report the sentences use the verbs in brackets

Reporting Verbs in English: List with Examples & Exercises

Reporting verbs are used when you want to tell someone about another conversation. We also call this reported speech or indirect speech. Two examples of reporting verbs are say and tell. There are many others and these have different meanings and grammar structures. In this study guide, we’ll look at examples of these verbs and show you how to use them correctly. We’ll also look at reporting verbs to improve your academic writing. Let’s go!

What are reporting verbs?

Reporting verbs list.

• How do I use them?

Reporting verbs in academic writing

• Test your knowledge: exercises

What you will learn: 

Reporting verbs (or referring verbs) are words used to report about (or refer to) what another person has said, written or done. These verbs are used in reported speech, which can be direct or indirect.

The first reporting verbs that English students learn are usually say and tell . For example compare i) and ii) below:

• “It’s my birthday next weekend. Please, make a birthday cake for me!” Charlotte said to her mum ( direct speech)

Charlotte told her mum to make a birthday cake for her. ( indirect speech)

There are many other reporting verbs in English. These can be particularly useful in formal and academic writing.

General reporting verbs

In this table, we have listed out some common reporting verbs that are used in everyday English. To help you understand how to correctly place them in a sentence, we have put them into approximate categories based on their most common usage. However, you should remember that some of these reporting verbs can be used in difference contexts and sometimes with different grammar structures.

Academic reporting verbs

In the table below, we’ve listed out the reporting verbs in groups based on their general meanings. We have also indicated the relative “strength” of each verb. For example, if I imply (suggest/hint, weak) that you are wrong, this is very different from if I assert (state/say, strong) that you are wrong. Remember that English is seldom “black vs. white” – there are often several degrees of meaning.

How do I use reporting verbs?

Understanding what the verbs mean is generally the easiest step. You see a new word, you learn what the word means in your own language and you learn how to pronounce it in English. In actual fact, you can only really say you’ve learnt a word when you also know how to accurately use it in a sentence.

Let’s return to our example with Charlotte’s birthday cake:

 “It’s my birthday next weekend. Make a birthday cake for me,” Charlotte said to her mum ( direct speech)

Easy, right? Now let’s consider that there are many other ways that Charlotte could say this in English. Depending on what she said and how she said it, you might need to use a different reporting verb, not just say or tell . For example:

• If you want to express the idea of “ Don’t forget ” “ Don’t forget to make a birthday cake for me.” Charlotte reminded her mum to make a cake.
• If you want to express the idea of “ No, I don’t want to do something ” (i) “ I’m not going to make my own birthday cake!” Charlotte said that she wouldn’t make her own cake.(ii) “ I’m not going to make my birthday cake. You can do it!” Charlotte refused to make a cake. (iii) “I’ve got lots of work to do this weekend and I might be too busy for other things”Charlotte hinted that she wouldn’t make the cake.  

In these sentences, there are three different verbs (say, hint, refuse). They all mean “no” but say is a neutral verb, hint is a weak verb, and refuse is much stronger .

• If you want to express the idea of “Please do this!” “ Can you make a birthday cake for me, please ?” Charlotte asked her mum to make a cake. “ Please, please, please, can you make a cake for my birthday?” Charlotte begged her mum to make a cake (or) Charlotte pleaded with her mum to make a birthday cake. Ask, plead and beg all have a similar meaning, but plead and beg are much stronger than ask.

Learning words in English is like collecting bricks to build a house. It’s not enough just to get the bricks. You also need to learn how to arrange them correctly so that your house is solid! You can’t build a good house from just a couple of bricks (e.g. say and tell). That’s why you need to learn more vocabulary – like reporting verbs. We don’t want the Big Bad Wolf to blow your house down!

Let’s take a look at HOW to use reporting verbs in real sentences. Below, we have divided the verbs into their different grammar structures so they are easier for you to learn.

