Reporting verbs: what did they really say? Reporting verbs exercises with to, -ing and prepositions
About this lesson
This B2 drill lesson gives reporting verbs exercises on the pattern each verb takes: refused to pay, reminded me to call, denied taking, apologized for being late.
- Grammar
- Verb + to, verb + someone + to, verb + -ing, verb + (someone +) preposition + -ing and verb + that, with not before to or -ing.
- Topic
- An invented court case about a tree crew that cut down the wrong tree: a news report, the company's post, a note to the neighbors and a chat with the reporter.
- Activities
- True or false, sorting, choices, gap-fills, word order, matching, tables, find-the-mistake quizzes, drag-and-drop texts, a memory game, an anagram and a chat.
What's inside
Chapter 1The rule
Chapter 2Yes, no, be careful: verb (+ someone) + to
- Fill in the gaps: verb + to + verbFill in the gapsTry it
- Fill in the gaps: verb + someone + to + verbFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right words: to or someone + to?Choose the optionUnlock
- Match what they said and the reportsMatchUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: verb + someone + toUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: verb + toQuizUnlock
- Read Annika's message and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 3Admit it or deny it: -ing or that
- Fill in the gaps with the -ing form after admit, deny, suggest and recommendFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right form: -ing or to?Choose the optionTry it
- Fill in the table: report it two waysFill in the tableUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: -ing or thatQuizUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: -ing and thatUnjumbleUnlock
- Choose the verb that fits the patternChoose the optionUnlock
- Read the camp director's email and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 4Sorry, thanks, your fault: preposition + -ing
- Fill in the gaps with a preposition + -ingFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right prepositionChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right report of what they saidQuizUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchTry it
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: prepositions and patternsQuizUnlock
- Read the neighborhood news and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: The wrong tree
- Read the news report about a court caseReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the news report again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Answer the questions about the news reportQuizUnlock
- Read Topnotch Tree Care's post and fill in the gaps with reporting verbsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Ms. Pettigrew's note and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Zainab texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right form: reporting verbsChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with verb + to or verb + someone + toFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with -ing or a preposition + -ingFill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: reporting verbsUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the table: report what they saidFill in the tableUnlock
- Sort the sentences: correct or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Match the words people said and the reportsMatchUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: what they said and the verbMemory gameUnlock
- Unscramble the reporting verbsAnagramUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: everyday reportsQuizUnlock
- Choose the right sentence for the situationQuizUnlock
- Read Mateusz's review and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Folasade's email and fill in the gaps with reporting verbsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right words: where does not go?Choose the optionUnlock
- Drag the reporting verbs into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Grammar: reporting verbs and the pattern after each one
A reporting verb replaces said with one word for what the speaker meant: “No, I won't pay” becomes Ben refused to pay. Every verb comes with its own pattern: to + verb, someone + to, -ing, a preposition + -ing, or a that clause.
Reporting verbs: what did they really say?
Instead of said, use one verb that shows what the person meant. Each verb has its own pattern after it.
Which pattern follows the verb?
Agree, refuse, offer, promise and threaten take to; advise, warn, remind, persuade and invite need a person before to. Apologize for and insist on take -ing, and accuse, blame, congratulate and thank add the person first: They accused him of lying.
One verb tells what they meant
subjectreporting verb(someone)to + verb · -ing · preposition + -ing · that…
“No, I won't pay.” → Ben refused to pay.
“Don't forget your keys!” → Mia reminded me to take my keys.
“Yes, I broke it.” → Tom admitted breaking it.
Which pattern comes after the verb?
| Pattern | Verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb + to + verb | agree, refuse, offer, promise, threaten | Ben refused to sign the form. |
| verb + someone + to + verb | advise, warn, remind, persuade, invite, encourage, order | Mia reminded me to lock the door. |
| verb + -ing | admit, deny, suggest, recommend | The kids denied breaking the vase. |
| verb + preposition + -ing | apologize for, insist on | Leo apologized for being late. |
| verb + someone + preposition + -ing | accuse someone of, blame someone for, congratulate someone on, thank someone for | They accused him of lying. |
| verb + that + clause | admit, deny, agree, promise, explain, insist, suggest, warn | She admitted that she had made a mistake. |
Admit and deny: three ways to report
Admit and deny take -ing, having + past participle or a that clause, with no change in meaning: He denied taking the car, He denied having taken the car, He denied that he had taken the car. Admit to + -ing is right too.
admit and deny: three ways
admit and deny take -ing, having + past participle, or a that clause, all with the same meaning: He denied taking the car. · He denied having taken the car. · He denied that he had taken the car. You can also say admit to + -ing: She admitted to making a mistake.
