reporting verb and reported speech exercises

Reporting Verbs Exercise 1

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Practise using reporting verbs such as threaten, deny and advise. Read the sentences and choose the correct part of speech to follow the reporting verb.

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Reporting Verbs in English: List with Examples & Exercises

Reporting verbs are used when you want to tell someone about another conversation. We also call this reported speech or indirect speech. Two examples of reporting verbs are say and tell. There are many others and these have different meanings and grammar structures. In this study guide, we’ll look at examples of these verbs and show you how to use them correctly. We’ll also look at reporting verbs to improve your academic writing. Let’s go!

What are reporting verbs?

Reporting verbs list.

• How do I use them?

Reporting verbs in academic writing

• Test your knowledge: exercises

What you will learn: 

Reporting verbs (or referring verbs) are words used to report about (or refer to) what another person has said, written or done. These verbs are used in reported speech, which can be direct or indirect.

The first reporting verbs that English students learn are usually say and tell . For example compare i) and ii) below:

• “It’s my birthday next weekend. Please, make a birthday cake for me!” Charlotte said to her mum ( direct speech)

Charlotte told her mum to make a birthday cake for her. ( indirect speech)

There are many other reporting verbs in English. These can be particularly useful in formal and academic writing.

General reporting verbs

In this table, we have listed out some common reporting verbs that are used in everyday English. To help you understand how to correctly place them in a sentence, we have put them into approximate categories based on their most common usage. However, you should remember that some of these reporting verbs can be used in difference contexts and sometimes with different grammar structures.

Academic reporting verbs

In the table below, we’ve listed out the reporting verbs in groups based on their general meanings. We have also indicated the relative “strength” of each verb. For example, if I imply (suggest/hint, weak) that you are wrong, this is very different from if I assert (state/say, strong) that you are wrong. Remember that English is seldom “black vs. white” – there are often several degrees of meaning.

How do I use reporting verbs?

Understanding what the verbs mean is generally the easiest step. You see a new word, you learn what the word means in your own language and you learn how to pronounce it in English. In actual fact, you can only really say you’ve learnt a word when you also know how to accurately use it in a sentence.

Let’s return to our example with Charlotte’s birthday cake:

 “It’s my birthday next weekend. Make a birthday cake for me,” Charlotte said to her mum ( direct speech)

Easy, right? Now let’s consider that there are many other ways that Charlotte could say this in English. Depending on what she said and how she said it, you might need to use a different reporting verb, not just say or tell . For example:

• If you want to express the idea of “ Don’t forget ” “ Don’t forget to make a birthday cake for me.” Charlotte reminded her mum to make a cake.
• If you want to express the idea of “ No, I don’t want to do something ” (i) “ I’m not going to make my own birthday cake!” Charlotte said that she wouldn’t make her own cake.(ii) “ I’m not going to make my birthday cake. You can do it!” Charlotte refused to make a cake. (iii) “I’ve got lots of work to do this weekend and I might be too busy for other things”Charlotte hinted that she wouldn’t make the cake.  

In these sentences, there are three different verbs (say, hint, refuse). They all mean “no” but say is a neutral verb, hint is a weak verb, and refuse is much stronger .

• If you want to express the idea of “Please do this!” “ Can you make a birthday cake for me, please ?” Charlotte asked her mum to make a cake. “ Please, please, please, can you make a cake for my birthday?” Charlotte begged her mum to make a cake (or) Charlotte pleaded with her mum to make a birthday cake. Ask, plead and beg all have a similar meaning, but plead and beg are much stronger than ask.

Learning words in English is like collecting bricks to build a house. It’s not enough just to get the bricks. You also need to learn how to arrange them correctly so that your house is solid! You can’t build a good house from just a couple of bricks (e.g. say and tell). That’s why you need to learn more vocabulary – like reporting verbs. We don’t want the Big Bad Wolf to blow your house down!

Let’s take a look at HOW to use reporting verbs in real sentences. Below, we have divided the verbs into their different grammar structures so they are easier for you to learn.

1. Reporting verb + infinitive

Verbs: Refuse, decide, promise, demand, agree, threaten, plead with Examples:

• Charlotte refused to make a cake. ( NOT : Charlotte refused making a cake)
• My boss decided to give me a promotion.
• The teacher demanded to know who was responsible for the mess.
• We agreed to keep quiet and not tell anyone the news. (or) We agreed that we would keep quiet.
• We threatened to go to the police.
• They pleaded with the man to release the hostage.

2. Reporting verb + somebody + (not) infinitive

Verbs : remind, ask, beg, warn , order, encourage, persuade, advise, urge, agree Examples :

• Charlotte reminded her mum to make a cake.
• They asked me to cook
• He begged his friend not to tell
• They warned me not to go there by myself.
• The government has ordered everybody to stay at home.
• Her parents always encourage her to work
• They persuaded me to stay for another drink.
• The doctor advised me to stop
• Our new neighbours have invited us to have dinner with them tomorrow.

