reported speech special reporting verbs

Reporting Verbs in English: List with Examples & Exercises

Reporting verbs are used when you want to tell someone about another conversation. We also call this reported speech or indirect speech. Two examples of reporting verbs are say and tell. There are many others and these have different meanings and grammar structures. In this study guide, we’ll look at examples of these verbs and show you how to use them correctly. We’ll also look at reporting verbs to improve your academic writing. Let’s go!

What are reporting verbs?

Reporting verbs list.

• How do I use them?

Reporting verbs in academic writing

• Test your knowledge: exercises

What you will learn: 

Reporting verbs (or referring verbs) are words used to report about (or refer to) what another person has said, written or done. These verbs are used in reported speech, which can be direct or indirect.

The first reporting verbs that English students learn are usually say and tell . For example compare i) and ii) below:

• “It’s my birthday next weekend. Please, make a birthday cake for me!” Charlotte said to her mum ( direct speech)

Charlotte told her mum to make a birthday cake for her. ( indirect speech)

There are many other reporting verbs in English. These can be particularly useful in formal and academic writing.

General reporting verbs

In this table, we have listed out some common reporting verbs that are used in everyday English. To help you understand how to correctly place them in a sentence, we have put them into approximate categories based on their most common usage. However, you should remember that some of these reporting verbs can be used in difference contexts and sometimes with different grammar structures.

Academic reporting verbs

In the table below, we’ve listed out the reporting verbs in groups based on their general meanings. We have also indicated the relative “strength” of each verb. For example, if I imply (suggest/hint, weak) that you are wrong, this is very different from if I assert (state/say, strong) that you are wrong. Remember that English is seldom “black vs. white” – there are often several degrees of meaning.

How do I use reporting verbs?

Understanding what the verbs mean is generally the easiest step. You see a new word, you learn what the word means in your own language and you learn how to pronounce it in English. In actual fact, you can only really say you’ve learnt a word when you also know how to accurately use it in a sentence.

Let’s return to our example with Charlotte’s birthday cake:

 “It’s my birthday next weekend. Make a birthday cake for me,” Charlotte said to her mum ( direct speech)

Easy, right? Now let’s consider that there are many other ways that Charlotte could say this in English. Depending on what she said and how she said it, you might need to use a different reporting verb, not just say or tell . For example:

• If you want to express the idea of “ Don’t forget ” “ Don’t forget to make a birthday cake for me.” Charlotte reminded her mum to make a cake.
• If you want to express the idea of “ No, I don’t want to do something ” (i) “ I’m not going to make my own birthday cake!” Charlotte said that she wouldn’t make her own cake.(ii) “ I’m not going to make my birthday cake. You can do it!” Charlotte refused to make a cake. (iii) “I’ve got lots of work to do this weekend and I might be too busy for other things”Charlotte hinted that she wouldn’t make the cake.  

In these sentences, there are three different verbs (say, hint, refuse). They all mean “no” but say is a neutral verb, hint is a weak verb, and refuse is much stronger .

• If you want to express the idea of “Please do this!” “ Can you make a birthday cake for me, please ?” Charlotte asked her mum to make a cake. “ Please, please, please, can you make a cake for my birthday?” Charlotte begged her mum to make a cake (or) Charlotte pleaded with her mum to make a birthday cake. Ask, plead and beg all have a similar meaning, but plead and beg are much stronger than ask.

Learning words in English is like collecting bricks to build a house. It’s not enough just to get the bricks. You also need to learn how to arrange them correctly so that your house is solid! You can’t build a good house from just a couple of bricks (e.g. say and tell). That’s why you need to learn more vocabulary – like reporting verbs. We don’t want the Big Bad Wolf to blow your house down!

Let’s take a look at HOW to use reporting verbs in real sentences. Below, we have divided the verbs into their different grammar structures so they are easier for you to learn.

1. Reporting verb + infinitive

Verbs: Refuse, decide, promise, demand, agree, threaten, plead with Examples:

• Charlotte refused to make a cake. ( NOT : Charlotte refused making a cake)
• My boss decided to give me a promotion.
• The teacher demanded to know who was responsible for the mess.
• We agreed to keep quiet and not tell anyone the news. (or) We agreed that we would keep quiet.
• We threatened to go to the police.
• They pleaded with the man to release the hostage.

2. Reporting verb + somebody + (not) infinitive

Verbs : remind, ask, beg, warn , order, encourage, persuade, advise, urge, agree Examples :

• Charlotte reminded her mum to make a cake.
• They asked me to cook
• He begged his friend not to tell
• They warned me not to go there by myself.
• The government has ordered everybody to stay at home.
• Her parents always encourage her to work
• They persuaded me to stay for another drink.
• The doctor advised me to stop
• Our new neighbours have invited us to have dinner with them tomorrow.

3. Reporting verb + verb +ing

Verbs: Deny, suggest, recommend, report, propose, admit

These verbs can be used with +ing or with that , but it’s generally better to be concise and use the +ing verb. Short and sweet! Examples :

• They denied taking the last biscuit. (short) (or) They denied that they had taken the last biscuit. (long)
• She admitted stealing the money. (or) She admitted that she had stolen the money. / She admitted to me that she had stolen the money.
• She suggested taking a taxi because it would be quicker. (or) She suggested that we took a taxi.
• I recommend going in the morning when the weather isn’t so hot. (or) I recommend ( that) we go in the morning.
• I propose cancelling the next meeting until we have made a decision. (or) I propose that we cancel the next meeting.