Suggest and recommend: no person + to
Both verbs take -ing or a that clause: Ana suggested taking a taxi, Ana suggested that we take a taxi, The doctor recommended resting. Someone + to never follows them, so Ana suggested me to take a taxi is wrong.
suggest and recommend: never + someone + to
suggest and recommend take -ing or a that clause: Ana suggested taking a taxi. · Ana suggested that we take / that we should take a taxi. · The doctor recommended resting. Never: Ana suggested me to take a taxi. ✗
Not goes before to or -ing
In a negative report, not sits right before to or the -ing form: She warned us not to swim in the lake. Kim admitted not reading the email. In American speech to not is heard too: He promised to not tell anyone.
Negatives: not goes before to or -ing
She warned us not to swim in the lake. · He promised not to tell anyone. · Kim admitted not reading the email. · I apologized for not calling. In American speech you'll also hear to not: He promised to not tell anyone.
Common mistakes
Four slips come back again and again: suggested me to take the bus, denied to break the vase, apologized to be late and accused him for lying. The fixes are suggested taking, denied breaking, apologized for being and accused him of lying.
He suggested me to take the bus.
He suggested taking the bus.
suggest + -ing or that, never + someone + to
She denied to break the vase.
She denied breaking the vase.
deny + -ing (or that)
I apologized to be late.
I apologized for being late.
apologize for + -ing
They accused him for lying.
They accused him of lying.
accuse someone of + -ing
Examples
- Dad offered to drive us to the station.“I can drive you to the station if you like.”
- The guide warned us not to feed the bears.“Don't feed the bears! It's dangerous.”
- Sara denied taking my umbrella.“I didn't take your umbrella!”
- Our teacher suggested starting early.“Why don't we start early?”
- I insisted on paying for lunch.“No, no, I'll pay for lunch. I insist!”
- The coach congratulated us on winning.“Well done, you won!”
More lessons on this grammar: Reported speech lessons and exercises
Try the reporting verbs exercises
Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.
What's in the lesson
- 40 auto-checked exercises
- 5 games
- 1 real-life document
- 1 grammar scheme
- 1 picture
The main objectives of this lesson are to:
- pick the verb that matches the words: “OK, I'll do the dishes” → Ravi agreed to do the dishes; “I didn't eat your sandwich!” → Ben denied eating my sandwich
- put the right pattern after each verb: The landlord threatened to raise the rent. My boss persuaded me to apply. The waiter recommended ordering the fish.
- use the right preposition before -ing: apologized for interrupting, insisted on making breakfast, accused me of lying, congratulated Rosa on passing
- avoid the classic traps: suggested meeting at the café, not suggested us to meet; denied breaking the vase, not denied to break
- place not before to or -ing: The guide warned us not to swim in the river. I apologized for not calling you back.
- Grammar:
- reporting verbs · verb + to-infinitive · verb + object + to-infinitive · verb + -ing · verb + preposition + -ing · verb + that clause
- Topic:
- grammar practice · court cases · apologies and complaints · local news
Teaching tips
- Name the verb before the report: read out a quote such as “Shall I do the shopping for you?”; the class calls out offered, and only then does someone build the full report.
- Keep a four-column pattern chart on the wall: to, someone + to, -ing, preposition + -ing. Whenever a verb comes up in the drills, a student writes it in its column.
- Retell the tree case in turns: after the news report, pairs pass the story back and forth one reporting verb at a time, starting with Mr. Bellamy denied making a mistake.
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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · B2
English Grammar Practice · B2 has 24 drill lessons, one grammar point each: the future perfect and continuous, the third and mixed conditionals, wishes, past modals, the impersonal passive, have something done, participle clauses, reporting verbs and verb patterns. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course
- 1Future continuous and future perfect: countdown to launch
- 2Future in the past: it was going to be perfect
- 3Past perfect continuous: what had been going on?
- 4Third conditional: if I hadn't missed that train…
- 5Mixed conditionals: where would you be now?
- 6Unless, in case and as long as: on one condition
- 7Wish and if only: is it too late?
- 8Would rather, had better and it's time: the couch crisis
- 9Past modals of deduction: what must have happened here?
- 10Should have and needn't have: what went wrong?
- 11Impersonal passive: it is said that…, she is said to…
- 12Have and get something done: who did the work?
- 13Non-defining relative clauses: the extra information
- 14Participle clauses: having planned everything
- 15Reporting verbs: what did they really say?
- 16Verbs + -ing or to: stop doing or stop to do?
- 17Make, let, allow and get: who makes the rules?
- 18Dependent prepositions: depend on, interested in, a reason for
- 19So do I and neither do I: agree, disagree and insist
- 20Articles with general ideas: life or the life?
- 21As, like and as if: interview like a pro
- 22Negative and echo questions: didn't you know?
- 23To, in order to and so that: what's it for?
- 24No use, no point and worth + -ing: what's worth your time?