6. SOME MORE REPORTING VERBS

Grammar · Reported Speech

More Reporting Verbs (by Function)

Using a variety of reporting verbs makes your English sound more natural, precise, and advanced. Here are some of the most common reporting verbs, grouped by function, with clear examples and key grammar patterns.

1. Reporting Verbs by Function

🔹 Statements (neutral / factual)

said, told, explained, stated, mentioned, added

Use these when simply reporting information.

• He said that he was tired.
• She explained that the problem was difficult.
• They mentioned that they were leaving early.

🔹 Agreement / Disagreement

agreed, disagreed, refused

These verbs show whether someone accepts or rejects something.

• He agreed to help me.
• She refused to answer the question.
• They disagreed with the decision.

🔹 Truth / Lies / Responsibility

admitted, denied, confessed

Use these when talking about honesty, guilt, or responsibility.

• He admitted stealing the money.
• She denied breaking the window.
• He confessed to lying.

👉 These verbs are especially important because they often use -ing forms:
admitted doing · denied doing · confessed to doing

🔹 Opinions / Feelings

claimed, insisted, argued, complained

These verbs express opinions, arguments, or complaints.

• He claimed that he was innocent.
• She insisted that she was right.
• They complained about the noise.

🔹 Promises / Decisions

promised, offered, decided

Use these for intentions, plans, and decisions.

• He promised to call me.
• She offered to help.
• They decided to leave early.

👉 These usually follow verb + to-infinitive.

🔹 Orders / Requests (extra variety)

begged, warned, reminded, encouraged

These verbs add nuance to commands and requests.

• She begged him to stay.
• He warned us not to go there.
• She reminded me to call her.
• They encouraged us to try again.

2. Key Patterns (Very Important)

Here is a quick summary you can use as a reference:

Verb Type	Structure	Example
admit / deny	verb + -ing	He admitted stealing the money.
promise / offer	verb + to-infinitive	She offered to help.
suggest / recommend	-ing OR that + clause	He suggested going. / He suggested that we should go.
tell / order	object + to-infinitive	He told me to wait.
say / claim	that + clause	She said that she was tired.

Quick tip: if you learn the verb together with its pattern, reported speech becomes much easier. For example, do not just learn admit — learn admit + -ing.

Why use a variety of reporting verbs?

Using different reporting verbs helps you avoid repetition, sound more fluent, and express meaning more precisely. Instead of repeating said all the time, you can show whether someone admitted, promised, refused, insisted, or warned something.