Reporting Verbs: Patterns, Meanings and Examples
Say and tell report the words. Reporting verbs like promise, refuse, admit and warn report the purpose behind them, which makes your English shorter, clearer and more natural. The hard part is the pattern each verb takes, and this page sorts them into groups.
By LearnLingo Team · Updated
Form
| Pattern | Common verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb + to-infinitive | agree, decide, demand, offer, promise, refuse, threaten, claim | He offered to drive me home. |
| verb + object + to-infinitive | advise, ask, beg, encourage, invite, order, persuade, remind, tell, urge, warn | She reminded me to buy milk. |
| verb + -ing | admit, deny, mention, recommend, suggest | He admitted breaking the window. |
| verb + preposition + -ing | apologise for, complain about, confess to, insist on, object to | She apologised for being late. |
| verb + object + preposition + -ing | accuse (someone) of, blame (someone) for, congratulate (someone) on, thank (someone) for, warn (someone) against | They accused him of lying. |
| verb + that clause | admit, agree, announce, claim, complain, confirm, deny, explain, insist, promise, suggest, warn | She explained that the train was late. |
| verb + object + that clause | assure, convince, inform, remind, tell, warn | He assured me that everything was fine. |
Many verbs fit more than one pattern: admit, deny, promise, suggest, warn and agree can also take a that clause. Learn each verb with its pattern, as a chunk: promise to do, deny doing, accuse someone of doing.
| Direct speech | Reported with a reporting verb |
|---|---|
| I'll help you with your bags. | He offered to help me with my bags. |
| No, I won't sign it. | She refused to sign it. |
| Yes, I took the money. | He admitted taking the money. (or: He admitted that he had taken the money.) |
| I didn't break it! | She denied breaking it. |
| Don't touch the wire. | He warned me not to touch the wire. |
| Why don't we take a break? | She suggested taking a break. |
| Well done on passing your test! | They congratulated me on passing my test. |
| You stole my phone! | He accused me of stealing his phone. |
Why use reporting verbs?
In reported speech, say and tell repeat the content of what someone said. Reporting verbs go further: they show the function of the words. Was it a promise, a warning, an apology, a refusal or a piece of advice? Compare: He said, I'll definitely be there and He promised to be there. The second is shorter and gives the listener more information.
Reporting verbs are essential in essays, reports, emails and news, where you summarise what people said instead of quoting every word. They also make spoken stories more lively. For the basics of say and tell, read say vs tell.
My boss agreed to let me work from home on Fridays.
The neighbours complained about the noise.
American English: neighbors.
She refused to answer any questions.
Verb + to-infinitive and verb + object + to-infinitive
Some verbs are followed directly by a to-infinitive: the speaker talks about their own action. Agree, decide, offer, promise, refuse and threaten are the most common. He threatened to call the police means he said he would do it.
Other verbs need an object (the person who receives the advice, order or request) before the to-infinitive: advise, ask, encourage, invite, order, persuade, remind, tell, urge and warn. Say She advised me to rest, not She advised to rest. For a negative, put not before to: He warned us not to swim there. For the rules on infinitives and -ing forms in general, see gerunds vs infinitives.
The company offered to refund my money.
My doctor advised me to cut down on sugar.
They invited us to stay for dinner.
The teacher reminded the students not to forget their passports.
Negative: not goes before to.
Verb + -ing and verb + preposition + -ing
Some reporting verbs take the -ing form: admit, deny, mention, recommend and suggest. He denied stealing the car. I recommend booking early. Do not put a to-infinitive after these verbs.
Others take a preposition, and because a preposition is followed by -ing, so are they: apologise for, insist on, complain about, confess to, object to. Some also need an object: accuse someone of, blame someone for, congratulate someone on, thank someone for, criticise someone for. Learn the prepositions as part of the verb; dependent prepositions has more.
To show that the action happened before the reporting, you can use the perfect -ing form: He denied having taken the money. It means the same as denied taking, but it is more formal.
She admitted making a mistake.
He insisted on paying for everyone.
Insist takes on, not to: not He insisted to pay.
The police accused him of driving too fast.
We congratulated her on getting the job.
He apologised for not replying sooner.
American English: apologized.
Suggest and recommend: the tricky ones
Suggest never takes an object + to-infinitive. Say She suggested going out or She suggested that we go out, not She suggested us to go out. Recommend works best the same way: I recommend that you book early, or I recommend booking early. Recommend someone to do is sometimes heard in British English, but it is much less common, so avoid it.
