Quotative

When a quotation is used, the grammatical person and tense of the original utterance is maintained, rather than adjusting it as would be the case with reported speech.

In Dutch, the preposition van can be used to introduce direct speech: Quotative van can be used in combination with a verb of speech, as in the above example, a noun designating something with message-carrying content, or a light verb, e.g. a copula (like for English quotative like).

Note the preservation of both the person and tense of the original utterances: მოხუცმაMokhutsmahe-ERGიტირა,it'iracry-AORროცაrotsawhenვუთხარი,vutkhariI told-AOR himრომromthatთქვენიtkveniyourვაჟიშვილიvazhishvilison-NOMჯარშიjar-shiin the armyუნდაundamustწავიდესts'avideshe goes-OPT-მეთქი.metki.1st person QUOT[6]  მოხუცმა იტირა, როცა ვუთხარი, რომ თქვენი ვაჟიშვილი ჯარში უნდა წავიდეს -მეთქი.Mokhutsma it'ira rotsa vutkhari rom tkveni vazhishvili jar-shi unda ts'avides metki.he-ERG cry-AOR when {I told-AOR him} that your son-NOM {in the army} must {he goes-OPT} {1st person QUOT}"The old man cried when I told him that his son had to enter the army" lit.

'"კახეთშიK'akhet-shito Kakhetiკიk'ibutინტურისტისint'urist'isIntourist-GENექსკურსიასeksk'ursiasexcursion-DATუნდაundamustგაყვეgaqveyou accompany-OPT itო.o.3rd person QUOT[7]  კახეთში კი ინტურისტის ექსკურსიას უნდა გაყვე ო.K'akhet-shi k'i int'urist'is eksk'ursias unda gaqve o.

Ancient Greek can mark quoted speech in prose with the subordinating conjunction ὅτι:[8] οἱhoitheyδὲdèbutεἶπονeîponsaid-AORὅτιhótiQUOTἱκανοίhikanoíreadyἐσμεν.esmenwe are-PAI1P[9]  οἱ δὲ εἶπον ὅτι ἱκανοί ἐσμεν.hoi dè eîpon hóti hikanoí esmenthey but said-AOR QUOT ready {we are}-PAI1P"They said that they were ready" lit.

"that 'I don't like tomatoes'"The following example shows the preservation of both grammatical person and the tense in a quoted utterance using the quotative particle: 彼女KanojoSheはwaTOP僕bokuIにniDAT「あなたが"anata gayou-NOM好きsukilikeだ」da"COPとtoQUOT言った。itta.say-PAST[10]  彼女 は 僕 に 「あなたが 好き だ」 と 言った。Kanojo wa boku ni {"anata ga} suki da" to itta.She TOP I DAT you-NOM like COP QUOT say-PAST"She told me that she liked me" lit.

In Korean, the marker 라고 rago follows the quoted sentence clause, marking direct quotation as follows: 주현 씨Joohyun sshiMs.

{Joohyun sshi} neun jeo ege "niga joha" rago malhaesseoyo.{Ms.

"When quoting the copula 이다 ida, the marker 라고 rago is used instead: 경수 씨Kyungsoo sshiMr.

However, in recent times, many Telugu speakers are resorting to use the Latin quotation marks ("...") to convey speech.