4. Reporting verb + preposition + verb + ing

Verbs: Blame smbd for, accuse smbd of, insist on, apologise for, complain about, confess to, forbid smbd from, agree to, think about Examples :

• They blamed me for missing the train.
• She accused her friend of
• He apologised for breaking the window.
• She is thinking about moving to France.
• He insisted on paying for everybody. / He insisted that he paid for everybody.
• They complained about not having a small hotel room. / They complained that they didn’t have a bigger room.

The reporting verbs we use in academic writing also follow specific grammatical patterns. Again, it is important to know whether the verb needs +ing, the infinitive , or that after it.

5. Academic reporting verb + that

Verbs: Point out, find, observe , state, agree, believe, assert, claim, contend, explain, guess, assert, imply, reason, prove, note, report, reveal.

• Bosley (2017) found that elderly patients experience fewer symptoms of pain when they have regular access to some form of nature. (or) Bosley (2017) found a link between symptoms and access to nature. ( find smth )
• Martinez (2008) and Zhang (2009) agree that … (or) Martinez (2008) and Zhang (2009) agree with this theory . ( agree with + smth/smbd )
• Persson (2003) claims that a community is impossible without a shared aim.
• Research conducted by Bradwell in 2017 revealed that there was a considerable difference in the amount of time UK and US teenagers spent with their families. (or) Research conducted by Bradwell in 2017 revealed a considerable difference in the amount of time UK and US teenagers spent with their families.

6. Academic reporting verb + smth

Verbs: Develop, study, focus on, acknowledge, doubt, contribute to, echo, subscribe to, question, disapprove of, dispute, reject, discuss, investigate, illustrate, present, outline, put forward, consider, support, emphasise, challenge, analyse, discard, identify, explore, propose, highlight, stress. Examples:

• Wang (2016) supports the idea that there is a significant link between play and child development. NOT : Wang (2016) supports that there is a significant link between play and child development.  
• Roberts (2018) identifies three possible factors in early diagnosis.
• Solara (2015) questions the importance of this approach. (or) Solara (2015)  questions whether this approach is important.
• Barboza (2018) rejects the three factors presented by Solara.
• Miller (2016) discusses this theory in detail. NOT : Miller (2016) discusses about this theory in detail

In academic writing, reporting verbs are used when you want to refer to what another person has said. You do this to strengthen your own argument and to show that other academics think the same as you.

It would be easy to just learn the verb “to state”, and use this all the time. However, using a range of other verbs can allow you to express your opinion about the author’s idea more precisely. For example, “to state” is quite neutral , but “to claim” implies that there is no proof behind what the author is saying.

Past or present tense?

You can use both the past and the present tense in academic writing.

If you are talking about recent research, use the present. This makes a connection between past research and now, which adds weight to your argument.

• Wang (2016) support s the idea that there is a significant link between play and child development. (present simple)

If you are talking about how research was conducted, you will need to use the past simple (either active or passive voice).

• Wang (2016) examin ed fifty groups of siblings. (past simple) The siblings were asked the following questions. (passive voice)

Avoid these common mistakes!

• It’s possible to express someone’s opinion using “According to…”. This does not need a reporting verb. “According to” does the job of a reporting verb already. e.g. “According to Covey (2017)…” (Not: “ According to Covey (2017) states that… ”)
• A source written by one author will need a singular verb with “-s” at the end e.g. “Liu (2016) suggest s that…” (Not: “ Liu (2016) suggest that… ”)
• A source written by more than one author will need a plural verb. e.g. “Liu and Helzer (2016) suggest that…” (Not: “ Liu and Helzer (2016) suggests that… ”)
• If you use “et al.” to indicate multiple authors, this will also require a plural verb as it means “they”. e.g. “Rosenberg et al. (2018) argue that…” (Not: “ Rosenberg et al. (2018) argues that…” )

Reporting verbs: Exercises

• Why didn’t you _____________ me that you don’t eat meat? a) say.  b) tell
• I didn’t ____________ anything to you, because I was too worried. a) tell.    b) say
• We __________ them to meet us in the main square at half past eleven. a) told.  b) said
• You should ________ her that you don’t want to go on holiday. a) say.  b) tell
• Are you going to ___________ anything to Sue about your good news? a) say.  b) tell
• They have ________ that we will need to bring our own bed linen and towels. a) told.    b) said

Which of these sentences are right and which are wrong? Choose correct or incorrect.

• She suggested to study together for the exam. a . Correct    b. Incorrect
• I said you not to do that. a. Correct    b. Incorrect
• I didn’t tell anyone anything. a . Correct.  b . Incorrect
• We have decided live in the countryside. a. Correct    b. Incorrect
• My grandmother always encouraged to learn to cook. a. Correct    b. Incorrect

Choose the correct verb to complete the sentences.

