(of a construction or expression) expressing or introducing quoted words.
natural quotative verbs, like 'say', 'insist', and 'explain'
Example sentencesExamples
However, such (mis) uses in quotative tags are fairly common.
This often puts them on the spot to think up yet another appropriately nuanced "synonym" for one of the common and natural quotative verbs, like say, insist, explain.
I'm skeptical of Ward's theory, because in other journalistic publications, it's easy to find examples of quotative inversion.
However, among the first 30 returns, I found 4 quotative tags.
The quotative usage by itself isn't enough, otherwise you'd see things like: He seems all I really have a case.
nounˈkwəʊtətɪv
Linguistics
A quotative construction or expression.
the members of the group believed that quotative 'all' was very common these days in the speech of the young
Example sentencesExamples
The present study broadens our understanding of the extent to which new forms of quotatives are established in American English by looking at their use across different registers of spoken interaction.
But in Standard Spoken English, we use the indirect quotative almost exclusively.
There's a new quotative making the rounds.
Like as a quotativea way of indicating speechhas spread like a global brushfire, cutting across ethnic and social lines.
Nowadays be like has turned into a widely-used all-purpose quotative since its immergence in the 1980s.