3. Reporting verb + verb +ing

Verbs: Deny, suggest, recommend, report, propose, admit

These verbs can be used with +ing or with that , but it’s generally better to be concise and use the +ing verb. Short and sweet! Examples :

• They denied taking the last biscuit. (short) (or) They denied that they had taken the last biscuit. (long)
• She admitted stealing the money. (or) She admitted that she had stolen the money. / She admitted to me that she had stolen the money.
• She suggested taking a taxi because it would be quicker. (or) She suggested that we took a taxi.
• I recommend going in the morning when the weather isn’t so hot. (or) I recommend ( that) we go in the morning.
• I propose cancelling the next meeting until we have made a decision. (or) I propose that we cancel the next meeting.

4. Reporting verb + preposition + verb + ing

Verbs: Blame smbd for, accuse smbd of, insist on, apologise for, complain about, confess to, forbid smbd from, agree to, think about Examples :

• They blamed me for missing the train.
• She accused her friend of
• He apologised for breaking the window.
• She is thinking about moving to France.
• He insisted on paying for everybody. / He insisted that he paid for everybody.
• They complained about not having a small hotel room. / They complained that they didn’t have a bigger room.

The reporting verbs we use in academic writing also follow specific grammatical patterns. Again, it is important to know whether the verb needs +ing, the infinitive , or that after it.

5. Academic reporting verb + that

Verbs: Point out, find, observe , state, agree, believe, assert, claim, contend, explain, guess, assert, imply, reason, prove, note, report, reveal.

• Bosley (2017) found that elderly patients experience fewer symptoms of pain when they have regular access to some form of nature. (or) Bosley (2017) found a link between symptoms and access to nature. ( find smth )
• Martinez (2008) and Zhang (2009) agree that … (or) Martinez (2008) and Zhang (2009) agree with this theory . ( agree with + smth/smbd )
• Persson (2003) claims that a community is impossible without a shared aim.
• Research conducted by Bradwell in 2017 revealed that there was a considerable difference in the amount of time UK and US teenagers spent with their families. (or) Research conducted by Bradwell in 2017 revealed a considerable difference in the amount of time UK and US teenagers spent with their families.

6. Academic reporting verb + smth

Verbs: Develop, study, focus on, acknowledge, doubt, contribute to, echo, subscribe to, question, disapprove of, dispute, reject, discuss, investigate, illustrate, present, outline, put forward, consider, support, emphasise, challenge, analyse, discard, identify, explore, propose, highlight, stress. Examples:

• Wang (2016) supports the idea that there is a significant link between play and child development. NOT : Wang (2016) supports that there is a significant link between play and child development.  
• Roberts (2018) identifies three possible factors in early diagnosis.
• Solara (2015) questions the importance of this approach. (or) Solara (2015)  questions whether this approach is important.
• Barboza (2018) rejects the three factors presented by Solara.
• Miller (2016) discusses this theory in detail. NOT : Miller (2016) discusses about this theory in detail

In academic writing, reporting verbs are used when you want to refer to what another person has said. You do this to strengthen your own argument and to show that other academics think the same as you.

It would be easy to just learn the verb “to state”, and use this all the time. However, using a range of other verbs can allow you to express your opinion about the author’s idea more precisely. For example, “to state” is quite neutral , but “to claim” implies that there is no proof behind what the author is saying.

Past or present tense?

You can use both the past and the present tense in academic writing.

If you are talking about recent research, use the present. This makes a connection between past research and now, which adds weight to your argument.

• Wang (2016) support s the idea that there is a significant link between play and child development. (present simple)

If you are talking about how research was conducted, you will need to use the past simple (either active or passive voice).

• Wang (2016) examin ed fifty groups of siblings. (past simple) The siblings were asked the following questions. (passive voice)

Avoid these common mistakes!

• It’s possible to express someone’s opinion using “According to…”. This does not need a reporting verb. “According to” does the job of a reporting verb already. e.g. “According to Covey (2017)…” (Not: “ According to Covey (2017) states that… ”)
• A source written by one author will need a singular verb with “-s” at the end e.g. “Liu (2016) suggest s that…” (Not: “ Liu (2016) suggest that… ”)
• A source written by more than one author will need a plural verb. e.g. “Liu and Helzer (2016) suggest that…” (Not: “ Liu and Helzer (2016) suggests that… ”)
• If you use “et al.” to indicate multiple authors, this will also require a plural verb as it means “they”. e.g. “Rosenberg et al. (2018) argue that…” (Not: “ Rosenberg et al. (2018) argues that…” )

Reporting verbs: Exercises

• Why didn’t you _____________ me that you don’t eat meat? a) say.  b) tell
• I didn’t ____________ anything to you, because I was too worried. a) tell.    b) say
• We __________ them to meet us in the main square at half past eleven. a) told.  b) said
• You should ________ her that you don’t want to go on holiday. a) say.  b) tell
• Are you going to ___________ anything to Sue about your good news? a) say.  b) tell
• They have ________ that we will need to bring our own bed linen and towels. a) told.    b) said

Which of these sentences are right and which are wrong? Choose correct or incorrect.