• She invited me ________ to her house for a drink after work. a. go    b. going  c. to go
• She asked me _________ some money. a. lending    b. to lend    c . to lend her
• They persuaded me _________ to London with them. a. go    b. to go    c. of going
• He advised _______ more exercise. a. I do    b. me to do    c. me doing
• He begged me not _______ anybody about the accident. a. of telling    b. tell    c. to tell
• He reminded ________ to renew the car insurance. a . to me    b. me    c. of me
• She refused _______ the washing-up again! a. me to do    b. to do.  c. doing
• She apologised _________ me an angry text message. a. of sending. b. for sending    c. sending
• He admitted ________ the red wine on the sofa. a. spilling    b. to spill    c. spill of
• He suggested _________ on a cycling holiday next year. a. go    b . going c. we going
• He denied _________ my car. a. taking    b . to take    c. taking of
• She decided __________ the risotto. a. having.  b. to have    c. to having

Exercise 1:

Exercise 2:

• b. Incorrect (She suggested studying together for the exam.)
• b. Incorrect (I told you not to do that.)
• b. Incorrect (We have decided to live in the countryside.)
• b. Incorrect (My grandmother always encouraged me to learn to cook.)

Exercise 3:

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Difference Between: Inquiry vs. Enquiry

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Difference Between: Too vs. Also

Too (tuː) and also (ɔːlsoʊ) are both adverbs that mean ‘in addition’. The difference is their position in the sentence. Adding extra information – e.g. Jamie bought some milk. He bought some bread too . Or Jamie bought some milk. He also bought some bread.   Adding emphasis – e.g. Emma can play the guitar. She can play the piano too . Or Emma can play the guitar. She can also play the piano.

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Reporting Verbs: List & Examples

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Advanced Grammar Course

In previous lessons, you’ve learned how to do reported speech and reported questions/commands  – now here are some verbs you can use to do the reporting! Pay special attention to the grammatical structure of how each one is used, and make sure to avoid the common errors.

Common Reporting Verbs

Say + (that).

Using the word “that” is optional after “say”:

• Bob  said he was happy.
• Bob  said that he was happy.

Avoid this common error: Bob said me that he was happy.

tell + someone + (that)

After the word “tell,” we must always have a person:

• Jane  told me  she had worked late.
• Jane  told me that  she had worked late.

tell + someone + (not) + to

We use “tell someone to” for giving an order/command:

• My mom  told me to  clean my room.
• My dad  told me not to  play with fire.

ask + someone + if/whether ask + someone + question word

We use “ask someone if/whether” for yes/no questions:

• They  asked the teacher if there was any homework.
• They  asked the teacher whether  there was any homework.

For all other questions, use this structure:

• He  asked me  what  time it was.
• She  asked us how  to get to the train station.
• They  asked the police officer why  the road was closed.

Avoid this common error: They  asked to the police officer… 

ask + someone + (not) + to

We use “ask someone to” for requesting action from the other person:

• She  asked me to  close the door.
• She  asked me not to  leave the door open.

Reporting Verbs for Advice

Recommend + ing / recommend + that.

• I  recommend staying  in this hotel.
• I  recommend that you stay  in this hotel.

suggest + ING / suggest + that

• He suggested taking an early train.
• He suggested that I take an early train.

Avoid this common error: He suggested me to take an early train.

warn + someone + about warn + someone + not + to

We “warn” people about potentially dangerous things:

• They  warned us  about  the high prices in San Francisco.
• They  warned us not to  move to San Francisco.

advise + someone + (not) + to

We use the verb “advise” for giving advice. “Advise” is pronounced with a Z sound, and “advice” is pronouned with an S sound.

• She  advised me to  start the assignment early.
• She  advised me not to  wait until the last minute.

encourage + someone + to

We usually use the word “encourage” for suggesting positive things.

• My parents  encouraged me to  take swimming lessons.

Reporting Verbs for Arguments & Strong Feelings

Admit + that.

If you “admit” something, it means you acknowledge a mistake or an unpleasant fact.

• He  admitted that  he’d stolen the money.

argue + that / argue + about

The word “argue” can mean to try to persuade other people that your opinion is correct – as in the first example – or it can mean to have an angry verbal conflict – as in the second example.

• The lawyer  argued that  his client didn’t know he was breaking the law.
• My parents are  arguing about  where to spend our family vacation.

agree + that

• The boss  agreed that  we should invest more in employee training.

Avoid this common error:  I’m agree.  The correct sentence is “I agree” (more common) or “I’m in agreement” (more formal).

claim + (that)

We use the verb “claim” to describe things we state are true… but other people might doubt that we are telling the truth.

• She  claimed that  she’d locked the door.
• She  claimed  she’d locked the door.

complain + that / complain + about

The verb “complain” means to say something negative because you are annoyed/disappointed about it.

• We  complained that  the hotel room was too hot.
• We  complained about  the temperature in the hotel room.

deny + that

If you “deny” something, it means you say it is NOT true.

• He  denied that  he was responsible.

insist + that / insist + on

The verb “insist” means to strongly say something is true, or strongly say you will do something, despite other people trying to contradict you.

• I  insisted that  I was innocent.
• She  insisted on  paying for my drink.

swear + that / swear + to

The verb “swear” means to say something with extremely strong certainty.

• He  swore that  he’d left his wallet on the table.
• He  swore to  get revenge.

threaten + to

The verb “threaten” means to say you will do something bad to another person.

• The manager  threatened to  fire me.

Reporting verbs for statements:

Explain + that explain + noun + to someone explain + question word.

• The receptionist  explained that  the doctor was out to lunch.
• Can you  explain this math problem  to me?
• He  explained how  he’d built his own house.

