2. Paco offered to carry that heavy rucksack

Icono de iDevice Solved exercise

Let's have a look at the narrator's introduction to Paco's wish to go to the Himalayas:

"After his visit to Kolcata (formerly, as you already know, Calcutta), Paco has decided to travel to the north of India, to the Himalayas. His parents came to India twenty years ago and they asked him to visit both the Taj Mahal and the Himalayas. And this is what he is doing, he is visiting some of the places his parents told him to visit."

 

By féileacán. C. Commons
What do you have to do if you want to restate in the present those words, which were said in the past?

Icono IDevice Important

As you can see, the reporting verbs used are say and add, which are very often used to restate neutral statements, that is, statements whose nature is neutral.

However, despite the fact that say and tell are frequently used to report statements, they are not the only reported verbs used.


Reporting verbs: Statements

Once again, we should take into account the nature of the words said in direct speech in order to choose an appropriate reporting verb. On this occasion, we will divide statements into three categories to do so: neutral, emotional, and purposeful statements.

 

Neutral statements tell, say, add, comment, express, mention, note, observe, predict, remark, state
Emotional statements
 tell, say, cry, exclaim, shout, yell, shriek
Purposeful statements
tell, say, accuse, announce, argue, assert, challenge

The ones above are but a "basic" list of reporting verbs frequently used to report statements. Obviously, they are not the only ones. Besides, you must take into account that sentences such as "You should wear comfortable hiking shoes" or "I'll carry that heavy suitcase", for example, should be reported as He advised Paco to wear comfortable hiking shoes and Paco offered to carry that heavy rucksack, respectively, since the modal verb should is used here to give advice in the former, and the latter is an offer. That's why the verbs to advise and to offer sound more natural in reported speech.

Icono IDevice Further knowledge
Now we know how important it is to know verbs that can be used in reported speech so that we are able to perfectly restate other people's words. But not only is the meaning of reporting verbs important, the structure that follows them is really important as well.

Click here to have a look at some of the most frequently used reporting verbs. If you feel like getting and learning a more complete list, click on the picture on the left.

For further practice, do the exercises below in order.

 

Exercise 1 Exercise 2 Exercise 3
Exercise 4 Exercise 5 Exercise 6

Icono de iDevice Self-Assessment activity

Fill in the blanks with an appropriate reporting verb from the box in the Past Simple tense.

apologise - accuse - admit - suggest - advise

1. "It was you who broke the window, Paco, wasn't it?"

- He Paco of breaking the window.

By ingirogiro. C. Commons

2. "OK, dad, it was me. I broke the window."

- Paco breaking (/that he had broken) the window.

3. "If I were you, I would begin saving to pay for a new one".

- Paco's father him to save for a new one.

4. "I'm sorry I could not stop the ball".

- Paco for not being able to stop the ball.

5. "You'd better play in the park next time".

- Paco's father playing (/that he [should] play) in the park next time.

 

  

After studying the most important reporting verbs so that we are able to report the nature of the statements said in the past by someone else, let's move on to the following section to have a look at the main changes that take place when reporting affirmative and negatives sentences.
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