After suggest, recommend, insist and demand, a that clause can use the base verb for every subject (the subjunctive): They suggested that he take a taxi. This is standard in American English and in formal British English. In everyday British English, people also say that he should take a taxi or that he takes a taxi.
I suggest asking the receptionist.
My friend suggested that I apply for the job.
The doctor recommended that she rest for a week.
The base form rest is used even with she.
He suggested we should meet on Monday instead.
Common in British English; that can be left out.
Verb + that clause and tense changes
Many reporting verbs take a that clause with its own subject and verb: explain, claim, admit, announce, confirm, complain, insist, promise, warn. Some need a person as the object before the that clause: assure, convince, inform, remind, tell. Say He informed us that the flight was cancelled, not He informed that the flight was cancelled.
After a past reporting verb, the verb in the that clause usually moves back in tense, just like in reported speech: I'm tired becomes She complained that she was tired. If the information is still true, you can keep the original tense: He explained that the museum opens at ten. When you want to hide who said something, use an impersonal passive: It was claimed that... or He is said to....
The airline announced that all flights were delayed.
She assured us that the hotel was safe.
He claimed that he had never seen the letter before.
Reporting questions and requests
To report a question, use ask, wonder or want to know, and use statement word order: She asked where I lived, not She asked where did I live. Yes or no questions use if or whether: He asked if I was hungry. This works like an indirect question.
To report a request, use ask or beg + object + to-infinitive: She asked me to close the window. Polite offers become offer, and invitations become invite: Would you like to come? becomes She invited me to come.
He asked me if I needed any help.
They wanted to know when the shop opened.
She begged him not to leave.
In real life
In conversation, people use simple reporting verbs all the time when they tell stories: He offered to pay, She refused, They promised to fix it. In writing, especially essays and work emails, a range of reporting verbs makes a summary clear and professional: The client confirmed that..., The report recommends..., The manager reminded everyone to....
Choose your verb carefully, because each one shows an attitude. Claim suggests that the writer is not sure the statement is true; explain and point out suggest that it is. See business email phrases for more vocabulary for work.
Just to confirm, you agreed to send the files by Friday.
The study suggests that sleep helps memory.
In academic writing, studies and reports can be the subject too.
I promised to call my mum, so I need to go.
Common mistakes
She suggested me to see a doctor.
She suggested that I see a doctor. (or: She suggested seeing a doctor.)
Suggest never takes an object + to-infinitive. Use -ing or a that clause.
He denied to take the money.
He denied taking the money.
Deny is followed by -ing (or a that clause), not a to-infinitive.
She advised to wait until Monday.
She advised me to wait until Monday.
Advise needs a person as the object before the to-infinitive. Without an object, use -ing: She advised waiting.
He insisted to pay the bill.
He insisted on paying the bill.
Insist takes the preposition on + -ing, or a that clause: He insisted that he would pay.
They accused him for stealing.
They accused him of stealing.
Accuse always takes of. Blame takes for: They blamed him for the accident.
Practice quiz
10 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
1. He ___ to lend me his car for the weekend.
2. She denied ___ the email.
3. Choose the correct sentence.
4. Don't go out alone at night, she said. She warned me ___ out alone at night.
5. The manager thanked the team ___ hard all year.
6. What does He threatened to leave mean?
7. She insisted ___ the bill.
8. Choose the correct sentence.
9. OK, I broke the vase. He ___ breaking the vase.
10. They blamed the driver ___ the accident.
0 of 10 answered
Show all answers
- offered
- reading
- My teacher recommended reading more.
- not to go
- for working
- He said he would leave, as a warning.
- on paying
- He informed us that the meeting was cancelled.
- admitted
- for
See what the B2 English course covers, or test your level first.
People also ask
What are reporting verbs?+
They are verbs we use to report what someone said and the purpose behind it, such as advise, admit, deny, offer, promise, refuse, suggest and warn. They are more precise than say and tell because they show whether the words were advice, a promise, a refusal and so on.
How do I know which pattern a reporting verb takes?+
There is no single rule, so learn each verb as a chunk: offer to do, advise someone to do, deny doing, apologise for doing, explain that. Grouping verbs by pattern, as in the table above, makes them easier to remember.
Can I say suggested me to?+
No. Suggest does not take an object + to-infinitive, and recommend rarely does. Say She suggested going, She suggested that I go, or She suggested that I should go.
Do reporting verbs need tense changes?+
With a that clause after a past reporting verb, the verb usually moves back (I'm tired becomes she said she was tired), unless the fact is still true. With to-infinitive and -ing patterns, there is no tense to change.
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