Avoid this common error: She explained me … / I explained him …  – we never have a person immediately after the verb “explain.”

state + that

• The politician  stated that  he was in favor of immigration.

reply + that

• When I asked her about the project, she  replied that  she didn’t know anything.

Avoid this common error: She replied me that…  – we never have a person immediately after the verb “reply”

mention + that

The verb “mention” means to say something quickly, or to say something that is not so important to the main topic.

• He  mentioned that  he’d put gas in the car.

announce + that

• The teacher  announced that  everyone had passed the test.

Reporting verbs for giving orders:

Command + someone + to.

• The officer  commanded the soldier  to clean the room.

demand + that demand + noun

• My sister  demanded that  I give her an answer.
• My sister  demanded an answer.

forbid + someone + to

The verb “forbid” means to prohibit someone from doing something.

• We  forbade our kids to  use the computer without supervision.

Other reporting verbs:

Boast + that.

The verb “boast” means to arrogantly say good things about yourself or your accomplishments.

• He  boasted that  he always got the best grades in the class.

propose + that

The verb “propose” can be used for making suggestions. It is a little more formal.

• She  proposed that  we take a ten-minute break.

reveal + that

When we “reveal” something, we say something that was previously a secret, or information that is sensitive or not very well-known.

• In the interview, he  revealed that  he struggled with self-esteem.

guarantee + that

If you “guarantee” that something is the case, it means you promise that it is true.

• We  guarantee that  our products are made from high-quality materials.

promise + (that) / promise + to

• You  promised that  you’d help me.
• You  promised  you’d help me.
• You  promised to  help me.

beg + someone + to/for

• I’m  begging you to  reconsider.
• I’m  begging you for  another chance.

remind + someone + to/that

• She  reminded me to  go to the bank.
• She  reminded me that  the bank is closed on Sundays.

Avoid this common error: She  remembered  me to go…

Learn more: State verbs and action verbs

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Reported Speech and Reporting Verbs

Reported speech.

Direct speech and reported speech are the two ways we can say what someone has said.

Directed speech: "I am your neighbour," said James.

Reported speech: James said that he was my neighbour.

Because we are talking about something that happened in the past, we use past tense verbs in reported speech: said not say ; was not am .

Reporting verbs

In the sentence "James said that he was my neighbour" , said is a reporting verb ( was is a reported verb). There are other reporting verbs we can use depending on the statement. We can also use the verbs like told , offered and promised . Let's take a look at some examples.

"My brother is buying a car" said Anne (direct speech) becomes Anne told me (that) her brother was buying a car .

Use told + person + what was said . Don't use told with to : Anne told to me (that) her brother was buying a car is not correct.

Use offered + to + infinitive verb .

"I'll do the shopping for you", said Simon becomes Simon offered to do the shopping for us .

Use promise + to + infinitive verb

"I'll buy you lunch", said Mark becomes Mark promised to buy me lunch .

OR Promise + clause (change the tense of the verb) :

Mark promised (that) he would buy me lunch.

Take a look at these other reporting verbs and choose the best one for each sentence. For extra practice, rewrite the sentences using reported speech.

Link: How to use reported speech

• 1 - "I'll email you every day": suggested explained promised
• 2 - "You need an F-1 visa to study in America": said realised explained
• 3 - "Why don't we go for a walk?": told suggested asked
• 4 - "The music is too loud. I can't sleep": said suggested complained
• 5 - "Could you tell me where the bathroom is?": asked offered suggested
• 6 - "You can't come with me": told suggested promised
• 7 - "Is this your car?": offered asked said
• 8 - "I'll be very careful": told promised suggested
• 9 - "Let me help you with those bags": told explained offered
• 10 - "Water boils at 100 degrees": offered told promised

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Reported speech

Reporting verbs

In the page about reported speech, we talked about how to change direct speech ("I love coffee") into reported speech (Johnna said that she loved coffee), using the  reporting verbs 'say', 'tell' and 'ask'. However, we can also use many other verbs to report what someone said, like 'promise', 'warn', 'advise' and 'recommend'.

Some of these verbs look a bit more complicated to use than 'say' and 'tell', but it's just a question of getting to know the verb patterns (or verb structures).

(As I'm sure you know, we can often choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. The meaning is exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

Let's look first at the verbs we've already talked about. The basic verb pattern for using 'say' for reported speech is:

say + (that) + clause

• She said (that) she had already eaten.

(The direct speech for this is "I've already eaten".)

On the other hand, with 'tell' we need to use an object, a person who we tell the information to. tell + someone + (that) + clause

• I told John (that) I had seen the new film.

(The direct speech for this is "I've seen the new film".)

When we are reporting orders, we can also use another pattern with 'tell':

tell + someone + to + infinitive

• She told the children to go to bed.

We use 'ask' to report questions or requests. For questions we use the pattern:

ask + someone + if / question word + clause

• I asked my boss if I could leave early.
• She asked them where the station was.

For requests we use the pattern:

ask + someone + to + infinitive

• I asked Lucy to pass me the salt.

(Remember, the first two examples with 'ask' are no longer real questions, so we use the normal sentence word order. We don't use inversion. We say 'she asked them where the station was', NOT  'she asked them where was the station' . You can read more about this on the lessons about indirect questions and  reported speech.)

Other reporting verbs follow a variety of patterns. There aren't any rules about which verbs follow which patterns. You need to learn each one.

(= Give someone advice. Notice the different spelling for the verb and the noun.)

