Grammar through songs

REPORTED SPEECH
 “FOREWORD”
PRELIMINARY CONCEPTS

 SPEECH
(Crystal, 2008)

 LINGUISTICS -> Everyday sense, based on primary data

 DATA -> comprised by 2 main interpretations (complementary rather than opposed)

 (Viewpoint of) PHONETICS:

Medium of transmission for language – the spoken medium or phonic substance of language (as
opposed to writing).

 (Viewpoint of) LINGUISTICS:

Spoken language (performance, or parole) analysed in phonological, grammatical, semantic and
phonetic terms.
 “FOREWORD”
PRELIMINARY CONCEPTS

 DIRECT SPEECH
Quoted speech that is presented without modification, as it might have been uttered by the original
speaker.
(Crystal, 1985)
(Quirk et ali, 1985)

 INDIRECT SPEECH
Reported speech that is presented with grammatical modifications, rather than as it might have been
uttered by the original speaker.
(Crystal, 1985)
(Mish, 1991)
(Quirk et ali, 1985)
DIRECT SPEECH Quoted Speech
(Parrott, 2004)

 Recounting someone’s exact words, often:

to dramatise;
to create a sense of immediacy;
because the precise words used were in some way important (for example funny
or strange)

 Usually found in:

 Written language:
- Fiction (dialogues)
- Newspaper reports (add details)

 Spoken language:
- Oral narratives (very informal conversation)
DIRECT SPEECH Quoted Speech
(Parrott, 2004)

 Sentence construction
 Reporting verbs
Usually having a more prominent role in Indirect Speech, they are also used in Direct Speech to introduce the exact words of
someone's utterance.

• Most neutral and common one: say

She said, "I read this book yesterday”
I say, 'Don't you ask me no questions about it, please. you'll take it - won't you?’ He says: 'Well I'm puzzled. Is something the
matter?'

• There are also:

∙ goes (also go, went)
Fraser goes, 'Why don't we stay up and watch the film?' and his Mum goes, 'You've got to get up early tomorrow,' so we all go,
'OK!’
∙ am (is/was/were) like
I'm like, 'What's the matter?', and he's like, 'Mind you own business.'
DIRECT SPEECH Quoted Speech
(Parrott, 2004)

 Sentence construction [cont.]

 Conventions of punctuation (British practice)

o Enclosure (Quotation Marks)

• We usually indicate Direct Speech (from now on D.S.) by enclosing it in either single or double
inverted commas ('...' or "...")
She said, 'You're a good professional’

• When there's D.S. enclosed in one type of inverted commas, then the other type of inverted
comma is used to enclose any further D.S. embedded in the first one.
"What do you mean, 'Mary's had enough'?"
or
‘What do you mean, "Mary's had enough"?’
DIRECT SPEECH Quoted Speech
(Parrott, 2004)

 Sentence construction [cont.]

 Conventions of punctuation (British practice) [cont.]

o Introduction (colon; comma)

• Increasingly, people use a colon (:) to introduce D.S.

He told the court: 'I was punched across my nose and my head. It was known that I had a safe. I took
them to it.'

• More traditionally, a comma (,) is used to introduce D.S.

She said, 'You're a good professional.'

• Or a comma (,) is placed before the second inverted comma when followed by a phrase such as she
said.
'You're a good professional,' she said
INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 Reported Speech is used to describe what someone says without repeating the exact same words.
Changes in verb tenses are often used.
 Most commonly used verbs:
 Say
 Tell
 Announce
 Answer
 Explain
 Mention
 Promise
 Reply
 Suggest
 Warn
INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 Say x Tell
 The use of these verbs depends on the object. Tell is used when the hearer is mentioned
(followed by an indirect object).

 Sarah’s boss told her she could leave early.

 Daniel tells me he’s ready.
(Eastwood, 2013)

 Note: Tell can be used without an indirect object only in the expressions:
– Tell a story
– Tell The Truth
– Tell a Lie
INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 Say x Tell [cont.]
 Say is often used when the hearer is not mentioned or already known. This verb is
mostly followed by that (clause) or a clause beginning with a question word (ex.: Who,
What…).

