English Grammar Level 4 - Traditional Grammar Spine - Lesson 10 - Advanced Reporting Verbs

Welcome back. In this lesson, you will use a wider range of reporting verbs beyond "say" and "tell," including verbs followed by that-clauses, verbs followed by object + infinitive, and verbs followed by a gerund. Using precise reporting verbs makes your speech and writing more sophisticated and efficient.

Learning objective

By the end of this lesson, you will choose and use the correct pattern (that-clause, object + infinitive, or gerund) for a range of advanced reporting verbs, with at least 80% accuracy.

1. Reporting verb + that-clause

Verbs like insist, suggest, admit, deny, claim, argue, and explain can be followed by a that-clause (that is often omitted in informal speech).

• She insisted (that) she was innocent.
• He admitted (that) he had made a mistake.
• They denied (that) they had seen the accident.

2. Reporting verb + object + infinitive

Verbs like advise, warn, encourage, invite, remind, persuade, and tell are followed by an object and a to-infinitive.

• The doctor advised me to rest for a week.
• She warned us not to be late.
• They invited him to join the committee.

3. Reporting verb + gerund

Verbs like suggest, admit, deny, recommend, and apologize for are followed by a gerund (-ing form), not an infinitive, when there is no personal object before the verb form.

• He suggested going for a walk. (not "suggested to go")
• She admitted lying about her age.
• They apologized for being late.

Note that suggest and admit can take either a that-clause or a gerund, but never an object + infinitive: ~~suggested him to go~~ is incorrect.

4. Vocabulary for this lesson

5. Guided speaking practice

Report these direct statements using an appropriate reporting verb.

• "I didn't take your pen." (deny)
• "Let's go to the beach this weekend." (suggest)
• "Please don't forget to call me." (remind)
• "I'm sorry I broke your phone." (apologize for)

6. Guided listening practice

Listen or read aloud. Identify the pattern used: that-clause, object + infinitive, or gerund.

1. He warned us not to swim in the lake.
2. She admitted making a mistake.
3. They claimed that the product was defective.
4. The teacher encouraged the students to ask questions.

7. Controlled practice

Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

1. He suggested ___ (go) to a different restaurant.
2. She warned him ___ (not / drive) too fast.
3. They admitted ___ (break) the window.
4. The manager reminded the team ___ (submit) the report on time.

Answer key: 1. going 2. not to drive 3. breaking / that they had broken 4. to submit

8. Independent practice

Write six sentences reporting things people have said to you or that you have heard, using at least two different patterns (that-clause, object + infinitive, gerund).

Quick summary

• Reporting verbs like insist, admit, deny, and claim are often followed by a that-clause.
• Verbs like advise, warn, remind, and invite are followed by object + to-infinitive.
• Verbs like suggest, admit, deny, and apologize for are followed by a gerund, not object + infinitive.

Assessment check

Open Practice this lesson and complete all 15 questions. A score of 12 out of 15 meets the 80% lesson target.

Exit ticket

Write one sentence reporting something a friend or colleague recently told you, using an advanced reporting verb.

Homework

1. Write eight sentences using advanced reporting verbs, at least two examples of each pattern in this lesson.
2. Choose a short conversation you remember and report three lines of it using different reporting verbs.
3. Explain why "He suggested me to come early" is incorrect and provide the correct version.