Advise + someone + to + infinitive

• She advised him to see a doctor.

Advise + (that) + clause

• The staff advise that you carry water at all times.

Advise + against + verb-ing

• I'd advise against leaving early.

Agree + to + infinitive

• We agreed to meet the following day.

Agree + (that) + clause

• I agreed that the children could do their homework later.

6: APOLOGISE

Apologise + (to + someone) + for + verb-ing

• They apologised to us for being late.
• She apologised for forgetting the book.

Apologise (+ to + someone) + for + noun

• She apologised for the delay.

Decide + to + infinitive

• They decided to go to the cinema.

Decide + (that) + clause

• They decided that they would go to the cinema.

8: ENCOURAGE

Encourage + someone + to + infinitive

• She encouraged him to take the exam again.
• The teacher encouraged the students to ask questions.

Explain + (that) + clause

• The teacher explained that the course was finished.

Explain + noun + to + someone

• She explained the grammar to the students.

NOT:  She explained me the grammar.

Explain + question word + to + infinitive

• They explained how to buy a train ticket on the internet.
• John explained where to find the restaurant.

Explain + question word + clause

• We explained what the exams would cover.

10: INSIST*

Insist + on + verb-ing

• He insisted on paying.

Insist + (that) + clause

• He insisted that we sit down.

11: PROMISE

Promise + to + infinitive

• He promised to arrive early.

Promise + (someone) + (that) + clause

• I promised him that I wouldn't do it again.

12: RECOMMEND*

Recommend + verb-ing

• I recommend visiting the British Museum while you're in London.

Recommend + (that) + clause

• I recommend that you visit the British Museum

Remind + someone + to + infinitive

• She reminded him to take his keys.

Remind + someone + (that) + clause

• They reminded me that there is a party tonight.

14: SUGGEST*

Suggest + verb-ing

• I suggest leaving soon

Suggest + (that) + clause

• I suggest that you come as soon as you can.

NOT:  I suggest him to come.

Warn + someone + (not) + to + infinitive

• I warned them not to go in the water.

Warn + someone + about + something

• She warned us about the dangerous roads.

Negatives To make the verbs that we have reported negative, we need to look at the verb pattern:

• When there's a clause, we make the negative in the usual way: She said that she  didn't like  ice cream.
• When there's 'to + infinitive', we generally put 'not' before 'to': He promised  not to do  it again.
• When there's 'verb-ing', we generally put 'not' in front of it: I advise  not taking  the bus.

* Advanced Point In formal English, some verbs that are followed by '(that) + clause' use the infinitive instead of a present tense verb. Some people suggest that this is a kind of subjunctive in English. You only need to worry about this in very formal writing.

Mostly, this doesn't make a difference, because the present simple form in English is often the same as the infinitive form. But when the subject is 'he', 'she' or 'it' or when the verb is 'be', we can see it clearly.

• I advise that he  go  to bed early. (Normally we'd expect: I advise that he goes to bed early.)
• I insist that she  come  now. (Normally we'd expect: I insist that she comes now.)
• They suggested that the cats  be  put in the garden for the night. (Normally we'd expect: They suggested that the cats are put in the garden for the night.)

Some reporting verbs may appear in more than one of the following groups because they can be used in several ways.

VERBS FOLLOWED BY "IF" OR "WHETHER"

Verbs followed by a "that", verbs followed by either "that" or an infinitive with "to", verbs followed by a "that" clause containing should, which may be omitted, leaving a subject + zero-infinitive, verbs followed by a clause starting with a question word, verbs followed by object + infinitive with "to", course curriculum.

• Direct and indirect speech 15 mins
• Tense changes in reported speech 20 mins
• Changing time and place in reported speech 20 mins
• Reported questions 20 mins
• Reporting verbs 20 mins
• Reporting orders and requests 15 mins
• Reporting hopes, intentions and promises 20 mins

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A little bit of drama: Reported speech – reporting verb patterns

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This is a lesson plan for higher levels (B2+) to teach verb patterns with reporting verbs using video and scripted roleplays. It will be especially useful for CAE students as these structures tend to come up in key word transformations quite often.

You will need:

Explanation of the 4 groups of reporting verbs:

reporting-verbs1

Credit to http://www.eltbase.com/notes.php?id=59 for their great explanation.

The scripted scenarios (print out at least 3 copies):

reported-speech-script

The key to the scenarios:

Reported Speech Script Key

Introduction:

Write the verbs “accuse” and “deny” on the board. Then play the first minute of the following video:

Elicit the following sentences from students:

The Dad asked the boys who had got the paint out.

The older brother accused the younger brother of gettting/having got the paint out.

The younger brother denied getting/having got the paint out.

The older brother accused the younger brother of building stairs out of blocks.

Analyse the sentences and come up with the formula for the verbs accuse and deny:

accuse somebody of doing/having done something

deny doing/having done something

Ask students if they have ever been in a similar situation with a sibling or friend.

Have you ever been wrongfully accused of doing something?

Stage 2: 4 groups of reporting verbs

For this part you can either give out the handout on the 4 groups of reporting verb patterns. Or model the sentences on the board and have students dedicate a page in their vocab books for each group of verbs.

You’re going to need a lot of space on the board for this part. Divide the board into 4 quarters.

