Proposes a more explicit description for reported speech in English grammars and English as a second language textbooks, with emphasis on: a clear differentiation between direct and indirect speech using prosodic, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic criteria; the role of deixis in explaining the internal syntactic adjustments in indirect speech;…

Examines marginal and end comments written on the first drafts of essays of advanced university students of English as a Second Language in terms of their pragmatic goals and linguistic features. Findings indicate the importance of helping students process feedback successfully and providing text-specific feedback. (65 references) (Author/CK)