I was Like as a Quotative Device: Implications for Indirect or Reported Speech in Nigerian English Usage

Reporting is naturally a feature of narratives or speech involving self-explaining activities, especially those in which the reporter may be a participant or simply narrates certain actions or events. In English usage, the task of reporting is such that a reporting verb is chosen to show the time of the actions or events narrated, and the tense in the original action reported undergoes certain modifications along with the perspective or point of view. However, there are exceptions to the rules of tense in cases involving the reporting of actions that are constant, the expression of eternal truths or religious principles and beliefs. This paper highlights the use of “I was like” by Nigerians as a quotative device in reporting events. This is with a view to identifying the various communicative functions of “I was like” in this regard, and its implications for English usage in a second language setting. The speech samples of purposively selected Nigerians who have either acquired or are in the process of acquiring tertiary education served as data for the study. The participants featured in formal radio and television talk shows. The findings revealed that even in formal speech situations, “I was like” can be employed by Nigerians in reported speech and by it, they can scale the hurdle of having to abide by the rules of reporting in English usage. This, no doubt, has implications for performance in English language, especially in formal settings.

Keywords – Communicative Functions, Quotative Device, Reporting