LEVEL 12 Reporting verbs

LEVEL 12 Reporting verbs

by ABRIL CARDENAS

Reporting verbs are used to specify the type of message and the way of speaking, therefore, we can have mesages as an order, as a favor, as an explanation, to persuade, us, etc.

​

​We can use, then reporting verbs such as: persuade, encourage, ask, demand, remind, etc.

​However, these verbs are used in different ways: with infinitive, gerunds and bare infinitive.

​

​ Let´s begin!

​EXAMPLES:

​Ana to Simon: Pick the kids from school today, please.

​Ana asked Simon TO pick up the kids

​

​Alan to Adam: Let me spend the night here, I have nowhere to go!

​Alan begged Adam TO let him spend the night, (he said) he had nowhere to go

​REPORTING VERBS CAT 1 Verb + infinitive

​persuade, order, ask ( as a favor), advise, tell, encourage, invite, beg, remind

​

reporting verb + (person) + TO + the rest of the message

​Let´s practice with the verbs in this category!

​persuade, order, ask ( as a favor), advise, tell, encourage, invite, beg, remind + person + TO + the rest of the message

​In the following exercise, read, follow the structure and select the reporting verb according to the type of message or way of speaking

Multiple Choice

If I were you, I´d go to the doctor, he said to me.

He ____ the doctor

• He demanded me going

• He persuaded me go to 

• He advised me to go to

• He orders me to go to

Multiple Choice

A teacher to her students: Dont forget to hand in your essays next week.

The teacher _____ their essays the following week. 

• advised her students to hand in

• begged her students to hand in

• encouarged her students to hand in

• reminded her students to hand in

Multiple Choice

A wife to her husband: Post the letter on your way to work!! I mean it!

His wife____ on his way to work 

• ordered her husband to post the letter

• persuaded her husband to post the letter

• advised her husband to post the letter

• invited her husband to post the letter

Multiple Choice

Rosie to John: Come have dinner with us

Rosie_____with them

• begged John has dinner

• invited John to have dinner

• tells

Multiple Choice

A judge to a Edward: You must pay a fine of $1,000

The judge _____ a fine of $1,000

• ordered paid 

• reminded Edward paid 

• ordered Edward to pay

• invited Edward to pay

Multiple Choice

A teenager to his mother: Please, please don´t tell my father I crashed the car.

The teenager _____ the car

• begged his mother not to tell his father he had crashed the car

• persuaded his mother not to tell his father he had crashed the car

• advised his mother not to tell his father he had crashed the car

• encouraged his mother not to tell his father he had crashed the car

​CAT 2 reporting verbs + to

​refuse, agree, promise, offer

​These verbs are similarly used to the previous ones, but we don´t need a person before the "to".

Examples:

​I won´t go to that silly recital! = He refused to go to the silly recital

​I´ll take good care of your dog while you are away, I promise. = She promised to take good care of my dog while I was away.

​See you at 8pm outside the bar, then.= He agreed to meet me at 8 outside the bar

​In the next exercises, read and select THE INCORRECT reported message

Multiple Select

Read and select the incorrect reported message 

I can buy the popcorn and the sodas If you pay for the tickets.

• he offered to buy the porpcorn and the sodas If she paid for the tickets 

• he offers to bought  the porpcorn and the sodas If she paid for the tickets

• he offered to buy the porpcorn and the sodas If she pays for the tickets

Multiple Select

Read and select the incorrect reported message 

A man to his brother: I won´t lend you any more money until you pay me back!

• His brother has refused to lend him any more money until he paid him back 

• His brother will refuse to lend him any more money untiil he will pay him back 

• His brother refused to lend him any more money until he paid him back

Multiple Choice

Read and select the incorrect reported message 

A woman to her frined: If you need a hand with your kids, I can babysit them tonight

• she offered babysit her kids that night 

• She offered to  babysit her kids that night 

Multiple Select

Read and select the incorrect reported message 

Nancy: I will vacuum the car and you will wash it

Diane: Deal

• Nancy agreed to vacumm the car

• Diane agreed to wash the car

• Nancy agreed to wash the car

• Diana agrees to vacuum and wash the car

​CAT 3 reporting verbs + gerunds: deny, admit

​A robber: Yes, I took the money

​He admitted taking the money / having taken money

​​A robber: It wasn´t me who took the money

​He denied taking the money / having taken the money

​

​Final category: reporting verbs + that + message: complain, suggest, explain

​The food was horrible! He complained that the food had been horrible

​I actually enjoyed the match, we should go again= He suggested that we went again

​A drone is basically a robot remotely controlled= He explained that a drone was a robot remotely controlled