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
Ms Phuong Do
Tuesday 27th of April 2021
Nice work