Grammar
Reporting the Meaning: Using Special Verbs to Convey What People Say
1. Basic Intent Reporting Verbs
Let’s look at verbs that report someone’s intention or meaning:
✓ These verbs are followed by ‘to + infinitive‘
– agree to: ‘She said yes’ → ‘She agreed to help’
– refuse to: ‘No, I won’t!’ → ‘He refused to participate’
– threaten to: ‘I’ll tell everyone!’ → ‘She threatened to reveal the secret’
– offer to: ‘I can help you’ → ‘He offered to assist’
– promise to: ‘I’ll definitely come’ → ‘She promised to attend’
Key Terms
agree toto say yes to somethingrefuse toto say you will not do somethingthreaten toto say you will do something harmfuloffer toto say you are willing to do somethingpromise toto say you will definitely do something
2. Reporting Verbs with Objects
These verbs need an object (someone) before the ‘to + infinitive‘:
✓ Pattern: verb + someone + to + infinitive
– advise someone to: ‘You should study’ → ‘The teacher advised the students to study’
– ask someone to: ‘Please help me’ → ‘She asked me to help’
– convince someone to: ‘After discussion, they agreed’ → ‘I convinced them to join’
– encourage someone to: ‘You can do it!’ → ‘They encouraged him to try again’
– warn someone not to: ‘Don’t go there!’ → ‘She warned me not to go there’
Key Terms
advise someone toto tell someone what they should doask someone toto request someone to do somethingconvince someone toto make someone agree to do somethingencourage someone toto make someone more likely to do somethingwarn someone not toto tell someone not to do something dangerous
3. Reporting Verbs with Gerunds
These verbs are followed by the ‘-ing form‘ of the verb:
✓ Pattern: verb + (preposition) + gerund
– apologize for: ‘I’m sorry I was late’ → ‘He apologized for being late’
– insist on: ‘We must go now!’ → ‘She insisted on leaving immediately’
– admit: ‘Yes, I took it’ → ‘He admitted taking the money’
– deny: ‘I didn’t do it!’ → ‘She denied breaking the window’
– suggest: ‘Let’s go to the park’ → ‘They suggested going to the park’
Key Terms
apologize forto say sorry for somethinginsist onto say firmly that something must happenadmitto say that something negative is truedenyto say that something is not truesuggestto propose an idea or plan
💬 Typical Conversations
At the Office
Two colleagues discussing a meeting
Anna: “Tom said, ‘I can help with the project.'”Maria: “Oh great! So Tom offered to help?”Anna: “Yes, and Sarah promised to send the files tomorrow.”Maria: “Perfect! Did you ask John to join the meeting?”Anna: “Yes, but he refused to participate.”
After Class
Students discussing homework
Jack: “The teacher said we must complete the essay by Friday.”Emma: “Yes, she insisted on submitting it before the weekend.”Jack: “And she warned us not to copy from the internet!”Emma: “Right. She also suggested working in groups.”
📝 Key Vocabulary Recap
agree to→express willingness to do somethingrefuse to→express unwillingness to do somethingthreaten to→say you will do something harmfuloffer to→say you are willing to helppromise to→make a firm commitment to do somethingadvise someone to→give someone recommendation to do somethingconvince someone to→persuade someone to do somethingwarn someone not to→tell someone to avoid doing somethingapologize for→express regret for doing somethingsuggest→propose an idea or action