Blog about English
Verbs used for reporting speech, thoughts and opinions.
Reporting verbs are used to describe what someone said, thought, believed or communicated.
They replace simple verbs such as say and tell and often provide additional information about the speaker’s intention or attitude.
Say and tell have different grammatical patterns.
Say is normally followed by the message, while tell usually requires a person as an object.
Ask is used to report questions, requests and invitations.
It can be followed by a question clause, an object plus infinitive, or a direct question.
Reporting verbs introduce statements using that-clauses.
Examples include He explained that..., She mentioned that..., They confirmed that...
Reported questions use question words or if/whether clauses.
Examples include She asked where I lived and He wondered whether they were ready.
Commands and requests are reported using object + infinitive structures.
Examples include He told me to wait and She asked him not to leave.
Many reporting verbs are followed by a to-infinitive.
Examples include promise to help, refuse to answer and agree to participate.
Some verbs require an object before the infinitive.
Examples include advise someone to do something, encourage someone to try and remind someone to call.
Some reporting verbs are followed by a gerund.
Examples include admit doing, deny knowing and suggest going.
Many reporting verbs introduce a that-clause.
Examples include claim that, explain that, insist that and announce that.
Some reporting verbs describe beliefs, opinions and conclusions.
Examples include believe, think, assume, suspect, consider and conclude.
Reporting verbs can show agreement, refusal or opposition.
Examples include agree, accept, deny, reject and object.
Some reporting verbs introduce advice or suggestions.
Examples include advise, recommend, suggest and urge.
Some verbs communicate warnings or reminders.
Examples include warn someone to do something and remind someone about something.
Academic writing uses reporting verbs to show evidence, argument and interpretation.
Examples include demonstrate, indicate, reveal, argue and suggest.
Reporting verbs differ in how strongly they present information.
Compare claim, suggest, prove and demonstrate.
Some reporting verbs are commonly used in passive constructions.
Examples include It is believed that..., He is thought to have..., The study is reported to show...
Perfect infinitives show that the reported action happened earlier.
Example: She is believed to have left the country.
Reporting verbs are the foundation of indirect speech structures.
They determine the grammatical pattern and sometimes influence tense changes.
Use the correct verb pattern after each reporting verb.
Common mistakes include incorrect prepositions, missing objects, wrong infinitive forms and confusing say and tell.