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Useful Introductory Verbs In Reported Speech

INTRODUCTORY VERBS in REPORTED SPEECH

The table bellow. 

verb + to + infinitive

agree demand offer promise refuse threaten claim

“Yes, I’ll come with you.” “Tell me everything.”

“Would you like me to carry it?” “I’ll study more.”

“No, I won’t come with you.” “Behave yourself or I’ll punish you” “I heard her say that.”

He agreed to come with me.

He demanded to be told everything. He offered to carry it.

He promised to study more. He refused to come with me.

He threatened to punish me if I didn’t behave myself. He claimed to have heard her say that.

verb + sb + to + infinitive

advise

“You should take a coat.”

He advised me to take a coat.

allow

“You can use my phone.”

He allowed me to use his phone.

ask

“Please, put it away.”

He asked me to put it away.

beg

“Please, please help me.”

He begged me to help him.

command

“Fire!”

He commanded the soldiers to fire.

encourage

“Go ahead, phone her.”

He encouraged me to phone her.

forbid

“You mustn’t eat sweets.”

He forbade me to eat sweets.

instruct

“Insert coin.”

He instructed me to insert coin.

invite sb

“Would you like to come to my house?”

He invited me to go to his house.

order

“Sit down immediately.”

He ordered me to sit down immediately.

permit

“You may speak now.”

He permitted me to speak.

remind

“Don’t forget to pay the bill.”

He reminded me to pay the bill.

urge

“Finish your work.”

He urged me to finish my work.

warn

“Don’t touch that switch!”

He warned me not to touch that switch.

want

“I’d like you to go out.”

He wanted me to go out.

verb + “ing” form

accuse sb of

“You broke the vase.”

He accused me of breaking the vase.

apologise for

“I’m sorry I upset you.”

He apologizedmeforupsetting/havingupset me.

admit (to)

“Yes, I lied to her.”

He admitted (to) lying/ having lied to her.

boast about

“I’m better than you.”

He boasted about being better than me.

complain to sb about

“You never tidy up.”

He complained to me about my never tidying up.

deny

“No, I didn’t steal the car.”

He denied stealing/ having stolen the car.

insist on

“You must wear warm clothes.”

He insisted on me/ my wearing warm clothes.

suggest

“Let’s go to the theatre.”

He suggested going to the theatre.

Verb + that- clause

agree

“Yes, that is a beautiful hat.”

He agreed that it was a beautiful hat.

boast

“I’m brilliant dentist.“

He boasted that he was a brilliant dentist.

claim

”I know the answer.“

He claimed that he knew the answer.

complain

“You never listen to me.”

He complained that I never listened to him.

deny

“I’ve never spoken to her.”

He denied that he had spoken to her.

exclaim

“It’s wonderful!”

He exclaimed that it was wonderful.

explain

“It’s an easy recipe to follow.”

He explained that it was an easy recipe to follow.

inform sb

“You will be called for an interview.”

He informed me that I would be called for an interview.

promise

“I won’t lie to you again.”

He promised that he wouldn’t lie to me again.

suggest

“You ought to take the other road.”

He suggested that I take the other road.

Verb + how

explain to sb

“This is how you make it.”

He explained to me how to make it.

Wonder where/ what/ why/ how + clause (when the subject of the introductory verb is not the same as the subject in the reported question)

He asked himself, “How can she reach the top?”

He asked himself, “Where is Joan.”

He asked himself, “Why is she crying?” He asked himself, “What is she doing?”

He wondered how she could reach the top. He wondered where Joan was.

He wondered why she was crying.

He wondered what she was doing.

Wonder + whether + to- inf or clause

He asked himself, “Shall I buy that car?” He asked himself, “Where am I going?”

He asked himself, “What should I tell her?”

He asked himself, “How can I fix it?”

He wondered whether to buy that car/ he should buy that car. He wondered where he was going.

He wondered what he should tell her. He wondered how to fix it.

Wonder where/ what/ how + to- inf

(when the subject of the infinitive is the same as

the subject of the verb)

EXERCISES:

Fill in the gaps with one of the introductory verbs from the list below in the past simple

  1. “Will you come to the ball?” He said to Heher to go to the ball.
  2. “I´m the best student in the school” he He_ about being the best student.
  3. “Yes, I’ll lend you some money”he said to He_ to lend Jane some money.
  4. “What a beautiful dress she is wearing!” he said . Hethat she was wearing a beautiful
  5. “He never buys me flowers!” she Shethat he never bought her flowers.
  6. “Let’s go for a picnic” he He_ going for a picnic.
  7. “You stole the money” Tom said to Tom_Jim of stealing the money.
  8. “Don’t forget to hang out the washing” she said to She_ me to hang out the washing.
  9. “I promise I’ll write to you”, she said to She_ to write to him.
  10. “You must finish the report” she said to She_ on him finishing the report.
  11. “Don’t touch the wet paint, ”Dad said to Dad_ us not to touch the wet paint.
  12. “There’s nothing else I can do”, he He_that there was nothing else he could do.
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