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Reported Speech: Introductory Verbs in English

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Learn how to use Introductory Verbs in Reported Speech and how they are used.

List of Introductory Verbs in Reported Speech

Verb + to + Infinitive

  • Agree    

“Yes, I’ll cook for you.”

=> He agree to cook for me.

  • Offer

“Would you like me to carry your baby?”

=> He offered to carry her baby.

  • Refuse

“No, I won’t buy you a car.”

=> She refused to buy me a car.

  • Demand  

“Tell me the truth.”

=> He demanded to be told the truth.

  • Threaten

“Behave yourself or I’ll punish you.”

=> He threatened to punish me if I didn’t behave myself.

  • Promise  

“I’ll marry you when I return.”

=> He promised to marry her when he returned.

  • Claim

“I heard her say that.”

=> 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.

  • Ask        

“Could you babysit for me on Friday?”

=> She asked me to babysit for her on Friday .

  • Allow    

“You can park over there.”

=> He allowed me to park over there

  • Beg      

“Please, please call the police.”

=> She begged me to call the police.

  • Command          

“Drop your weapons!”

=> He commanded them to drop their weapons.

  • Encourage          

“Go ahead, phone her.”

=. He encouraged me to phone her.

  • Forbid  

“You mustn’t eat sweets.”

=> My doctor forbade me to eat sweets.

  • Invite    

“Would you like to come to my house?”

=> She invited me to go to his house.

  • Want    

“I’d like you to drink a cup of tea.”

=> He wanted me to drink a cup of tea.

  • Instruct                

“Insert coin.”

=> He instructed me to insert coin.

  • Permit  

“You may travel with your friends.”

=> My parents permitted me to travel with my friends.

  • Urge      

“Finish reading the book.”

=> He urged me to finish reading the book.

  • Order    

“Get out of bed!”

=> She ordered me to get out of bed.

  • Remind        

“Don’t forget to take out the garbage.”

=> She reminded me to take out the garbage.

  • Warn    

“Don’t go near the oven.”

=> She warned me not to go near the oven.

Verb + “ing” form

  • Admit (to)  

“Yes, I stole her money.”

=> He admitted (to) stealing/having stolen her money.

  • Accuse sb of

“You broke the cup.”

=> She accused me of breaking the cup.

  • Apologise for    

“I’m sorry I shouted at you.”

=> He apologised for shouting/having shouted at me.

  • Boast about/ of     

“I’m the cleverest of all.”

=> He boasted of/about being the cleverest of all.

  • Complain to sb of           

“I have a toothache.”

=> She complained to me of having a toothache.

  • Deny    

“No, I didn’t murder my wife.”

=> He denied murdering/having murdered his wife.

  • Insist on     

“You must wear warm clothes.”

=> She insisted on me/my wearing warm clothes.

  • Suggest    

“Let’s go to the theatre.”

=> She suggested going to the theatre.

Verb + that + Clause

  • Complain            

“You’re always late.”

=> She complained that I was always late.

  • Deny    

“I’ve never flown in an aeroplane.”

=> She denied that she had flown in an aeroplane.

  • Explain  

“It’s an easy recipe to follow.”

=> He explained that it was an easy recipe to follow.

  • Exclaim/remark               

“What a beautiful baby he is!”

=> She exclaimed/remarked that he was a beautiful baby.

  • Promise

“I promise I’ll call you.”

=> She promised that she would call me.

  • Boast    

“I am a brilliant dentist.”

=> He boasted that he was a brilliant dentist.

  • Inform sb    

“You will be called for an interview.”

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

  • Claim    

“I know the answer.”

=> He claimed that he knew the answer.

  • Agree    

“Yes, that is a beautiful hat.”

=> He agreed that it was a beautiful hat.

  • Suggest      

“You ought to take the other road.”

=> He suggested that I (should) take the other road.

Explain to Somebody How to Do Something

Example:

“This is how you make polite conversation.”

=> He explained to me how to make polite conversation.

Introductory Verbs in Reported Speech | Images

Introductory Verbs in English

Special Introductory Verbs in English

Ms Phuong Do

Tuesday 27th of April 2021

Nice work