What Exactly Did They Say?
I can report an offer, warning, suggestion or admission without changing the speaker’s act.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Choose a short recording.
Your situation
At an event meeting, Tara says, “I can bring the chairs.” Ivo says, “Don’t use the broken table.” Bea says, “Let’s start at six.” Later, Tara says, “I forgot the cups.” A summary that calls all four statements orders would change what the speakers were doing.
Read the situation transcript
At an event meeting, Tara says, “I can bring the chairs.” Ivo says, “Don’t use the broken table.” Bea says, “Let’s start at six.” Later, Tara says, “I forgot the cups.” A summary that calls all four statements orders would change what the speakers were doing.
Which speaker made an admission rather than a proposal or warning?
Compare your idea
Tara admitted forgetting the cups.
How it works
A reporting verb identifies the speech act: offered to bring, warned us not to use, suggested starting, admitted forgetting. Match both the verb’s meaning and its following pattern.
Do not turn a suggestion into an agreement or an offer into a completed action. Reporting what someone offered to do does not establish that they did it. Keep optional paraphrases faithful to the evidence.
offer + to; warn + person + not to; suggest/admit + -ing.
Original relationship
Tara offered to bring the chairs.
She volunteered to do it; delivery is not established.
Alternative construction
Ivo warned us not to use the table.
The warning concerns a specific unsafe object.
Hear the examples
Tara offered to bring the chairs.
She volunteered to do it; delivery is not established.
Ivo warned us not to use the table.
The warning concerns a specific unsafe object.
Bea suggested starting at six.
She proposed a time; agreement is not established.
Tara admitted forgetting the cups.
She acknowledged the omission.
One mistake worth avoiding
Instead of: Bea suggested us to start at six.
Say: Bea suggested starting at six.
Suggest does not normally take person plus to-infinitive in this pattern.
You say
Hear the prompt, answer aloud, then deliberately reveal or hear one possible model. Check it and retry with a changed detail.
Your turn 1
Report Tara’s offer without claiming she delivered the chairs.
Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text
Tara offered to bring the chairs.
Check yourself: Keep an offer distinct from its fulfilment.
Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.
Your turn 2
Report Ivo’s negative warning.
Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text
Ivo warned us not to use the broken table.
Check yourself: Put not before to.
Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.
Your turn 3
Summarise the meeting and preserve what is still undecided.
Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text
Tara offered to bring the chairs, and Bea suggested starting at six. We haven’t agreed on the time yet.
Check yourself: Do not silently upgrade a proposal to a decision.
Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.
Two guided self-checks
Say or write your answer before opening a model.
Self-check 1
Report “Let’s start at six” with suggest.
Compare a model and explanation
Bea suggested starting at six.
Use -ing or a suitable that-clause, not suggested us to.
Self-check 2
Report “I forgot the cups” with admit.
Compare a model and explanation
Tara admitted forgetting the cups.
Admit plus -ing reports her acknowledgement.
Check your understanding
Choose one answer to each question, then check your answers. One of the ten questions is listening.
Automatic scoring needs JavaScript. Use the answer key after attempting all ten questions.
Answer key with explanations
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Tara offered ___ the chairs.
to bring: Offer takes a to-infinitive in this pattern.
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Ivo warned us ___ the broken table.
not to use: Warn plus person is followed here by not to use.
-
Bea suggested ___ at six.
starting: Suggest takes -ing here; suggested that we start is another possible pattern.
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Which report changes a proposal into a decision?
Bea decided that everyone would start at six.: The original was a suggestion, not an announced decision.
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Does “offered to bring” prove that the chairs arrived?
No: An offer and its later fulfilment are different events.
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Correct “Tara admitted to forget the cups”, using admit plus -ing.
Tara admitted forgetting the cups.: Admitted forgetting uses the required -ing complement.
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Which verb best reports acknowledging an omission?
admitted: Admitted identifies the acknowledgement rather than a command or prohibition.
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What was Bea’s statement?
A suggestion to start at six: Suggested starting presents a proposal, not an accomplished event.
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Which summary preserves the warning?
Ivo warned us not to use the broken table.: The correct report preserves the speaker’s original act and content.
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What makes a reporting verb accurate?
Its meaning, complement pattern and strength all fit the original message.: Accurate reporting preserves what was said and what was done by saying it.
Take it with you
I can report an offer, warning, suggestion or admission without changing the speaker’s act.