Other Reporting Verbs

When using reported speech, most students learn to use "say" and "tell":
Examples:
John told me he was going to stay late at work.
Peter said he wanted to visit his parents that weekend.
These forms are perfectly correct for reporting what others have said. However, there are a number
of other reporting verbs which can more accurately describe what someone has said. These verbs
take a variety of structures. The following list gives you reporting verbs in various categories based
on sentence structure. Notice that a number of verbs can take more than one form.
verb object
infinitive

verb
infinitive

verb (that)

admit
agree
agree
advise
decide
decide
encourage
deny
offer
invite
explain
promise
remind
insist
refuse
warn
promise
threaten
recommend
suggest
Examples:
Examples:
Examples:
Tom admitted
Jack
She offered
(that) he had
encouraged me
to give him a tried to leave
to look for a
lift to work.
early.
new job.
My brother
She agreed
They invited all
refused to
(that) we
their friends to
take no for an needed to
attend the
answer.
reconsider our
presentation.
plans.

verb object
verb gerund preposition
gerund

verb
preposition
gerund

deny
recommend
suggest

apologize
insist

accuse
blame
congratulate

Examples:
Examples:
He denied
They accused
having
Examples: He
the boys of
anything to do
apologized for
cheating on the
with her.
being late.
exam.
Ken
suggested
studying early
in the
morning.

She insisted
She blamed her
on doing the
husband for
washing up.
missing the
train.

1 - "I'll email you every day":explained /suggested/promised

2 - "You need an F-1 visa to study in America":realised/explained/ said
3 - "Why don't we go for a walk?":suggested /asked /told
4 - "The music is too loud. I can't sleep":said/suggested/complained
5 - "Could you tell me where the bathroom is?":
asked
suggested
offered
6 - "You can't come with me":
promised
suggested
told
7 - "Is this your car?":
offered
said

asked
8 - "I'll be very careful":
told
promised
suggested
9 - "Let me help you with those bags":
explained
offered
told
10 - "Water boils at 100 degrees":
promised
told
offered