 'claimed' that they did something, you are implying that you think they may not be telling the truth. She admitted she was very much in love with you once. He claims he knows more about the business now. ◊ reporting verbs with a negative With a small number of reporting verbs, you usually make the reporting clause negative rather than the reported clause. For example, you would usually say 'I don't think Mary is at home' rather than 'I think Mary is not at home'. I don't think I will be able to afford it. I don't believe we can enforce a total ban. I didn't want to disappoint her. The following reporting verbs are often used with a negative in this way: believe, expect, feel, imagine, propose, suppose, think ◊ reported clauses The second part of a report structure is the reported clause. She said that she had been to Belgium. The man in the shop told me how much it would cost. There are several types of reported clause. The type used depends on whether a statement, order, suggestion, or question is being reported. ◊ 'that'-clauses A report clause beginning with the conjunction 'that' is used after a reporting verb to report a statement or someone's thoughts. He said that the police had directed him to the wrong room. He thought that Vita needed a holiday. Some common reporting verbs used in front of a 'that'-clause are: accept, admit, agree, announce, answer, argue, assume, believe, claim, complain, confess, decide, deny, discover, expect, explain, feel, hint, hope, imagine, imply, insist, know, mention, notice, predict, promise , realize, recommend, remark, remember, reply, report, reveal, say, suggest, swear, think, warn 'That' is often omitted from a 'that'-clause. They said I had to see a doctor first. I think there's something wrong. However, 'that' is nearly always used after the verbs 'answer', 'argue', 'complain', 'explain', 'recommend,' and 'reply'. He answered that the price would be three pounds. A 'that'-clause can contain a modal, especially when someone makes a suggestion about what someone else should do. He proposes that the Government should hold an enquiry. ◊ mentioning the hearer After some reporting verbs that refer to speech, the hearer must be mentioned as the direct object. 'Tell' is the most common of these verbs. He told me that he was a farmer. I informed her that I could not come. The following verbs must have the hearer as direct object: assure, convince, inform, notify, persuade, reassure, remind, tell You can also choose to mention the hearer as object with 'promise' and 'warn'. I promised that I would try to phone her. I promised Myra I'd be home at seven. With many other reporting verbs, if you want to mention the hearer, you do so in a prepositional phrase beginning with 'to'. I explained to her that I had to go home. I mentioned to Tom that I was thinking of working for George McGovern. The following verbs need the preposition 'to' if you mention the hearer: admit, announce, complain, confess, explain, hint, mention, report, reveal, suggest, swear ◊ use of the passive Verbs such as 'tell' and 'inform' can be used in the passive, with the hearer as the subject. She was told that there were no tickets left. A passive form of other reporting verbs is sometimes used to avoid saying whose opinion or statement is being reported, or to imply that it is an opinion that is generally held. This use of the passive is formal. You can use 'it' as the subject with a 'that'-clause, or you can use an ordinary subject with a 'to'-infinitive clause. It is now believed that foreign languages are most easily taught to young children. He is said to have died a natural death. ◊ 'to'-infinitive clauses You use a 'to'-infinitive clause after a reporting verb such as 'tell', 'ask', or 'advise' to report an order, a request, or a piece of advice. The person being addressed, who is going to perform the action, is mentioned as the object of the reporting verb. Johnson told her to wake him up. He ordered me to fetch the books. He asked her to marry him. Some common reporting verbs used in front of a 'to'-infinitive clause are: advise, ask, beg, command, encourage, forbid, instruct, invite, order, persuade, remind, tell, urge, warn The following verbs referring to saying, thinking, or discovering are always or usually used in the passive when followed by a 'to'-infinitive. allege, assume, believe, claim, consider, discover, estimate, feel, find, know, learn, prove, reckon, report, rumour, say, see, think, understand The 'to'-infinitive that follows them is most commonly 'be' or 'have'. The house was believed to be haunted. Over a third of the population was estimated to have no access to the health service. ...the primitive molecules which are believed to have given rise to life on Earth. You can also use a 'to'-infinitive after some reporting verbs which are not used with an object. The person who speaks is also the person who will perform the action. agree, demand, offer, promise, refuse, swear, threaten, vow They offered to show me the way. He threatened to arrest me. Note that when you are reporting an action that the speaker intends to perform, you can sometimes use either a 'to'-infinitive or a 'that'-clause. I promised to come back. She promised that she would not leave hospital until she was better. You do not use a 'to'-infinitive if the hearer is being mentioned. I promised her I would send her the money. I swore to him that I would not publish the pamphlet. 