Write the following sentence, one at the top of each quarter:

• I’ll come to the party. (say)
• I’ll come to the party. (tell)
• I will definitely help with the cleaning. (promise)
• I didn’t steal the money. (deny)

Tell students to change the sentences to reported speech using the verb in brackets:

• He said that he would come to the party.

He told me that he would come to the party.

• He promised to help with the cleaning.

He denied stealing the money.

Tell students that these are the 4 groups of reporting verbs.

Group 1: Say pattern: Same as “say”

  He said that he would come to the party.

Subject + reporting verb + (that) + clause

Common verbs of this type:

* also used with other patterns – see below

Group 2: Tell pattern: Same as “tell”

Subject + reporting verb + direct object + (that) + clause.

Group 3: Reporting actions: Promises requests etc.

  He promised to help with the cleaning.

Subject + reporting verb + infinitive with to

He encouraged me to take maths instead of history.

Subject  + reporting verb + DO + infinitive with to

Common verbs of this type

Group 4: Reporting verbs with gerund.

Subject + reporting verb + gerund

 Common verbs of this type:

admit deny mention propose report suggest

Verbs with prepositions and gerund:

Accuse sb of doing st

Confess to doing something

Apologise to sb about/for doing st

Blame sb for st

Complain to sb about st

Insist on doing st

Object to st/doing st

Advise ab against doing st

Stage 3: Controlled Practice

Have students complete the 10 sentences on the back of the handout.

Report the sentence using the verb in brackets

• I want to see the manager! (demanded)

_________________________________________

• Don’t leave the path, there are dangerous snakes. (warned)
• I will help you clean up after the party (promised)
• Don’t forget to feed the fish. (Reminded)
• No no no! I’m paying for dinner. (Insisted)
• Listen everyone! I’m moving to New York next week. (announced)
• You are not allowed to chew gum in class. (forbid)
• I will punch you if you call me that again. (threatened)
• I’m really sorry that I broke your favourite cup. (apologised)
• Stand up and put your hands on your head. (ordered)

________________________________________

• He demanded to see the manager. He demanded that he saw the manager.
• She warned us not to leave the path. She warned (us) that there were dangerous snakes.
• She promised to help clean up after the party. She promised (me) that she would help clean up.
• He reminded me to feed the fish.
• She insisted on paying for dinner. She insisted that she paid for dinner.
• He announced that he was moving to New York the following week.
• She forbid me to chew gum in class.
• He threatened to punch me in the face if I called him that again.
• She apologised for breaking my favourite cup.
• He ordered me to stand up and put my hands on my head.

Stage 4: Scripted role-play

Split the class into groups of 2-3 and give out the role-play scenarios, give them a couple of minutes to read and rehearse and then have students come to the front of the class and act out the scenarios. Then the other groups have to write sentences using as many reporting verb patterns as they can based on what happened in the scenarios. Guide students and model sentences, encourage them to place them in the correct group.

Reported speech – Scripts

A: Hi son, How’s it going?

B: Hi Dad. I’m going out.

A: Wait a minute, wait a minute. Have you done your homework?

B: Ahhh come on Dad, it’s Friday night.

A: I don’t care, have you done it or not?

B: No. But I promise I’ll do it tomorrow.

A: Ok, but if you don’t you’ll be grounded for a week.

B: Ok it’s a deal.

They shake hands.

Sarah: Hi Fiona, how’s it going? Are you coming to the party tonight?

Fiona: No I don’t think so; I’m not in the mood and I have to work tomorrow.

Sarah: No you don’t! Tomorrow is a holiday, the shop is closed.

Fiona: Oh yeah! I’d completely forgotten. I’m still not sure.

Sarah: Oh come on, you’ve got to come! Tommy’s going to be there.

Fiona: Really? Hhhhmmmm well, ok go on then, I’ll come.

Teacher: (to John) You stole €5 from the charity collection box!

John: Me??? It wasn’t me! How dare you accuse me! It was Sandra who stole the money. I saw her do it!

Sarah: Me? No way! He’s lying!

Teacher: I want to see what’s in your pockets right now!

They turn out their pockets. John’s pockets are full of money.

Teacher: Aha! What’s all this?

John: Ok, it was me. I admit it.

Sarah: I think it’s unfair that I was accused of this crime. I’m going to tell my parents.

Teacher: I’m terribly sorry Sarah, it was a misunderstanding.

Anna and Natalie are having a party. The music is very loud. There is a knock at the door.

Anna: (opening the door) Yes? Who is it? What do you want?

Little old lady: It’s 3am, I can’t sleep please turn the music down.

Natalie: Turn it down? No way! We just graduated!

Little old lady:  Oh please please please turn it down, I’m so tired.

Anna: Nope sorry, we’re not going to turn it down.

Little old lady: (angry) Well, if you don’t turn it down I’m going to call the police.

Natalie: Go ahead! You can come in and use my phone if you want.

Little old lady: oooo the cheek of it! That’s it! I’m going to call the police!

The Dad asked the son if he had done his homework.

The son admitted that he hadn’t done his homework.

The son admitted to not doing/having done his homework.

The son promised to do his homework the day after.

The Dad warned the son that if he didn’t do his homework he would be grounded for a week.

Sarah asked Fiona if she was going to the party tonight.

Fiona replied that she didn’t think so. She said that she wasn’t in the mood and that she had to work the day after.

Sarah reminded Fiona that the day after was a holiday.