 Sarah’s boss said she could leave early.

 Daniel says he’s ready.
(Eastwood, 2013)

 Note: Do not use indirect object to follow the verb “say”. Sometimes to is used after
say when the words are not reported.
– The client wanted to say something to Vanessa.
– What did John say to you?
INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 Changes of Pronouns and Adverbs (person, place and time)

 These words change in Reported Speech when the point of reference changes. It
depends on the situation. It often happens when something is reported in a different
place or at a different time.

 “I’ll see you tomorrow, Oliver”, said Joan. (Direct Speech)

Joan told Oliver she would see him there the next day. (Reported Speech)
 “I gave you this yesterday”. (Direct Speech)
Peter said he had given it to her the day before. (Reported Speech)
INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 Changes of Pronouns and Adverbs (person, place and time) [cont.]

 Person:
• I – he/she
• My – His/her

 Place:
 Here – There, at the (place)  Direct Speech – Reported Speech

 Time:
 Now – Then, at the (time)
 Today – That day, on Monday, etc.
 Yesterday – The day before, the previous day
 Tomorrow – The next/following day, on Saturday, etc.
 This Week – That week
 Last Week – The week before, the previous week
 An hour ago – An hour before/earlier
INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 The Tense Change

 “Backshift” is the term used to report something in the past, using a tense one step further
back in the past.
 “We are getting married” (Direct Speech – Present Time)
He said they were getting married (Reported Speech – Past Time)
 “I met Caleb recently” (Direct Speech – Past Time)
He said he had met Caleb recently” (Reported Speech – Past Perfect

 The tense is also changed when a statement is no longer up to date.

 Sarah said she was going to Rome in April (Now it is May)
*Now Sarah’s trip is over, so it is no longer true that she is going to Rome. (Eastwood, 2013)

 The tense is changed in an untrue statement or one that may be untrue.

 You said you liked chocolate, but you aren’t eating any.
(Eastwood, 2013)
INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 The Tense Change [cont.]
 The verb tense could remain the same if a statement is still up to date. It can actually be
changed to past time or not.
 You said you like/liked chocolate.
 Janice told me her husband owns/owned a farm.
 Sarah said she’s going/she was going to Rome in April.
* We can say that Sarah is going to Rome because it is still true that she will go there.
(Eastwood, 2013)

 The tense is not changed when the reported verb is in the present tense.
 Johnny says he’s arriving at 7pm.

 When a circumstance have not changed since the original statement.

 “I’m tired” (Direct Speech).
She told me she is tired (Reported Speech).
INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 The Tense Change [cont.]

 If the message is being repeated at the same time as it is said, the verb tense remains the same
(ex: in a phone call).
 Anthony says he’s too busy to go.

 When modal verbs are reported, the verb tense is not changed.
 “You should learn to cook” (Direct Speech).
She said (that) he should learn to cook (Reported Speech).

 Modal Verbs Can, May and Will change to Could, Might and Would.
 “You can stay over there” (Direct Speech).
The guide said we could stay over there (Reported Speech).
 “I may go to Paris again” (Direct Speech).
Donna said she might go to Paris again (Reported Speech).
 “I’ll take you if you like” (Direct Speech).
Susan said she would take me (Reported Speech).
INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 The Tense Change [cont.]

 Could, Might, Ought to, Should and Would in Direct Speech stays the same in Reported Speech.
 “Brian would love a holiday” (Direct Speech).
Jennifer thought Brian would love a holiday. (Reported Speech).

 Must can be changed to Have to (with backshift)

 “I must finish this paper” (Direct Speech).
Jennifer said she must finish/had to finish the paper (Reported Speech).

 When the statement has a verb followed by another verb, the first one is changed.
 “Andrew is working” (Direct Speech).
Jessica said Andrew was working (Reported Speech).
 “The windows weren’t locked” (Direct Speech).
Mark told me the windows weren’t locked (Reported Speech)
 “It’s been raining” (Direct Speech)
We noticed it had been raining ( Reported Speech)
(Eastwood, 2013)
INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 The Tense Change [cont.]

