In this live class, I taught reporting verbs, not just reported speech, but the verbs we use to explain what someone said. These verbs are especially useful in storytelling, conversations, and news contexts. We started with verbs followed by the to-infinitive when the subject does not change, such as agree, demand, offer, promise, refuse, threaten, and claim. For example, “He agreed to come” or “She promised to help.” These verbs describe someone’s own action. Then we looked at verbs that require an object + to-infinitive, such as advise, allow, ask, beg, command, encourage, forbid, instruct, invite, order, permit, remind, urge, warn, and want. These involve one person influencing another, like “She reminded me to pay the bill” or “He warned me not to touch it.” Next, we covered reporting verbs followed by gerunds (-ing), which often express emotion or reaction. These include accuse someone of doing something, apologize for doing something, admit to doing something, boast about doing something, complain about doing something, deny doing something, insist on doing something, suggest doing something, and recommend doing something. We also clarified important differences, especially between deny and refuse. We discussed how many reporting verbs can also be followed by a that-clause, such as “He claimed that he knew the answer.” I explained backshifting in reported speech, noting that changing the tense to the past is usually the safest option, but keeping the present tense is acceptable when the statement is still true. Throughout the class, we practiced transforming direct speech into reported speech using different structures. We focused on common challenges, such as choosing between infinitives and gerunds, remembering prepositions, and deciding when to backshift. At the end, I shared advice on learning gerunds: Use gerunds as subjects (“Swimming is fun.”) Use them as objects (“I enjoy reading.”) Use them after prepositions and phrasal verbs (“I gave up smoking.”) We wrapped up by emphasizing consistent practice and remembering that small mistakes are part of the learning process as we build confidence with these patterns.