'Claim' and 'pretend' can also be used with these two structures. For example, 'He claimed to be a genius' has the same meaning as 'He claimed that he was a genius'. He claimed to have witnessed the accident. He claimed that he had found the money in the forest. Several verbs which indicate someone's intentions, wishes, or decisions, such as 'intend', 'want', and 'decide', are used with a 'to'-infinitive clause. See entry at ↑ ◊ '-ing' clauses When reporting a suggestion about doing something, it is possible to use one of the reporting verbs 'suggest', 'advise', 'propose', or 'recommend' followed by an '-ing' clause. Barbara suggested going to another coffee house. The committee recommended abandoning the original plan. Note that you only 'propose doing' actions that you yourself will be involved in. Daisy proposed moving to New York. ◊ reported questions You use the reporting verb 'ask' when reporting a question. You can mention the hearer as the direct object if you need to or want to. He asked if I had a message for Cartwright. I asked her if she wanted them. 'Inquire' and 'enquire' also mean 'ask', but these are fairly formal words. You cannot mention the hearer as the object of these verbs. An 'if'-clause or a 'whether'-clause is used when reporting 'yes/no' questions. 'Whether' is used especially if there is a choice of possibilities. She asked him if his parents spoke French. I was asked whether I wanted to stay at a hotel or at his home. A reported clause beginning with a 'wh'-word is used to report a 'wh'-question. He asked where I was going. She enquired why I was so late. ◊ WARNING The word order in a reported question is the same as that of a statement, not that of a question. For example, you say 'She asked me what I had been doing'. You do not say 'She asked me what had I been doing'. You do not use a question mark when you write reported questions. If the 'wh'-word in a reported question is the object of a preposition, the preposition comes at the end of the clause, with no noun after it. She asked what they were looking for. He asked what we lived on. Other verbs which refer to speech or thought about uncertain things can be used in front of clauses beginning with 'wh'-words or with 'if' or 'whether'. She doesn't know what we were talking about. They couldn't see how they would manage without her. A 'to'-infinitive clause beginning with a 'wh'-word or 'whether' can be used to refer to an action that someone is uncertain about doing. I asked him what to do. I've been wondering whether to retire. ◊ tense of reporting verb You usually use a past tense of the reporting verb when you are reporting something said in the past. She said you threw away her sweets. Brody asked what happened. However, you can use a present tense of the reporting verb, especially if you are reporting something that is still true. She says she wants to see you this afternoon. My doctor says it's nothing to worry about. ◊ tense of verb in reported clause If you are using a present tense of the reporting verb, you use the same tense in the reported clause as you would use for an ordinary, direct statement. For example, if a woman says 'He hasn't arrived yet', you could report this by saying 'She says he hasn't arrived yet'. He knows he's being watched. He says he has never seen a live shark in his life. He says he was very worried. ◊ with past reporting verb If you are using a past tense of the reporting verb, you usually put the verb in the reported clause into a tense that is appropriate at the time that you are speaking. If the event or situation described in the reported clause was in the past when the statement was made, you use the past perfect tense. You can sometimes use the simple past tense instead when you do not need to relate the event to the time that the statement was made. Minnie said she had given it to Ben. A Western diplomat said he saw about 250 foreigners at the airport trying to get on flights out of the country. You can also use the present perfect tense if the event or situation is recent or relevant to the present situation. He said there has been a 56 per cent rise in bankruptcies in the past 12 months. When reporting a habitual past action or a