• She suggested to study together for the exam. a . Correct    b. Incorrect
• I said you not to do that. a. Correct    b. Incorrect
• I didn’t tell anyone anything. a . Correct.  b . Incorrect
• We have decided live in the countryside. a. Correct    b. Incorrect
• My grandmother always encouraged to learn to cook. a. Correct    b. Incorrect

Choose the correct verb to complete the sentences.

• She invited me ________ to her house for a drink after work. a. go    b. going  c. to go
• She asked me _________ some money. a. lending    b. to lend    c . to lend her
• They persuaded me _________ to London with them. a. go    b. to go    c. of going
• He advised _______ more exercise. a. I do    b. me to do    c. me doing
• He begged me not _______ anybody about the accident. a. of telling    b. tell    c. to tell
• He reminded ________ to renew the car insurance. a . to me    b. me    c. of me
• She refused _______ the washing-up again! a. me to do    b. to do.  c. doing
• She apologised _________ me an angry text message. a. of sending. b. for sending    c. sending
• He admitted ________ the red wine on the sofa. a. spilling    b. to spill    c. spill of
• He suggested _________ on a cycling holiday next year. a. go    b . going c. we going
• He denied _________ my car. a. taking    b . to take    c. taking of
• She decided __________ the risotto. a. having.  b. to have    c. to having

Exercise 1:

Exercise 2:

• b. Incorrect (She suggested studying together for the exam.)
• b. Incorrect (I told you not to do that.)
• b. Incorrect (We have decided to live in the countryside.)
• b. Incorrect (My grandmother always encouraged me to learn to cook.)

Exercise 3:

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Difference Between: Too vs. Also

Too (tuː) and also (ɔːlsoʊ) are both adverbs that mean ‘in addition’. The difference is their position in the sentence. Adding extra information – e.g. Jamie bought some milk. He bought some bread too . Or Jamie bought some milk. He also bought some bread.   Adding emphasis – e.g. Emma can play the guitar. She can play the piano too . Or Emma can play the guitar. She can also play the piano.

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Grammar Exercise: Reported Speech Worksheet.

Choose the correct reporting verb from this list and finish the reported speech for each example.

1. "I'd go and see a doctor if I were you," Julie said to me. Julie me to go and see a doctor.

2. "Can you come and help me with this box?" John me to help him with the box.

3. "This is an exam Mr. Jenkins!! Shut up now!!!" The headmaster Mr. Jenkins to shut up.

4. "That road is very dangerous so just be very careful!" His mother him that the road was very dangerous and to be careful.

5. "Liverpool won the match last night." The journalist that Liverpool had won the match the previous night.

6. "Why don't we go and see that new film at the cinema." Bill going to see the new film at the cinema.

7. "I can come and look after the children tomorrow night." Jane to come and look after the children the following day.

8. "The lesson starts at six o'clock in the evening." The teacher us that the lesson started at six in the evening.

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First (FCE) B2 Key Word Transformations – Reporting Verbs Exercise

Reporting verbs is a challenging grammar point at B2 level, but doing plenty of reporting verbs exercises can help. This grammar combines reported speech, which is nobody’s favourite, with verb patterns, which is really nobody’s favourite. Throw in using the reporting verbs in the past and you’ve got a messy lesson on your hands.

In the First Certificate exam, there often seems to be at least one key word transformations question with reporting verbs. So, like always, we need to prepare students for the eventuality of encountering it in the exam. Below, you’ll find 10 key word transformation questions for the Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Use of English Part 4. If you are looking for even more transformations to practise for the exam, consider picking up Breakout English’s book 250 Key Word Transformations for the B2 First exam.

GET 250 B2 FIRST (FCE) KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS:

Why do you need to know reporting verbs?

It is essential to familiarise your students with the unique structures that follow reporting verbs so that they can confidently and accurately use them in their exams. One effective way to do this is through drilling. This involves repeating the structures multiple times to help students internalise them. You can do this by repeating the phrases from your controlled practice activity in a course book or grammar book. Try drilling by building up the sentence from one word until it’s complete. Then break it back down. Drill fast, then slow, then quiet, then loud. It’s a fun activity and helps students with complex pronunciation and connected speech.

