Summary of reporting verbs
Note that some reporting verbs may appear in more than one of the following groups.
1. Verbs followed by 'if' or 'whether' + clause:
ask
know
remember |
say
see |
2. Verbs followed by a that-clause:
add
admit
agree
announce
answer
argue
boast
claim
comment
complain
confirm
consider
deny
|
doubt
estimate
explain
fear
feel
insist
mention
observe
persuade
propose
remark
remember
repeat
|
reply
report
reveal
say
state
suggest
suppose
tell
think
understand
warn
|
3. Verbs followed by either a that-clause or a to-infinitive:
decide
expect
guarantee
hope
|
promise
swear
threaten
|
4. Verbs followed by a that-clause containing should
(but note that it may be omitted, leaving a subject + zero-infinitive):
advise
beg
demand
|
insist
prefer
propose
|
recommend
request
suggest
|
5. Verbs followed by a clause starting with a question word:
decide
describe
discover
discuss
explain
forget
guess
|
imagine
know
learn
realise
remember
reveal
say
|
see
suggest
teach
tell
think
understand
wonder
|
6. Verbs followed by object + to-infinitive
advise
ask
beg
command
|
forbid
instruct
invite
|
teach
tell
warn
|