Reporting Verbs
As we have already seen, the most common verb for reported speech is to say. We can use to say with or without an object:
✓He said that he had been to work.
✓He said to me that he had been to work.
say + (to sb) + (that) + clause
Another common verb is to tell. When use to tell we have to use an object:
✓He told me that he had been to work.
xHe told that he had been to work.
tell + sb + (that) + clause
When we report questions we usually use ask:
She asked me if I liked chocolate.
There are many other reporting verbs we can use that have different patterns.
Reporting verbs + -ing form
These verbs can have an -ing verb pattern:
admit | “I stole the money,” he admitted. He admitted stealing the money. |
apologise for | “I’m sorry I stole the money.” He apologised for stealing the money. |
complain about | “It’s so hot inside,” he complained He complained about it being so hot inside. |
deny | “I didn’t break the vase.” He denied breaking the vase. |
insist on | “I’m going to pay for these coffees,” my friend insisted. My friend insisted on paying for the coffees. |
suggest | “Let’s go for a walk,” she suggested. She suggested going for a walk. |
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