Verb patterns – Reporting Verbs - GE 9 - 11

Verbs	Patterns / Formulas
Mention Explain Point out	+ that + clause Robert mentioned that the profits were up 20% last month.
Offer Threaten Refuse	+ (not) + to … (infinitive with to)
Remind Advice Persuade Warn Invite	+ object + (not) + to … (infinitive with to) I reminded him to sort out the staff wages.
Deny	+ verb + ing Deny has a negative meaning. He denied (not) stealing the money. He denied doing anything wrong.
Apologise (for)	+ preposition (not) + verb + ing He apologised for not telling me sooner.
Blame (sb for) Accuse (sb of)	+ object + preposition + (not) + verb + ing He blamed me for not letting him ire enough staff.

Verbs	Patterns / Formulas
Admit Suggest Recommend	+ that + clause + verb + ing
Claim Promise	+ that + clause + (not) + to … (infinitive with to)
Agree	+ that + clause + (not) + to … (infinitive with to) He agreed to run the shop on his own for the first year.
Apologise (for)	+ preposition (not) + verb + ing
Blame (sb for) Accuse (sb of)	+ object + preposition + (not) + verb + ing
Insist	+ that + clause
Insist (on)	+ preposition + (not) + verb + ing

Point out

Tell someone some information, often because you think they have forgotten it or don’t know it.

Claim

Say something is true, even though you cannot prove it and other people might not believe it.

Deny

Say that something is not true, usually because somebody has said that you have done something wrong.

Insist

Say repeatedly that something is true or that you want something to happen, often when other people disagree with you.

Blame

Say that somebody is responsible for something bad that has happened.

Accuse

Say that somebody has done something wrong.