Reporting Verbs and Patterns

Beyond 'say' and 'tell', many reporting verbs summarise the function of what was said. Each follows its own grammatical pattern, such as verb + gerund, verb + object + infinitive, or verb + that-clause.

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Level C1 Clauses

Summary

Beyond 'say' and 'tell', many reporting verbs summarise the function of what was said. Each follows its own grammatical pattern, such as verb + gerund, verb + object + infinitive, or verb + that-clause.

various: suggest + -ing/that ; offer + to-inf ; accuse sb of + -ing ; warn sb (not) to + verb

Examples

Common mistakes

• Using the wrong pattern: 'suggested me to go' should be 'suggested that I go' or 'suggested going'.
• Forgetting the preposition: 'accused him cheating' should be 'accused him of cheating'.

Related

Reported Commands and Requests Say vs Tell

More clauses

Relative Clauses (Defining) B1

Use defining relative clauses to give essential information that identifies which person or thing you mean. Use who for people, which for things, and that for both. No commas are used.

Reported Speech B2

Use reported speech to tell someone what another person said without quoting their exact words. Tenses usually shift back, and pronouns and time expressions often change.

Reported Statements B1

Reported statements relay what someone said without quoting them directly. Tenses usually shift back one step, and pronouns and time expressions change to fit the new viewpoint.

Reported Questions B2

Reported questions turn a direct question into a statement-order clause. Yes/no questions use 'if' or 'whether', and there is no inversion or question mark in the reported form.

Reported Commands and Requests B2

Commands and requests are reported with a verb plus an object and a to-infinitive. Negative commands use 'not to' before the verb.

'Say' and 'tell' both report speech but differ in grammar. 'Tell' needs a person as its object, while 'say' does not take a direct person object and uses 'to' if the listener is mentioned.

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