English Reporting Verbs

Reporting verbs (also called speech act verbs) introduce reported speech, thoughts, or writing: say, tell, claim, suggest, warn, admit, deny, recommend. They are important because they allow you to convey not just what was said but how it was said — whether the speaker was making a claim, giving advice, refusing, or warning. Using a range of precise reporting verbs is a key feature of advanced academic writing and is assessed under IELTS Lexical Resource and Cambridge Writing criteria.

Say is used without an indirect object: She said she was tired. Say to is used when you mention the person: She said to me that she was leaving. Tell always requires an indirect object (the person told): She told me she was tired. He told the class to be quiet. Tell cannot be used without an object: She told that she was tired is incorrect. A common error is using say when tell is required: She said me she was late (incorrect) should be She told me she was late.

Suggest can be followed by three patterns: (1) a gerund: She suggested taking a taxi; (2) a that-clause: She suggested that we take a taxi (in formal English with a subjunctive: that we take); (3) a noun: She suggested a taxi. Suggest cannot be followed by an infinitive: She suggested to take a taxi is incorrect. In British English the that-clause with a past tense is also acceptable: She suggested that we should take a taxi. Do not say She suggested us to take — this pattern does not exist for suggest.

Many reporting verbs of advice, request, and command take this pattern: advise, ask, beg, encourage, invite, order, persuade, remind, tell, urge, warn. Examples: She advised him to rest. They urged the government to act. He reminded her to lock the door. The negative is formed by placing not before the infinitive: She warned them not to touch the wires. This pattern requires an explicit object (the person being addressed); you cannot simply say She advised to rest (no object) unless the subject and the person advised are the same.

Use refuse + infinitive for a refusal: He refused to sign the agreement. Use deny + gerund for a denial: She denied taking the money. She denied that she had taken it. Note that deny + infinitive is not used: She denied to take (incorrect). Reject is a related verb but it takes a noun object, not a clause: The committee rejected the proposal. Decline + infinitive is a more formal alternative to refuse: She declined to comment on the allegations.

Both are followed by a that-clause and are used to report statements. Claim implies that the speaker is asserting something which may or may not be true, and which others might dispute: The company claimed that its products were safe (implying the claim is unverified). Argue implies that the speaker is making a reasoned case, often in a formal or academic context: The researcher argued that the existing data was insufficient. Argue is more neutral and academic; claim can carry a subtle suggestion of doubt about the truth of what is stated.

To report questions, use ask + object + question word + clause (indirect question word order, no auxiliary inversion): She asked me where I had been. He asked whether she was coming. For yes/no questions, use whether or if: I asked whether the report had been submitted. Note that direct question inversion (had I been, was she) is NOT used in reported questions. The verb tense typically shifts back (backshifts) in reported speech: Where have you been? becomes She asked me where I had been.

In academic writing, useful reporting verbs include: argue, assert, claim, contend, maintain (for statements the source is making or defending); note, observe, point out, highlight (for drawing attention to something); suggest, propose, recommend (for suggestions); acknowledge, admit, concede (for concessions); challenge, dispute, question, refute (for counter-arguments); find, demonstrate, show, establish (for research findings); warn, caution (for dangers or caveats). Varying these verbs prevents the monotony of repeating states or argues throughout an essay.

After reporting verbs of suggestion, recommendation, demand, and insistence, formal English (especially American English) uses the mandative subjunctive in the that-clause: She suggested that he apply for the post. The committee demanded that the report be submitted immediately. She insisted that the door remain closed. The subjunctive uses the base form of the verb for all persons (he apply, not he applies; it be, not it is). In British English, should + infinitive is also common: She suggested that he should apply. Both are correct in formal writing.

In Cambridge B2 First and C1 Advanced, reporting verbs are tested mainly in Use of English Part 4 (key word transformation), where you must rewrite direct speech or a description of speech using a given reporting verb with the correct pattern: He said, "I didn't do it." + deny → He denied doing it. You must know not only which verb to use but also which grammatical pattern follows it. Writing tasks also benefit from a range of reporting verbs, which contribute to Lexical Resource and Range of Grammar scores at both levels.