 When the verb is already in the past tense, it can stay the same or change to Past Perfect
 “We came by bus” (Direct Speech).
They said they came by bus/the said they had come by bus (Reported Speech).
 “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention” (Direct Speech).
I admitted I wasn’t paying attention/I hadn’t been paying attention (Reported Speech).

 If the verb is already in Past Perfect, it remains the same.

 “My money had run out” (Direct Speech).
Daniel said his money had run out (Reported Speech).
(Eastwood, 2013)
INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 The Tense Change [cont.]

 Verbs Tenses changes Overview (but exceptions):

 Simple Present – Simple Past

 Present Continuous – Past Continuous
 Present Perfect – Past Perfect
 Simple Past – Past Perfect
 Simple Future – Simple Conditional
 Simple Conditional – Simple Conditional
INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 Reported questions

Reported questions are one form of reported speech.

DIRECT QUESTION REPORTED QUESTION

She said: "Are you cold?" She asked me if I was cold.

He said: "Where's my pen?" He asked where his pen was.

We usually introduce reported questions with the verb "ask":

He asked (me) if/whether... (YES/NO questions)
He asked (me) why/when/where/what/how... (question-word questions)
As with reported statements, we may need to change pronouns and tense (backshift) as well
as time and place in reported questions.
 INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 Reported YES/NO questions

We introduce reported YES/NO questions with ask + if:

Direct question She said, "Do you like coffee?"

Reported question She asked if I liked coffee.

Note that in the above example the reported question has no auxiliary "do". But there is
pronoun change and backshift.
Note that we sometimes use "whether" instead of "if". The meaning is the same.
"Whether" is a little more formal and more usual in writing:
They asked us if we wanted lunch.
They asked us whether we wanted lunch.
 INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 Reported question-word questions (WH questions)

We introduce reported question-word questions with ask + question word:

DIRECT QUESTION He said, "Where do you live?"

REPORTED QUESTION He asked me where I lived.

Note that in the above example the reported question has no auxiliary "do". But there is pronoun change and
backshift.

He said: "Where are you going?" He asked me where I was going.

He said: "Why didn't you say something?" He asked me why I hadn't said anything.

He said: "When will they come?" He asked when they would come.
 INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 Reported Requests

A request is when somebody asks you to do something – usually politely.

Reported requests are one form of reported speech.

DIRECT REQUEST REPORTED REQUEST

She said: "Could you open the window, please?" She asked me to open the window.

He said: "Please don't smoke." He asked them not to smoke.

Because we use the infinitive there is no need to worry about tense. But as with reported
statements and reported questions, we may need to change pronouns as well as time and place in reported
requests
The Structure is: Ask + NOUN/PRONOUN + TO INFINITIVE
Some other examples:
INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 Reported Requests [cont.]

DIRECT REQUEST REPORTED REQUEST

I said politely, "Please make less noise." I asked them politely to make less noise.

She has often said to me, "Could you stay the She has often asked me to stay the night.
night?"

They said to the architect: "We'd like you to They asked the architect to meet them there
meet us here tomorrow." the next day.

She will certainly say to John, "Please stay for She will certainly ask John to stay for lunch.
lunch."

She always says, "Please don't forget me." She always asks me not to forget her.
 INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 Reported Orders

An order is when somebody tells you to do something and you have no choice. It is not usually polite. It is a
"command". Reported orders are one form of reported speech

DIRECT ORDER REPORTED ORDER

She said: "Stop!" She told him to stop

TELL + NOUN/PRONOUN + TO INFINITIVE

Because we use the infinitive there is no need to worry about tense. But as with reported
statements and reported requests, we may need to change pronouns as well as time and place in reported orders.
Some examples:
 INDIRECT SPEECH Reported Speech
 Reported Orders [cont.]

DIRECT ORDER REPORTED ORDER

She said, "Eat your food now!" She told the boy to eat his food right
then.

The policeman said: "Get out of your The policeman instructed us to get out
car!" of our car.

She said, "You must make the bed She told her husband to make the
before you go to work!" bed before he went to work.