situation that no longer exists, you can use 'used to'. He said he used to go canoeing on rivers and lakes. If the event or situation described in the reported clause was happening at the time when it was mentioned, you use the simple past tense or the past continuous tense. Dad explained that he had no money. She added that she was smoking too much. Note that a past tense is usually used for the verb in the reported clause even if the reported situation still exists. For example, you say 'I told him I was eighteen' even if you are still eighteen. You are concentrating on the situation at the past time that you are talking about. He said he was English. I said I liked sleeping on the ground. A present tense is sometimes used, however, to emphasize that the situation still exists or to mention a situation that often occurs among a group of people. I told him that I don't drink more than anyone else. A social worker at the Society explained that some children live in three or four different foster homes in one year. ◊ referring to the future If the event or situation was in the future at the time of the statement or is still in the future, you usually use a modal. See the section below on modals in reported clauses. However, you use a present tense in reported questions and similar 'wh'-clauses referring to a future event when the event will happen at about the same time as the statement or thought. I'll telephone you. If I say it's Hugh, you'll know who it is. If the future event will happen after the statement, you use 'will' in the reported question. I'll tell you what I will do. ◊ modals in reported clauses If the verb in the reporting clause is in a present tense, you use modals as you would use them in an ordinary, direct statement. Helen says I can share her flat. I think some of the sheep may die this year. I don't believe he will come. I believe that I could live very comfortably here. See the individual entries for modals for information on their uses. ◊ with past reporting verb If the verb in the reporting clause is in a past tense or has 'could' or 'would' as an auxiliary, you usually use 'could', 'might', or 'would' in the reported clause, rather than 'can', 'may', or 'will', in the ways explained below. ◊ ability When you want to report a statement (or question) about someone's ability to do something, you normally use 'could'. They believed that war could be avoided. Nell would not admit that she could not cope. ◊ possibility When you want to report a statement about possibility, you normally use 'might'. They told me it might flood here. He said you might need money. If the possibility is a strong one, you use 'must'. I told her she must be out of her mind. ◊ permission When you want to report a statement giving permission or a request for permission, you normally use 'could'. 'Might' is used in more formal English. I told him he couldn't have it. Madeleine asked if she might borrow a pen and some paper. ◊ the future When you want to report a prediction, promise, or expectation, or a question about the future, you normally use 'would'. She said they would all miss us. He insisted that reforms would save the system, not destroy it. ◊ 'can', 'may', 'will' Note that you can use 'can', 'may', 'will', and 'shall' when you are using a past tense of the reporting verb, if you want to emphasize that the situation still exists or is still in the future. He claimed that a child's early experiences of being separated from his mother may cause psychological distress in later life. A spokesman said that the board will meet tomorrow. ◊ obligation When you want to report a statement in the past about obligation, it is possible to use 'must', but the expression 'had to' is more common. He said he really had to go back inside. Sita told him that he must be especially kind to the little girl. You use 'have to', 'has to', or 'must' if the reported situation still exists or is in the future. He said the Government must come clean on the issue. A spokesman said that all bomb threats have to be taken seriously. When you want to report a statement or thought about what is morally right, you can use 'ought to' or 'should'. He knew he ought to be helping Harold. I felt I should consult my family. ◊ prohibiting When you want to report a statement prohibiting something, you normally use 'mustn't'. He said they mustn't get us into trouble. ◊ using reporting verbs for politeness Reporting verbs are often used to say something in a polite way. For example, if you want to contradict someone or to say something which might be unwelcome to them, you can avoid sounding rude by using a reporting verb such as 'think' or 'believe'. I think it's time we stopped. I don't think that will be necessary. I believe you ought to leave now. |
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