Intonation of reporting phrases and reported speech

Reporting phrases are phrases such as "he asked", "said the other", etc., used in conversational passages in novels or in live conversation. They may be found at the beginning, middle or end of the Quoted (Direct) speech. Reporting phrases preceding the Quoted speech are more typical for conversation. Medial and final Reporting phrases are commonly used in conversational passages in novels.

INITIAL REPORTING PHRASES

Initial Reporting Phrases generally form a separate intonation group. The frequent nuclear tone of these groups in conversation is Mid Level (Static): the nuclear syllable is pronounced on a steady (unmoving) pitch about the middle of the voice-range. This is one of the rare occasions when a static tone is used as a nuclear tone. It shows that the intonation group is semantically incomplete and leads on to the more important part of the utterance. There is usually a short pause between the Reporting phrase and the beginning of the Quoted speech:

'Anthony >answered: |”I've been 'looking for a 'man like ‘you”.

In reading aloud the most common pattern for initial Reporting phrases is Low Rise. Like the Mid-Level tone it shows that the Reporting phrase is semantically incomplete without the following Quoted speech. At the same time the division of the utterance into two intonation-groups and the pause between them are more distinct, which is often desirable in reading aloud and unnecessary in conversation:

She 'asked ‚anxiously: | “'Was I ‚wrong?”

Fall-Rise Divided is used instead of Low Rise when a Reporting phrase contains a word contrasted in meaning to another word (in the given context):

— The 'younger ˙boy‚ said: | “The 'film is ‘boring”.

— The ‘older one ob‚jected: | “‘Why, | ‘I’ve en ‚joyed it”.

The Falling nuclear tone (High or Low) can be used on a Reporting phrase when it is semantically and grammatically complete in itself and requires greater prominence. This situation may occur in reading aloud:

His 'cousin re‘peated his question: | “'Who ‘told you that?”

FINAL REPORTING PHRASES

In the final position the Reporting phrase usually forms the tail of the tune of the Quoted speech. Its pitch pattern therefore is determined by the nuclear tone of the Quoted speech. After Rising and Falling-Rising nuclear tones the Reporting phrase is rising, and it is pronounced on a low pitch after a Falling tone:

“'Are you in a ‚hurry?” she ˙asks.

“If you ‘like”, says he.

“'What ‘is it?” I asked.

“I’m 'not ˇready”, says ˙Mary.

The Reporting phrase may form part of an expanded nucleus of Fall-Rise Divided. The important word of the Reporting phrase then carries the rise of the Falling-Rising tone. This intonation pattern is commonly used to express contrast:

“I have 'seven 'English ‘books”, says Sid. “I have 'more than ‘you”, says ‚Tom.

When the final Reporting phrase is long, it may form a separate intonation-group similar in its nuclear tone to the pattern of the Quoted speech but lower in pitch:

—“'Must I ˙stick it on my‚self?” asked a˙lady, | who bought a postage ‚stamp.

— “‘No, madam”, replied the counter-clerk,| “it’s much 'better to 'stick it on the ‘envelope”.

INTONATION OF REPORTING PHRASES IN REPORTED SPEECH

In Reported speech the Reporting phrases generally form the first (non-final) intonation-group of an utterance while the main remark (grammatically transformed Quoted speech) forms the following group. Like all non-final groups, Reporting phrases may take various nuclear tones: low rising, falling-rising, falling:

I 'want to ‚ask you | if you are ‘ready.

They 'want to ˇknow | why he is ‘here.

Mr. 'Brown ‘answered | that he 'didn’t 'know that ‘man.

A Reporting phrase may not form an intonation-group and then the first word of it, important enough to take a full stress, becomes the head of the whole utterance, or otherwise it is pronounced as its prehead (unstressed or partially stressed):

I 'wonder if they 'know about our ar‘rival.

He says he 'never ˙does it a‘lone.