REPORTING

VERBS
AND HOW TO USE THEM

WHAT ARE REPORTING VERBS?

Reporting verbs are verbs that are used to
report what another person said or thoughts
Examples: Say, Tell, Inform, Explain, Mention,
Report

STRUCTURE OF REPORTING VERBS

S+ REPORTING VERB + (NOT) TO INFINITIVE
AGREE | OFFER | REFUSE | CLAIM | PROMISE |
SWEAR | THREATEN
Example:
AGREE: She agreed not to reveal the secret.
OFFER: I have offered to help us with the project.
REFUSE: They refused to participate in the competition.
CLAIM: The witness claimed not to have seen anything.
PROMISE: Jenny promised to return the book tomorrow.
SWEAR: He swore not to tell anyone about the incident.
THREATEN: The boss threatened to fire the employee.
S+ REPORTING VERB + SOMEONE +(NOT) TO INFINITIVE
ADVISE | CONVINCE | INVITE | REMIND | ASK ENCOURAGE | ORDER
| TELL | BEG | FORBID | PERSUADE | WARN
Example:
ADVISE: She advised her friend to take a break.
CONVINCE: He convinced his brother not to quit the job.
INVITE: We invited them to join us for dinner.
REMIND: The teacher reminded the students not to forget their
homework.
ASK: He asked his sister not to disturb him.
ENCOURAGE: They encouraged us to pursue our dreams.
ORDER: The captain ordered the soldiers to stand still.
TELL: She told me not to worry about the problem.
BEG: He begged her not to leave him.
FORBID: The sign forbids people to enter without permission.
PERSUADE: She persuaded him not to give up on his goals.
WARN: The police warned the public not to approach the area.
S+ REPORTING VERB + (NOT) VERB-ING
ACUSSE OF SOMEBODY OF | BLAME (SB) FOR | DENY | REGRET |
ADMIT | COMPLAIN ABOUT | INSIST ON | SUGGEST | APLOGOGISE
(TO SB) FOR | CONFESS TO | RECOMMEND
Example:
ACCUSE SOMEBODY OF: They accused him of stealing the money.
BLAME (SB) FOR: She blamed her colleague for the mistake.
DENY: He denied cheating on the exam.
REGRET: She regretted forgetting her friend's birthday.
ADMIT: They admitted making a mistake.
COMPLAIN ABOUT: He complained about the noisy neighbors.
INSIST ON: She insisted on paying for the dinner.
SUGGEST: He suggested going to the beach for the weekend.
APOLOGIZE (TO SB) FOR: They apologized for arriving late.
CONFESS TO: The suspect confessed to the crime.
RECOMMEND: The doctor recommended exercising regularly.
S+ REPORTING VERB + (THAT) + S + INFINITIVE
SUGGEST | RECOMMEND
Example:
SUGGEST: She suggested that we take a break.
RECOMMEND: The professor recommended that students review
the material.