Reporting verbs

__NUMBEREDHEADINGS__ Second language learners of English often have difficulty with reporting verbs and verbs of communication, in terms of using those with appropriate meanings, as well as the kinds of grammatical structures that they occur in. These are the more common verbs of reporting or communication in English writing, classified by the grammatical structures that they occur with. (Note: this is not intended as a complete list.)

1 Verb + object and/or gerund

A gerund is an -ing verb form that acts like a noun (e.g., "We enjoy bungee jumping").

1.1 Verb + object / gerund

These verbs can take either a direct object noun or a gerund serving as a direct object.

acknowledge admit address advise argue ascertain assert claim

contradict describe demand deny determine doubt emphasize establish

examine find forget imply indicate investigate mention note

observe point out prefer present promise propose question

recognize recommend refute request research reveal state

suggest summarize support tell

Note: The verb find out is colloquial; in formal English, ascertain, find, determine are better. The verb support needs an object, and cannot take a complement clause (e.g, “...the findings support that the drug can contribute toward liver damage” is ungrammatical).

Our study examined the effects of cell phone use and nighttime driving concentration.

They proposed doing away with the current speed limits.

We recommend increasing the required number of days in school.

The findings supported the claim that excessive consumption of the drug could lead to liver damage. [Here, that... is a relative clause modifying ‘consumption’, not a complement clause.]

1.2 Verb + preposition + object / gerund

apologize for comment on / about complain about

disagree with insist on refer to

speak about / on... warn about

The verb speak can take the prepositions of, about, on, to, regarding, for, and others. The verb mention takes a direct object, (not mention about - this is ungrammatical).

The speaker commented at length on the negative influence of excessive corporate funding.

1.3 Verb + object + preposition + object / gerund

accuse + of argue for blame + for congratulate + on/for

define + as inform + of tell + about / of... warn + about

They defined language anxiety as a complex set of perceptions, beliefs and behaviors in the language classroom.

2 Verb + infinitive

2.1 Verb + infinitive (simple)

agree decide

expect forget

hope offer

promise propose

refuse threaten

They agreed to stop exporting toys made with cadmium in any part of the manufacturing process.

2.2 Verb + object + infinitive

advise ask

beg command

encourage expect

forbid instruct

invite persuade

remind teach

tell warn

We persuaded the committee to grant an extension.

3 Verb + that (complement clause)

add acknowledge admit agree allege announce answer argue assert assume believe

boast claim comment complain conclude confirm consider decide demonstrate deny disagree

doubt emphasize estimate expect explain fear feel find guarantee hope imply

indicate insist insist mean mention note observe persuade point out promise propose

prove recognize recommend remark remember repeat reply report reveal say show

state stress swear suggest suppose tell threaten think understand warn

Sometimes the complement clause marker that is omitted, especially in more informal writing, or when the complement clause is short. The verbs stress or emphasize are not used like describe or mention, but are used to actually put emphasis on an important point. The verb mention (with that or with an embedded question, below) is not used like describe, but for referring to or briefly explaining a minor point.

We assumed that the replication experiment controlling for gender would yield similar results.

We believe (that) similar results would follow.

His study only mentions a few ideas for connecting the concepts together, but does not develop these ideas in any detail.

3.1 Verb + object + that (complement clause)

inform

promise

tell

These verbs require a direct object, and are not grammatical with just a that-clause

We informed them that the procedure would be risky.

3.2 Verb + (that) + subjunctive verb or that...should

advise beg

command demand

insist instruct

order prefer

recommend request

rule suggest

These verbs take an older verb form known as the subjunctive (for contrary-to-fact, hypothetical, and other such situations). These look different from other verbs in the third person singular, where the verb has no -s ending like other verbs. This is older and more former style, and increasingly in contemporary English this is being replaced with (that) ... should.

The arbiter recommended that the company pay $100 million in restitution / that the company should pay $100 million in restitution.

The judge ruled that bail be lowered / that bail should be lowered.

4 Verb + other complement clause

Complement clauses include that-clauses, as well as if/whether clauses, and clauses with what, when, where, why.

4.1 Verb + if / whether clause

ask doubt know question

remember say see

Note that whether or not is colloquial; for formal writing, simply whether will suffice.

We question whether the government’s commitment to funding science education is sincere.

4.2 Verb + embedded question

decide describe discover discuss doubt

explain forget guess illustrate imagine

know learn question realize remember

reveal say see show suggest

teach tell think understand wonder

An embedded question is a phrase beginning with what, when, where, etc., that is part of a more complex sentence (much like verbs plus if/whether phrases or verbs plus that complement clauses above). Many other verbs (besides those listed directly above) that can take direct objects or that-clause can also take embedded questions as objects.

The study described how African-American children in the Appalachians view reading and stories differently than White children.

We didn’t realize how often that happens.

She suggested how we might accomplish that.

5 Problematic verbs for English learners

5.1 Say, speak, tell

Second language learners often have difficulty with the verbs say, speak, tell. Functionally, say and tell are true reporting verbs – “X said such-and-such,” “X told her such-and-such,” with direct or indirect quotations, while speak is not so much a reporting verb for quotations, but simply a verb of uttering (speaking words or sentences). The verbs say and speak can take direct objects, or with a preposition like to (“don’t speak to me,” “say it to him”), while tell can take an indirect object, with the sense of conveying information rather than just vocally articulating (“tell me what it is”).

verb	definition	type of direct obj.	examples
say	to utter words; to express in words, state, indicate	words, a statement / utterance, a whole text or discourse; indirect discourse or that-clause	say a few words, say what’s on your mind, say something, say that you’ll go, my watch says [indicates] (that) it’s time to go, say “cheese”
speak	to utter words, to articulate sounds	words, a statement, an utterance, a language	speak a language, speak German, speak nonsense, speak to someone (about something)
tell	to give an account, relate, inform, announce, reveal	a story, a narrative, a statement, a piece of information also + INDIRECT OBJECT	tell me your name, tell a story, tell me what you said, tell me the truth

5.2 Blame, criticize

Koreans also confuse blame and criticize, using the word blame when criticize would be more suitable, as criticize is more general in meaning. Here are their dictionary definition:

blame: hold someone responsible; find fault with someone; assigning fault for a specific action,

behavior, error or failure;

criticize: to find fault with someone, judge negatively, negatively evaluate, censure

Thus, criticize is more like pointing out faults (including general faults or failures) or negatively judging someone, while blame has more to to with assigning fault, cause, or liability for a specific error.