Another useful technique is to present your students with real-life examples of how the reporting verbs are used in context. This could involve reading articles or watching videos that contain examples of reporting verbs. Encourage your students to identify and highlight the reporting verbs in the text and discuss the structures that follow them. Youglish is an impressive tool to find words in context in YouTube videos. Just search for the phrase you want to see and it will find a series of videos using that word.

Incorporating role play activities can also be helpful. For example, students could take on the role of journalists reporting a news story, or characters in a scene discussing events that have taken place. After the role play, have students switch roles and share their findings. This forces them to used reported speech and reporting verbs. These reporting verbs activities not only provide students with the opportunity to practise using reporting verbs but also allow them to have fun while doing so.

Examples of reporting verbs

As you can see in the examples below, there are often multiple structures that can be used following different reporting verbs. They might be followed by a gerund, an infinitive, a preposition + gerund or a “that” clause. They might also require or not an object following the verb.

“We should go out on Saturday,” suggested Paul.

• Paul suggested going out on Saturday.
• Paul suggested (that) we go out on Saturday

“I didn’t see anything,” claimed Sarah.

• Sarah claimed not to have seen anything.
• Sarah claimed (that) she hadn’t seen anything.

“I’m going to quit my job,” announced Jane.

• Jane announced (that) she was going to quit her job.
• Jane announced quitting her job.

“I can’t make it to the meeting,” apologised Tom.

• Tom apologized for not being able to make it to the meeting.
• Tom apologized (that) he couldn’t make it to the meeting.

“I’ve never been to Paris,” admitted Lucy.

• Lucy admitted (that) she had never been to Paris.
• Lucy admitted never having been to Paris.

It’s important to note that some reporting verbs have a set structure that we must follow, while others can have more flexibility in terms of structure. It’s also important to be aware of the tense changes that might occur in the transformation from direct speech to reported speech.

Practice is key when it comes to mastering reporting verbs. Encourage your students to practise using different reporting verbs and structures in various contexts to help them feel confident and comfortable with this grammar point.

There are no hard and fast rules to tell your students which verbs have which patterns, so use your course book or a nice grammar explanation like this one from perfect-english-grammar.com .

The Materials

Once your students have a grasp of the grammar, they need practice! That’s where the reporting verbs exercises on this page come in. Get as much practice as possible using reporting verbs in an exam format.

Here are 10 transformations for your students to practise. This reporting verbs exercise will help you and your students visualise how reporting verbs are used in the Cambridge B2 First (FCE) exam. I often like to search some past papers to find a real exam with an example too, just to prove to doubtful students that they do and may well pop up.

EXAM PART : Use of English Part 4

EXAM SKILLS : Using grammar appropriate to the level (B2), key word transformations

TIME: 20 minutes + feedback

PREPARATION: One copy of the worksheet per student

Reported speech - 1

Reported speech - 2

Reported speech - 3

Worksheets - handouts

Reported speech

Worksheets - pdf exercises.

• Reported statements - worksheet
• Worksheet - reported questions
• Reported yes/no questions
• Worksheet - reported speech
• Reported speech - exercises pdf
• Indirect speech - exercises
• Reported speech - exercises
• Mixed reported speech 1
• Mixed reported speech 2
• Reported speech 1 
• Reported speech 2  
• Reported speech 3 
• Reported speech 4
• Reported speech 5
• Reported wh- questions
• Reported speech - worksheet 
• Reported commands
• Reported questions
• Reported speech 1
• Reported speech 2
• Reported requests and orders
• Reported speech exercise
• Reported questions - worksheet
• Indirect speech - worksheet
• Worksheets pdf - print
• Grammar worksheets - handouts

Grammar - lessons

• Reported speech - grammar notes
• How to use reported speech - lesson
• Tense changes - grammar

Reported speech with reporting verbs

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This exercise is to review reported speech using reporting verbs.

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Reporting verb + TO-infinitive

verb + to-infinitive

Jim: All right, I'll do it. Jim agreed to do it.

Al-Qaida: We have captured two US marines. Al-Qaida claims to have captured two US marines.

Customer: I don't think I'll buy this notebook after all. The customer decided not to buy the notebook.

Judge: I want to see the documents. The judge demanded to see the documents.

Susan: I hope I'll get to the airport in time. Susan was hoping to get to the airport in time.

Ben: I can take you home if you want. Ben offered to take me home.

Spokesman: Well, I would rather not say anything at this point. The spokesman preferred not to say anything.

Jill: I will be on time, I promise. Jill promised to be on time.

Sportsman: No, I won't answer any questions about my private life. The sportsman refused to answer questions concerning his private life.

Young man on the bridge: Don't come any closer or I'll jump. The disturbed young man threatened to jump off the bridge.

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