Reporting Verbs: Patterns and Meaning
I can report advice, warnings, suggestions and admissions with suitable patterns.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Choose a short recording.
Start with the contrast
“You should check the address,” Jo says. She advises Mina to check it. “Don’t use the broken chair,” she adds. She warns Mina not to use it. Later Mina admits making a mistake and suggests checking the list together.
Read the situation transcript
“You should check the address,” Jo says. She advises Mina to check it. “Don’t use the broken chair,” she adds. She warns Mina not to use it. Later Mina admits making a mistake and suggests checking the list together.
Who is expected to check the address after “Jo advised Mina to check it”?
Compare your idea
Mina is the person advised and the understood doer of check.
How it works
Use advise or warn + person + to-infinitive: advised me to wait; warned us not to enter. Use suggest or admit + -ing in the direct patterns practised here.
The reporting verb also labels the speech act. Advice, a warning and an admission are different. Preserve what the speaker meant; do not upgrade a suggestion into an order just to use a new verb.
Advise/warn + person + (not) to do. Suggest/admit + doing. That-clauses may also be possible.
Original relationship
She advised me to check it.
Advice is directed to me.
Alternative construction
He warned us not to touch it.
This reports a warning with a negative infinitive.
Hear the examples
She advised me to check it.
Advice is directed to me.
He warned us not to touch it.
This reports a warning with a negative infinitive.
They suggested taking a break.
Suggest takes -ing in this pattern.
I admitted making a mistake.
Admit takes -ing in this pattern.
One mistake worth avoiding
Instead of: She suggested me to wait.
Say: She suggested waiting.
Suggest does not use this ordinary person + to pattern; a that-clause is another option.
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 advice to another person.
Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text
Jo advised me to check the date.
Check yourself: Name the person expected to act.
Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.
Your turn 2
Report a warning with not.
Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text
She warned us not to use the chair.
Check yourself: Place not before to use.
Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.
Your turn 3
Report a suggestion without turning it into an order.
Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text
They suggested meeting earlier.
Check yourself: Keep the speech act faithful.
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: “Don’t touch it,” he warned me.
Compare a model and explanation
He warned me not to touch it.
Use person + not to + base verb.
Self-check 2
Report an admission: “I made a mistake.”
Compare a model and explanation
She admitted making a mistake.
A that-clause can also be valid.
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
-
She advised me ___ the date.
to check: Advise takes a person plus to-infinitive here.
-
He warned us ___ enter.
not to: Use not to enter for the requested negative infinitive pattern.
-
They suggested ___ earlier.
meeting: Suggest takes -ing in this direct pattern.
-
Who should act in “Jo advised Mina to wait”?
Mina: Mina is the understood subject of the infinitive.
-
Choose a correct admission.
He admitted losing the key.: Admit losing is a valid pattern; admitted to losing is another possible construction.
-
Correct “She suggested us to leave.”
She suggested leaving.: Use suggest + -ing, or a suitable that-clause rather than this object + to pattern.
-
Why does the reporting verb matter beyond grammar?
It labels the kind of speech act.: Advice, warning and admission carry different meanings.
-
What did Jo suggest?
Taking a break: Suggested taking a break reports the proposal.
-
Choose the negative warning.
She warned me not to sit there.: Warn + person + not to-infinitive gives the intended structure.
-
What must a faithful report preserve?
The speaker’s action, participants and intended meaning: Changing the verb must not distort advice into an order or an admission into a denial.
Take it with you
I can report advice, warnings, suggestions and admissions with suitable patterns.