REPORTING VERBS: Form and meaning
We use reporting verbs to report what someone said more accurately than using say and tell.
Verb + infinitive agree, decide, offer, promise, refuse, threaten
(acceder (acordar), decidir, ofrecer, prometer, rechazar (negarse), amenazar)
• They agreed to meet on Friday. (Accedió a quedar el viernes)
• He refused to take his coat off. (Rechazó quitarse el abrigo)
Verb + object + infinitive
advise, encourage, invite, remind, warn, ask, order, tell
(aconsejar, animar, invitar, recordar, advertir, pedir, ordenar, decir)
• Tom advised me to go home early. (Tom me aconsejó que me fuera a casa temprano)
• She reminded me to telephone my mother. (Me recordó que llamara a mi madre)
Verb + gerund deny, recommend, suggest, advise
(denegar, recomendar, sugerir, aconsejar)
• They recommended taking the bus. (Ellos recomendaron coger el bus)
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• She suggested meeting a little earlier. (Sugirió quedar un poco más temprano)
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Verb + object + preposition (+ gerund) accuse, blame, congratulate
(acusar, culpar, felicitar)
• He accused me of taking the money. ( Me acusó de coger dinero)
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• They congratulated me on passing all my exams. (Ellos me felicitaron por aprobar todos mis exámenes)
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Verb + preposition + gerund apologize (for), insist (on)
(disculparse, insister)
• They apologized for not coming. (Ellos se disculparon por no venir)
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• He insisted on having dinner. (Insistió en cenar)
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Verb + (that) + subject + verb
admit, agree, decide, deny, explain, insist, promise, recommend, suggest, apologize, say
(admitir, acceder (acordar), decidir, denegar, explicar, insistir, prometer, recomendar, sugerir, disculpar (sentir, lamentar), decir)
• Sarah decided (that) the house needed cleaning. (Sarah decidió que la casa necesitaba limpiarse)
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• They recommended (that) we take the bus. ( Ellos recomendaron que tomáramos el autobús)
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Verb + object + (that) + subject + verb
tell,, inform, promise, remind, warn
(decir, informar, prometer, recordar, advertir)
He informed me that there was a lot of traffic. (Me informó de que había mucho tráfico)
Verb + if / wh question
ask, want to know, wonder, enquire
(preguntar, querer saber, preguntarse, inquirir)
I wondered why they left the house at midnight. (Me pregunté por qué ellos abandonaron la casa a medianoche)
Verb + object + if / wh question ask (preguntar)
The teacher asked Mary if she had done her homework. (El profesor le preguntó a Mary si ella había hecho los deberes)
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