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REPORTING VERBS

The document provides an overview of reporting verbs used in English, explaining how they can be followed by either an infinitive or an -ing form. It includes exercises for practice, illustrating the use of various reporting verbs in sentences. Additionally, it covers the rules for converting direct speech into reported speech, including tense changes and person adjustments.

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Raquel GE
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32 views3 pages

REPORTING VERBS

The document provides an overview of reporting verbs used in English, explaining how they can be followed by either an infinitive or an -ing form. It includes exercises for practice, illustrating the use of various reporting verbs in sentences. Additionally, it covers the rules for converting direct speech into reported speech, including tense changes and person adjustments.

Uploaded by

Raquel GE
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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REPORTING VERBS PRACTICE EXERCISES - 10TH GRADE

When we tell someone what another person said, we often use the verbs say, tell or ask.
These are called 'reporting verbs'. However, we can also use other reporting verbs. Many
reporting verbs can be followed by another verb in either an infinitive or an -ing form.

Reporting verb + infinitive


Verbs like advise, agree, challenge, claim, decide, demand, encourage, invite, offer, persuade,
promise, refuse and remind can follow an infinitive pattern.

Reporting verb + -ing form


Verbs like admit, apologise for, complain about, deny, insist on, mention and suggest can
follow an -ing form pattern.

Exercise 1: Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.


➢​ 'Why don't you come and visit us next week?' → She invited us _____ and visit them
next week.
➢​ 'We could ask Andi for some ideas.' → He suggested _____ Andi for some ideas.
➢​ I really must know what's going on here.' → She demanded _____ what was going on
there.
➢​ 'I didn't lock the door.' → He admitted not _____ the door.
➢​ 'Don't close the window!' → I told him not _____ the window.
➢​ 'I'm sorry, but I'm not going to lie for you.' → She refused _____ for him.
➢​ 'Don't use the milk! – It's gone bad.' → He warned us not _____ the milk.
➢​ 'I'm so sorry I missed your birthday.' → She apologised for _____ my birthday.
➢​ 'I don't think it's a good idea to invite him.' → She advised us not _____ him.
➢​ 'Excuse me, but there aren't any clean towels in our room.' → They complained about
not _____ clean towels in their room.
➢​ 'OK, I won't say anything about it.' → I agreed not _____ anything about it.
➢​ 'I'm definitely going to the meeting. I really need to be there.' → He insisted on _____
to the meeting.
➢​ 'Oh, by the way, we saw Justyna at the party.' → They mentioned _____ Justyna at the
party.
➢​ 'Please leave this area immediately.' → The police instructed us _____ the area.
➢​ 'Pay the fine within the next 30 days.' → The judge ordered the woman _____ the fine
within the next 30 days.
➢​ 'Please leave this area immediately.' → The police instructed us _____ the area.
REPORTED STATEMENTS
When do we use reported speech? Sometimes someone says a sentence, for example "I'm
going to the cinema tonight". Later, maybe we want to tell someone else what the first person
said.
We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We
just put 'she says' and then the sentence:
●​ Direct speech: I like ice cream.
●​ Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I'
to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'.
But, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the
reported speech:
●​ Direct speech: I like ice cream.
●​ Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

Tense Direct Speech Reported Speech

present simple I like ice cream She said (that) she liked ice cream.

present I am living in London She said (that) she was living in London.
continuous

past simple I bought a car She said (that) she had bought a car OR She
said (that) she bought a car.

past continuous I was walking along She said (that) she had been walking along the
the street street.

present perfect I haven't seen Julie She said (that) she hadn't seen Julie.

past perfect* I had taken English She said (that) she had taken English lessons
lessons before before.

will I'll see you later She said (that) she would see me later.
would* I would help, but... She said (that) she would help but...

can I can speak perfect She said (that) she could speak perfect
English English.

could* I could swim when I She said (that) she could swim when she was
was four four.

shall I shall come later She said (that) she would come later.

should* I should call my She said (that) she should call her mother
mother

might* I might be late She said (that) she might be late

must I must study at the She said (that) she must study at the weekend
weekend OR She said she had to study at the weekend

Now, head to your textbooks and do activity 2 on page 88 and exercises 1, 2 and 3 on
page 125 (do them in your notebooks, we will correct them and explain everything again
tomorrow).

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