Sarah persuaded/convinced Fiona to come to the party by telling her Tommy would be there.

The teacher accused John of stealing/having stolen the money.

John denied stealing the money and accused Sarah of stealing the money.

The teacher ordered them to turn out their pockets/demanded that they turned out their pockets.

John admitted to/confessed to stealing the money.

Sarah objected to being accused of stealing the money.

The teacher apologised for accusing Sarah of stealing the money.

Anna asked who it was and what they wanted.

The old lady asked/urged them to turn the music down.

Natalie refused to turn the music down.

The old lady begged them to turn the music down.

Anna refused to turn the music down.

The little old lady threatened to call the police if they didn’t turn the music down.

Anna invited the old lady to use her phone.

The old lady announced that she was going to call the police.

Stage 4: Follow up activity, students write their own scripts.

Students come up with their own scenarios trying to use as many of the different verb patterns as possible. Other groups have to correctly guess the verb they were trying to express.

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Author: Tim Warre

Barcelona based English Teacher, blogger and sometime actor and director. View All Posts

5 thoughts on “ A little bit of drama: Reported speech – reporting verb patterns ”

• Pingback: A little bit of drama: Reported speech - report...

Thank you for this, I used it with a class and they loved it

Hi! Thanks so much for the ideas, they are great, but the video isn’t working… is there any other link to the video that I could use?

Should work now, thanks for the heads-up

Thank you so much! This looks like just what I was looking for. Going to try it with two different classes on Saturday, and will let you know how it goes.

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30 Reporting Verbs + Examples Espresso English Podcast

• Language Learning

Download FREE PDF: https://espressoenglish.lpages.co/free-pdf-30-reporting-verbs/  Reported speech is when we talk about what someone said in the past - and the verbs we use for it are called “reporting verbs” - ones like say, tell, ask, recommend, advise, warn, promise, and more. But there are some important little details to remember about the sentence structure when using each of these reporting verbs, so a lot of English learners make mistakes with them. Today I’ll teach you 30 common reporting verbs and the correct ways to use them in a sentence. I recommend downloading the PDF guide to this lesson so that you can review and remember all these reporting verbs and sentences - you can get it by clicking here: https://espressoenglish.lpages.co/free-pdf-30-reporting-verbs/  I’ve organized the reporting verbs into categories: Most common reporting verbs Reporting verbs for advice Reporting verbs for arguments and strong feelings Reporting verbs for statements Other reporting verbs Learn more in my Advanced English Grammar Course! https://www.espressoenglish.net/advanced-english-grammar-course/  

• Episode Website
• More Episodes
• Copyright Shayna Oliveira 2015

Breakout English

First (FCE) B2 Key Word Transformations – Reporting Verbs Exercise

Reporting verbs is a challenging grammar point at B2 level, but doing plenty of reporting verbs exercises can help. This grammar combines reported speech, which is nobody’s favourite, with verb patterns, which is really nobody’s favourite. Throw in using the reporting verbs in the past and you’ve got a messy lesson on your hands.

In the First Certificate exam, there often seems to be at least one key word transformations question with reporting verbs. So, like always, we need to prepare students for the eventuality of encountering it in the exam. Below, you’ll find 10 key word transformation questions for the Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Use of English Part 4. If you are looking for even more transformations to practise for the exam, consider picking up Breakout English’s book 250 Key Word Transformations for the B2 First exam.

GET 250 B2 FIRST (FCE) KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS:

Why do you need to know reporting verbs?

It is essential to familiarise your students with the unique structures that follow reporting verbs so that they can confidently and accurately use them in their exams. One effective way to do this is through drilling. This involves repeating the structures multiple times to help students internalise them. You can do this by repeating the phrases from your controlled practice activity in a course book or grammar book. Try drilling by building up the sentence from one word until it’s complete. Then break it back down. Drill fast, then slow, then quiet, then loud. It’s a fun activity and helps students with complex pronunciation and connected speech.

Another useful technique is to present your students with real-life examples of how the reporting verbs are used in context. This could involve reading articles or watching videos that contain examples of reporting verbs. Encourage your students to identify and highlight the reporting verbs in the text and discuss the structures that follow them. Youglish is an impressive tool to find words in context in YouTube videos. Just search for the phrase you want to see and it will find a series of videos using that word.

Incorporating role play activities can also be helpful. For example, students could take on the role of journalists reporting a news story, or characters in a scene discussing events that have taken place. After the role play, have students switch roles and share their findings. This forces them to used reported speech and reporting verbs. These reporting verbs activities not only provide students with the opportunity to practise using reporting verbs but also allow them to have fun while doing so.

Examples of reporting verbs

As you can see in the examples below, there are often multiple structures that can be used following different reporting verbs. They might be followed by a gerund, an infinitive, a preposition + gerund or a “that” clause. They might also require or not an object following the verb.

“We should go out on Saturday,” suggested Paul.

• Paul suggested going out on Saturday.
• Paul suggested (that) we go out on Saturday

“I didn’t see anything,” claimed Sarah.

• Sarah claimed not to have seen anything.
• Sarah claimed (that) she hadn’t seen anything.

“I’m going to quit my job,” announced Jane.

• Jane announced (that) she was going to quit her job.
• Jane announced quitting her job.

“I can’t make it to the meeting,” apologised Tom.

• Tom apologized for not being able to make it to the meeting.
• Tom apologized (that) he couldn’t make it to the meeting.