The doctor said: "Don't smoke in here!" The doctor told them not to smoke in
there.

Notice above that we report a negative order by using not.

Handouts
 Johnny Cash
Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter (1932–2003)

 BIOGRAPHY
 Johnny Cash, the Man in Black, was a singer, guitarist and songwriter whose
music innovatively mixed country, rock, blues and gospel influences.
 Born in 1932 in Arkansas, Johnny Cash grew up in a poor farming community and
joined the Air Force in 1950. He co-founded a band following his discharge, and
within a few years Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two had scored hits with songs
like "Walk the Line." Cash's career was nearly derailed in the 1960s by a serious
substance-abuse problem, but his marriage to June Carter and acclaimed album
Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison (1968) put him back on track. In later years, Cash
joined the country supergroup the Highwaymen and released a series of recordings
with producer Rick Rubin. He died of complications from diabetes on September
12, 2003.
Historical Context

A Song About a Boy

Johnny and June first heard the song at a guitar pull in Tennessee.
(That’s where writers take turn singing their songs). Shel
Silverstein, a noted poet, cartoonist and humorist wrote the song
after a conversation with his friend Jean Shepherd, who relayed his
childhood dismay at being made fun of for what other kids
perceived to be a “girl’s name.”
Historical Context
 On Sept. 16, 1969, Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue” hit No. 1 on the
country charts. By all accounts, the song is one of Cash’s most iconic
recordings. To this day, “A Boy Named Sue” permeates pop culture. Even if
some folks don’t realize where it came from.

 For the most part, the song was never meant for a widespread audience. That’s
probably because it deals with its main character trying to kill his father.

 But when Johnny Cash first performed the song live, he figured that kind of
thing might resonate with his audience. Because the first time he performed it
live was for a room full of convicts. And completely unrehearsed.
Song Lyrics

