Page 170 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

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direct speech: reporting verbs and word order informal spoken reports: said, thought
When we repeat people's words or thoughts, we nonnally use say or think. They can go before sentences or at other natural breaks (e.g. between clauses or after discourse markers).
So I said 'What are you doing in our bedroom?' 'I'm sorry', he said, 'I thought it was my room.' Well, 1thought, that's funny, he's got my handbag open. 'If that's the case,' I said, 'what are you doing with my handbag?'
literary direct speech: ask, exe/aim, suggest . . .
In novels, short stories etc, a much wider variety of reporting verbs are used: for example ask, exclaim, suggest, reply, cry, rejlect, suppose, grunt, snarl, hiss, whisper. And reporting verbs are often put before their subjects ('inversion' - see 303).
'Is this Mr Rochester's house?' asked Emma.
'Great Heavens!' cried Celia. 'Is there no end to your wickedness? I implore
you - leave me alone!' 'Never,' hissed the Duke ... Inversion is not nonnal with pronoun subjects.
'You monster!' she screamed. (NOT . . • st:f'etlmeti she.)
In literary writing, reporting expressions often interrupt the normal flow of the sentences quoted.
'Your information,' I replied. 'is out ofdate.'
discourse markers
Discourse means 'pieces of language longer than a sentence'. Some words and expressions are used to show how discourse is constructed. They can show the connection between what a speaker is saying and what has already been said or what is going to be said; they can help to make clear the structure of what is being said; they can indicate what speakers think about what they are saying or what others have said. There are a very large number of these 'discourse markers', and it is impossible to give a complete list in a few pages. Here are a few of the most common examples. Some of these words and expressions have more than one use; for more information, look in a good dictionary. Some discourse markers are used mostly in infonnal speech or writing; others are more common in a fonnal style. Note that a discourse marker usually comes at the beginning of a clause.
focusing and linking
o with reference to; talkinglspeaking of!about; regarding; as regards; as far as . . . is concerned; as for
These expressions focus attention on what is going to be said, by announcing the subject in advance. Some of them also make a link with previous discourse, by referring back to what was said before.
With reference to is a very fonnal expression used mainly at the beginning of business letters.
With reference to your letter of17 March, I am pleased to inform you ... page 138
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