“I’ve never been to Paris,” admitted Lucy.

• Lucy admitted (that) she had never been to Paris.
• Lucy admitted never having been to Paris.

It’s important to note that some reporting verbs have a set structure that we must follow, while others can have more flexibility in terms of structure. It’s also important to be aware of the tense changes that might occur in the transformation from direct speech to reported speech.

Practice is key when it comes to mastering reporting verbs. Encourage your students to practise using different reporting verbs and structures in various contexts to help them feel confident and comfortable with this grammar point.

There are no hard and fast rules to tell your students which verbs have which patterns, so use your course book or a nice grammar explanation like this one from perfect-english-grammar.com .

The Materials

Once your students have a grasp of the grammar, they need practice! That’s where the reporting verbs exercises on this page come in. Get as much practice as possible using reporting verbs in an exam format.

Here are 10 transformations for your students to practise. This reporting verbs exercise will help you and your students visualise how reporting verbs are used in the Cambridge B2 First (FCE) exam. I often like to search some past papers to find a real exam with an example too, just to prove to doubtful students that they do and may well pop up.

EXAM PART : Use of English Part 4

EXAM SKILLS : Using grammar appropriate to the level (B2), key word transformations

TIME: 20 minutes + feedback

PREPARATION: One copy of the worksheet per student

Introductory Verbs in Reported Speech

By: Author Rosie

Posted on Last updated: October 26, 2023

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Learn how to use Introductory Verbs in Reported Speech and how they are used.

List of Introductory Verbs in Reported Speech

Verb + to + infinitive.

• Agree    

“Yes, I’ll cook for you.”

=> He agree to cook for me.

“Would you like me to carry your baby?”

=> He offered to carry her baby.

“No, I won’t buy you a car.”

=> She refused to buy me a car.

• Demand  

“Tell me the truth.”

=> He demanded to be told the truth.

“Behave yourself or I’ll punish you.”

=> He threatened to punish me if I didn’t behave myself.

• Promise  

“I’ll marry you when I return.”

=> He promised to marry her when he returned.

“I heard her say that.”

=> He claimed to have heard her say that.

Verb + sb + to + Infinitive

• Advise  

“You should take a coat.”

=> He advised me to take a coat.

• Ask        

“Could you babysit for me on Friday?”

=> She asked me to babysit for her on Friday .

• Allow    

“You can park over there.”

=> He allowed me to park over there

• Beg      

“Please, please call the police.”

=> She begged me to call the police.

• Command          

“Drop your weapons!”

=> He commanded them to drop their weapons.

• Encourage          

“Go ahead, phone her.”

=. He encouraged me to phone her.

• Forbid  

“You mustn’t eat sweets.”

=> My doctor forbade me to eat sweets.

• Invite    

“Would you like to come to my house?”

=> She invited me to go to his house.

• Want    

“I’d like you to drink a cup of tea.”

=> He wanted me to drink a cup of tea.

• Instruct                

“Insert coin.”

=> He instructed me to insert coin.

• Permit  

“You may travel with your friends.”

=> My parents permitted me to travel with my friends.

• Urge      

“Finish reading the book.”

=> He urged me to finish reading the book.

• Order    

“Get out of bed!”

=> She ordered me to get out of bed.

• Remind        

“Don’t forget to take out the garbage.”

=> She reminded me to take out the garbage.

• Warn    

“Don’t go near the oven.”

=> She warned me not to go near the oven.

Verb + “ing” form

• Admit (to)  

“Yes, I stole her money.”

=> He admitted (to) stealing/having stolen her money.

• Accuse sb of

“You broke the cup.”

=> She accused me of breaking the cup.

• Apologise for    

“I’m sorry I shouted at you.”

=> He apologised for shouting/having shouted at me.

• Boast about/ of     

“I’m the cleverest of all.”

=> He boasted of/about being the cleverest of all.

• Complain to sb of           

“I have a toothache.”

=> She complained to me of having a toothache.

• Deny    

“No, I didn’t murder my wife.”

=> He denied murdering/having murdered his wife.

• Insist on     

“You must wear warm clothes.”

=> She insisted on me/my wearing warm clothes.

• Suggest    

“Let’s go to the theatre.”

=> She suggested going to the theatre.

Verb + that + Clause

• Complain            

“You’re always late.”

=> She complained that I was always late.

“I’ve never flown in an aeroplane.”

=> She denied that she had flown in an aeroplane.

• Explain  

“It’s an easy recipe to follow.”

=> He explained that it was an easy recipe to follow.

• Exclaim/remark               

“What a beautiful baby he is!”

=> She exclaimed/remarked that he was a beautiful baby.

“I promise I’ll call you.”

=> She promised that she would call me.

• Boast    

“I am a brilliant dentist.”

=> He boasted that he was a brilliant dentist.

• Inform sb    

“You will be called for an interview.”

=> He informed me that I would be called for an interview.

• Claim    

“I know the answer.”

=> He claimed that he knew the answer.

“Yes, that is a beautiful hat.”

=> He agreed that it was a beautiful hat.

• Suggest      

“You ought to take the other road.”

=> He suggested that I (should) take the other road.

Explain to Somebody How to Do Something

“This is how you make polite conversation.”

=> He explained to me how to make polite conversation.

Introductory Verbs in Reported Speech | Images

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