A Boy Named Sue

Johnny Cash
Artist: Johnny Cash
Album: At San Quentin
Released: 1969
Songwriter(s): Shel Silverstein
B-side: "San Quentin”
Copyright: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
 Song Lyrics (excerpts)
A Boy Named Sue
Johnny Cash
[…]
Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad
From a worn-out picture that my mother'd had
And I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye
He was big and bent and gray and old
And I looked at him and my blood ran cold
And I said: "My name is 'Sue!' How do you do!?
Now you gonna die!"
Yeah that's what I told 'em
[…]
I tell ya, I've fought tougher men
But I really can't remember when
He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile
[…]
And he said, "Son, this world is rough
And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
And I know I wouldn't be there to help ya along
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye
I knew you'd have to get tough or die
And it's the name that helped to make you strong”
Yeah he said, "Now you just fought one hell of a fight
And I know you hate me, and you got the right
To kill me now, and I wouldn't blame you if you do
But ya ought to thank me, before I die
For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye
'Cause I'm the son-of-a-bitch that named you ‘Sue’”
Yeah what could I do, what could I do
[…]
I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
Called him my Pa, and he called me his son
And I come away with a different point of view
[…]
 Little Mix
 Little Mix is a British girl-group formed in 2011 in the reality show The X-Factor UK. They were the first group to
win the competition. Following their victory, they signed with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Music. The
members are Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jesy Nelson. Little Mix released their
debut album DNA in 2012, which peaked inside the top 10 in ten countries including the UK and US. This made
Little Mix the first girl group since the Pussycat Dolls to reach the US top 5 with their debut album, as well as
earning the highest debut US chart position by a British girl group, breaking the record previously held by the
Spice Girls. In the UK, the album spawned the number-one single "Wings". The group's sophomore effort Salute,
which was released in 2013, became their second album to debut inside the top 10 in both the UK and US. The
album produced two top 10 singles in their home country; "Move" and "Salute". Little Mix released their third
studio album Get Weird in 2015 and it is their best-selling and longest charting album to date in the UK. The
album's lead single "Black Magic" reached number one in the UK and was also nominated for two Brit Awards in
2016. The group's fourth studio album Glory Days (2016) became their first number one album in the UK and was
also the longest reigning girl group Number 1 since the Spice Girls' debut album 20 years earlier. The album's lead
single "Shout Out to My Ex" became the group's fourth UK number one single, while the second and fourth
singles, "Touch" and "Power", became the group's tenth and eleventh top 10 singles in the UK, respectively.
With four UK number one singles and highest first week UK album sales for a girl band since the Spice Girls,
Little Mix are one of the most successful female acts in contemporary British popular culture: they appeared
on Debrett's 2017 list of the most influential people in the UK. Little Mix currently holds the record for the
most VEVO Certified Videos for a British female artist, as well as the most certified videos for a girl group, with
11 certified videos in total.
 Source: Dawn Foxes Music
Historical Context
 The song was composed in early 2012 and later released in July 2012 in the Uk. It was co-
written by the group Little Mix in collaboration with Iain James, Erika Nuri, Michelle
Lewis, Mischke, Heidi Rojas and the song's producers, TMS. The uptempo song, which
features modern beats, drums, horns and clapping. It is a pop arrangement with elements of
R&B and old school.
 Lyrically, the song has themes of girl power, maternal advice and individuality. Little Mix
also wrote the song as an uplifting message for their fans. As singer and band member Jesy
Nelson says: “Wings is literally about not letting anyone put you down. It's about believing
in yourself. You have to believe in yourself and who you are. That's what 'Wings' is about”.
The group had been vocal about standing up to bullying and wanted the song to have a
similar message that listeners would be able to relate to.
 Wings was the lead single from their debut studio album DNA (2012). It was well received
by contemporary music critics, who praised its lyrical message, upbeat sound and vocals. It
topped the UK Singles Chart with sales of 107,000 copies in its first week. The single also
reached number one in Ireland and Scotland and number three in Australia, where it was
certified triple platinum. It charted in the top 40 in three other countries
 Younger audiences, especially teenagers and girls can always relate to the meaning of the
song, which battles against bullying and negativity, praising individuality, strength and
empowerment.
Song Lyrics
Wings
Little Mix
Artist: Little Mix
Album: DNA
Released: 2012
Label: Syco; Columbia
Songwriters: Iain James / Tom Barnes / Peter Kelleher / Ben Kohn / Perrie
Edwards / Jesy Nelson / Leigh-Anne Pinnock / Jade Thirlwall / Michelle Lewis
/ Mischke Butler / Erika Nuri / Heidi Rojas / Christian Dotson / Kyle
Christopher
Copyright: Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC,
Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., The Bicycle Music
Company
Song Lyrics (excerpts)
Wings
Little Mix
Mama told me not to waste my life
She said spread your wings my little
butterfly
Don't let what they say keep you up
at night
And if they give you shhhh
Then they can walk on by
[…]
Mama told me not to waste my life,
She said spread your wings my little butterfly
Don't let what they say keep you up at night
And they can't detain you
'Cause wings are made to fly
[…]
And we don't let nobody bring us down
No matter what you say it won't hurt me
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
These wings are made to fly
[…]
SOME OTHER SUGGESTIONS OF SONGS
THE LOGICAL SONG
Supertramp

MONDAY MORNING
Peter, Paul and Mary

PERFECT
Ed Sheeran

WATER FOUNTAIN
Alec Benjamin

THERE'S NOTHING HOLDIN' ME BACK

Shawn Mendes
Handouts
 References
CRYSTAL, David. A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. 2nd ed. New York: Basil Blackwell,
1985.p. 95, 516.

______. A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. 6th ed. p. cm. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2008. p.
445.

EASTWOOD, John. Oxford Practice Grammar: with answers. Oxford: OXFORD University Press, 2013.

MISH, Frederick (Ed). Webster's ninth new collegiate dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster,
1991. p. 614.

PARROTT, M. Grammar for English Language Teachers: with exercises and a key. 2. ed. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2000.

QUIRK, R. et ali. A comprehensive grammar of the English language. London: Longman, 1985. pp.
1021, 1026, 1029.

THE FREE ENCYCLOPEDIA, Wikipedia. Wings (Little Mix song). Disponível em:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wings_(Little_Mix_song)#Writing_and_recording>. Acesso em: 01 mar. 2018.