Reported Speech and Reporting Verbs
- "I want to be a doctor," said Tom.
- Tom told me (that) he wanted to be a doctor.
- Tom said (that) he wanted to be a doctor.
- "Will you help me," she asked.
- She asked (me) if I would help her.
- She wondered if I would help her.
Note the difference between "say" and "tell". We say something, but we tell someone something.
Similar to 'say' | Similar to 'tell' |
mention, explain, point out, agree, promise, threaten, pretend, claim, recommend, suggest, admit, deny, boast, complain, insist, propose, reply | promise, advise, warn, remind |
Here are some common reporting verbs with the patterns which follow them. You should learn and remember these.
Subject | Verb | to do | This pattern is common with verbs which mean "I'll do it!" Here, the person who is speaking does the action. |
I | offered agreed refused promised threatened pretended claimed | to make a cup of tea. |
Subject | Verb | Object | to do | This pattern is common with verbs which mean "You do it!". Here, the person who is listening does the action. Note that "warn" is usually used with a negative. ("I warned him not to go.") |
I | told ordered asked begged advised reminded persuaded encouraged warned invited | him | to make me a cup of tea. |
Subject | Verb | doing | A lot of students make mistakes with "suggest" and "recommend" so make sure you learn these. |
I | admitted denied suggested recommended | eating all the cake |
Finally, there are a lot of reporting verbs which use prepositions. Again, you have to remember all these patterns.
I blamed him for doing it. | I confessed to doing it. |
I accused him of doing it. | I apologised for doing it. |
I congratulated him on doing it. | I insisted on doing it. |