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FCE practice ▼ Grammar ▼ Word formation ▼ Phrasal verbs ▼ Expressions ▼ Collocations

FCE (First Certificate):
Reported Speech and Reporting Verbs

You will need to know the rules for reporting speech (statements and questions) as well as the patterns following reporting verbs (e.g. "apologise for doing something"). If you need more information about these rules, look at my lessons for reported speech, and reporting verbs.

"I want to be a doctor," said Tom.
• Tom told me (that) he wanted to be a doctor.
• Tom said (that) he wanted to be a doctor.

"Will you help me," she asked.
• She asked (me) if I would help her.
• She wondered if I would help her.

Note the difference between "say" and "tell". We say something, but we tell someone something.

Similar to 'say'	Similar to 'tell'
mention, explain, point out, agree, promise, threaten, pretend, claim, recommend, suggest, admit, deny, boast, complain, insist, propose, reply	promise, advise, warn, remind

Here are some common reporting verbs with the patterns which follow them. You should learn and remember these. (good luck - there are a lot!!!)

Subject	Verb	to do	This pattern is common with verbs which mean "I'll do it!" Here, the person who is speaking does the action.
I	offered agreed refused promised threatened pretended claimed	to make a cup of tea.

Subject	Verb	Object	to do	This pattern is common with verbs which mean "You do it!". Here, the person who is listening does the action. Note that "warn" is usually used with a negative. ("I warned him not to go.")
I	told ordered asked begged advised reminded persuaded encouraged warned invited	him	to make me a cup of tea.

Subject	Verb	doing	A lot of students make mistakes with "suggest" and "recommend" so make sure you learn these.
I	admitted denied suggested recommended	eating all the cake

Finally, there are a lot of reporting verbs which use prepositions. Again, you have to remember all these patterns.

I blamed him for doing it.	I confessed to doing it.
I accused him of doing it.	I apologised for doing it.
I congratulated him on doing it.	I insisted on doing it.

Practice: Rewrite each of these sentences so they have the same meaning as the first. Use between 2 and 5 words, and do not change the word in brackets.

"Can you open the window?" asked Sarah.
• Sarah open the window. (I)

"If you remind me, I'll help," said Sam.
• Sam said that he him. (reminded)

"I'm sorry I broke your computer," said Frank.
• Frank my computer. (for)

"Don't forget to do your homework tonight," said the teacher.
• The teacher homework. (us)

"It was Andy who stole the money," said Mary.
• Mary the money. (of)

This grammar might also appear in part 1 of Use of English (multiple choice cloze).

I ___ him for everything.
accused apologised blamed confessed

I congratulated him ___ winning the competition.
on of in for

I ___ him that we should go on holiday.
suggested told explained invited

I ___ that I would never do it again.
told promised refused wondered

I ___ that I would help him if he needed it.
offered persuaded refused agreed

There is more practice of these reporting verbs here

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