The topic explained
Feels good
- I can use reporting verbs and impersonal reporting structures.
Now look at the underlined verbs: which pattern does each one take?
WATCH OUT!
Same verb, two registers: informal or formal?
It is thought that…: reporting without saying who
GOOD THING!
Why does the text say «it is thought» and not «people thought»?
Reporting verbs and their patterns
The interview: which pattern follows the verb?
Many reporting verbs can be followed by several different patterns, but this sometimes involves a change in register or meaning.
| Many reporting verbs can be followed by several different patterns | change in register or meaning |
|---|---|
| Verb + (that) + reported statement: | He confessed that he had broken the vase. |
| Verb + (that) + reported statement: | He predicted there would be a crisis. |
| Verb + object + (that) + reported statement: | He informed me that all the shops were closed. |
| Verb + object + (that) + reported statement: | He told me his brother had lost his job. |
| Verb + if/wh- word (whether, why, which, what, how, etc.) + reported statement: | They asked how often I exercised at home. |
| Verb + if/wh- word (whether, why, which, what, how, etc.) + reported statement: | The children wondered why the museum had to remain closed for another month. |
| Verb + if/wh- word (whether, why, which, what, how, etc.) + reported statement: | The doctor explained which treatment to use. |
| Verb + (that) + personal pronoun + (should) + infinitive without to: | They recommended that we (should) wear protective gloves. |
| Verb + (that) + personal pronoun + (should) + infinitive without to: | Our boss demanded that we reveal the truth about the accident. |
| Verb + (not) to infinitive: | He promised to cook dinner for the family. |
| Verb + (not) to infinitive: | He offered to help me with my assignment. |
| Verb + object + (not) to infinitive: | He encouraged me to buy his book. |
| Verb + object + (not) to infinitive: | My brother persuaded me to try wind-surfing. |
| Verb + (not) gerund: | They admitted being unreasonable. |
| Verb + (not) gerund: | Kyle regretted criticising our latest idea. |
| Verb + (object) + preposition + (not) gerund: | They apologised for not having cleaned their bedrooms. |
| Verb + (object) + preposition + (not) gerund: | She insisted on inviting Harriet to her family party even though nobody liked her. |
| Verb + (object) + preposition + (not) gerund: | He congratulated me on passing the test. |
| Verbs with prepositions can also be followed by an object/genitive. | They complained about me/my having to share a room. |
Impersonal reporting structures
When we want to report what people generally say/think/feel, we can use reporting verbs in the Passive. We also use them when it is not important to mention who is being reported or for distancing the speaker from another opinion. There are two basic structures.
- It + passive form of reporting verb + that:
- subject + passive form of reporting verb + to infinitive:
- To emphasise that a situation/fact happened before the time it was reported we use a perfect infinitive (to have + Past Participle).
- To emphasise that a situation/trend is/was continuing at the time it was reported we can use to be + -ing:
Reported speech basic rules
Reporting what people said: tenses, pronouns, time words
When we report what people said, we usually:
- move the original verb ‘one tense back’, except for the Past Perfect and modal verbs (see below for when we do not do this).
- change pronouns as necessary:
- use ask + (object) + if/whether for yes/no questions. The word order of the question becomes a statement:
- use tell + object + (not) + infinitive to report commands:
- use ask + object + (not) + infinitive to report requests:
- We use reporting verbs like, e.g. say, tell, ask, reply, answer, enquire, announce, order.
How does the word order of a yes/no question change when we report it with ask + if/whether?
Which structure uses tell + object + (not) + infinitive: commands or requests?
References to time, place and this/that
| time, place and this/that | When we report what people said |
|---|---|
| here | there |
| now | then |
| tomorrow/next week | the following day/week or the next day/week |
| yesterday/last week | the day/week before |
| tonight/today/this evening | that night/day/evening |
| this | that (in time expressions) |
