I'm like, "Say What?!": A New Quotative in American Oral Narrative

Abstract

RECENT PHENOMENON IN AMERICAN ORAL narrative is the use of like in conjunction with the stative verb be, as a quotative or introducer of speech in discourse (henceforth referred to as be like).' Most quotatives are associated with either direct speech or inner monologue but rarely with both. For example, say and go function as introducers of direct speech; a quote following say or go implies that something was actually uttered no matter how approximative. On the other hand, the quotative think may only introduce inner monologue. Whereas most quotatives introduce either inner monologue or direct speech, the new quotative be like can introduce both kinds of reported speech, thus allowing the speaker to express an attitude, reaction, or thought, as well as something actually said. Note the uses of the quotatives in the following example:2

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