Reporting Verbs
Direct Speech Reported Speech
“If you are too busy, I can pick Sally up Dave said (that) he could pick Sally up
from school,” said Dave. from school if I was too busy.
Dave offered to pick Sally up from
Dave is making an OFFER
school if I was too busy.
Now, as you can see, the above reporting verb offer has a different structure to the
reported statement when using said:
say: reporting verb (+that) + clause a clause has meaning by itself (often it can be
a full sentence)
BUT
offer: reporting verb + infinitive + clause
Let’s look at some other common and useful reporting verbs and their particular
structures…
1. Reporting verbs with the same structure as say:
rep. verb + clause
*agree *promise *suggest complain *admit explain mention *claim
*these reporting verbs can also fit into other sentence structures.
Direct Speech Reported Speech
“Why don’t you go cycling in the Ellen suggested (that) I went cycling in
countryside tomorrow,” Ellen said. the country side the following day.
“You must turn the power off first, and The electrician explained (that) I had to
then remove the faulty power outlet,” turn the power off first, and then
the electrician said. remove the faulty power outlet.
2. Reporting verbs with the same structure as tell:
rep. verb + direct object + clause
*advise warn *tell convince assure persuade notify inform *remind
Direct Speech Reported Speech
“Don’t pull it again, or you’ll break it,” The father warned his son not to pull it
said the farther to his son. again or he would break it.
“Don’t worry, I’m absolutely certain My wife assured me (that) she had
that I locked the front door,” said my locked the front door.
wife.
*the direct object in some of these reported statements is changeable.
3A. Reporting verbs with the infinitive:
rep. verb + infinitive
threaten demand offer propose refuse *ask *agree *claim *promise
Direct Speech Reported Speech
“I’ll punch you in the nose,” shouted Ben threatened to punch me in the
Ben. nose.
“I am the most experienced in the She claimed to be the most
team,” she said. experienced in the team.
3B. Reporting verbs with the infinitive:
rep. verb + direct object + infinitive
invite *tell beg forbid order *remind advise ask encourage warn(not to)
Direct Speech Reported Speech
direct object
“Please, please, please can you buy The boy begged his mother to buy
infinitive
me some candy,” said the boy. him some candy.
direct object
“If I were you, I wouldn’t invest in that She advised/warned me not to invest
infinitive
company,” she said. in that company.
*the direct object in some of these reported statements is changeable.
4A. Reporting verbs followed by a gerund:
rep. verb + verb+ing
mention deny suggest recommend admit propose
Direct Speech Reported Speech
“It wasn’t me who stole the bag,” cried Billy denied stealing the bag.
Billy. *(Billy denied having stolen the bag.)
She admitted leaving the freezer
“It was me, I left the freezer door
door open.
open,” she said.
*(She admitted having left the
freezer door open.)
*these reported structures are correct, but are usually taught at C1 level.
Take note:
All of the above listed reporting verbs can also fit into structure 1:
rep. verb (+that) + clause
Billy denied (that) he had stolen the bag.
She admitted (that) she had left the freezer door open.
4B. Reporting verbs followed by a gerund:
rep. verb + preposition + verb+ing
*agree(to) apologise(for) insist(on) *argue(about)
Direct Speech Reported Speech
“I’m sorry for arriving so late this Naomi apologised for arriving so late
morning,”said Naomi. that morning.
“Ok, I’ll see another doctor before I She agreed to seeing another doctor
make a final decision,” she said. before making a final decision.
Reported questions
1. If it is a yes/no question we are reporting, we use if or whether: Questions words:
• who
• when
Direct Speech Reported Speech • where
• why
“Are you going to buy that shirt?” The shop assistant asked if I was • what
asked the shop assistant. going to buy that shirt. (this shirt) • which
• how
*They are sometimes called
“Did you pass your French exam Laura asked whether Jack had -wh words
Jack?” Laura asked. passed his French exam.
*CAUTION: Do/does/can/
have etc. are NOT question
2. If the direct question contains a question word, we include that question words! (they are auxiliary
word in the reported speech, but we do not include the auxiliary verb in verbs)
the reported speech:
Direct Speech Reported Speech
“Who is your favourite author?” Andrea asked who my Andrea asked who was my
asked Andrea. NOT
favourite author was. favourite author.
“Where are you going this He asked (me) where I was He asked me where was I
summer?” he asked. NOT
going the following summer. going the following summer.
“What did you buy at the store He asked me what I had He asked me what I
NOT
yesterday?” he asked me. bought at the store the day did buy at the store
before. the day before.