1. Reporting verb + infinitive

Verbs: Refuse, decide, promise, demand, agree, threaten, plead with Examples:

• Charlotte refused to make a cake. ( NOT : Charlotte refused making a cake)
• My boss decided to give me a promotion.
• The teacher demanded to know who was responsible for the mess.
• We agreed to keep quiet and not tell anyone the news. (or) We agreed that we would keep quiet.
• We threatened to go to the police.
• They pleaded with the man to release the hostage.

2. Reporting verb + somebody + (not) infinitive

Verbs : remind, ask, beg, warn , order, encourage, persuade, advise, urge, agree Examples :

• Charlotte reminded her mum to make a cake.
• They asked me to cook
• He begged his friend not to tell
• They warned me not to go there by myself.
• The government has ordered everybody to stay at home.
• Her parents always encourage her to work
• They persuaded me to stay for another drink.
• The doctor advised me to stop
• Our new neighbours have invited us to have dinner with them tomorrow.

3. Reporting verb + verb +ing

Verbs: Deny, suggest, recommend, report, propose, admit

These verbs can be used with +ing or with that , but it’s generally better to be concise and use the +ing verb. Short and sweet! Examples :

• They denied taking the last biscuit. (short) (or) They denied that they had taken the last biscuit. (long)
• She admitted stealing the money. (or) She admitted that she had stolen the money. / She admitted to me that she had stolen the money.
• She suggested taking a taxi because it would be quicker. (or) She suggested that we took a taxi.
• I recommend going in the morning when the weather isn’t so hot. (or) I recommend ( that) we go in the morning.
• I propose cancelling the next meeting until we have made a decision. (or) I propose that we cancel the next meeting.

4. Reporting verb + preposition + verb + ing

Verbs: Blame smbd for, accuse smbd of, insist on, apologise for, complain about, confess to, forbid smbd from, agree to, think about Examples :

• They blamed me for missing the train.
• She accused her friend of
• He apologised for breaking the window.
• She is thinking about moving to France.
• He insisted on paying for everybody. / He insisted that he paid for everybody.
• They complained about not having a small hotel room. / They complained that they didn’t have a bigger room.

The reporting verbs we use in academic writing also follow specific grammatical patterns. Again, it is important to know whether the verb needs +ing, the infinitive , or that after it.

5. Academic reporting verb + that

Verbs: Point out, find, observe , state, agree, believe, assert, claim, contend, explain, guess, assert, imply, reason, prove, note, report, reveal.

• Bosley (2017) found that elderly patients experience fewer symptoms of pain when they have regular access to some form of nature. (or) Bosley (2017) found a link between symptoms and access to nature. ( find smth )
• Martinez (2008) and Zhang (2009) agree that … (or) Martinez (2008) and Zhang (2009) agree with this theory . ( agree with + smth/smbd )
• Persson (2003) claims that a community is impossible without a shared aim.
• Research conducted by Bradwell in 2017 revealed that there was a considerable difference in the amount of time UK and US teenagers spent with their families. (or) Research conducted by Bradwell in 2017 revealed a considerable difference in the amount of time UK and US teenagers spent with their families.

6. Academic reporting verb + smth

Verbs: Develop, study, focus on, acknowledge, doubt, contribute to, echo, subscribe to, question, disapprove of, dispute, reject, discuss, investigate, illustrate, present, outline, put forward, consider, support, emphasise, challenge, analyse, discard, identify, explore, propose, highlight, stress. Examples:

• Wang (2016) supports the idea that there is a significant link between play and child development. NOT : Wang (2016) supports that there is a significant link between play and child development.  
• Roberts (2018) identifies three possible factors in early diagnosis.
• Solara (2015) questions the importance of this approach. (or) Solara (2015)  questions whether this approach is important.
• Barboza (2018) rejects the three factors presented by Solara.
• Miller (2016) discusses this theory in detail. NOT : Miller (2016) discusses about this theory in detail

In academic writing, reporting verbs are used when you want to refer to what another person has said. You do this to strengthen your own argument and to show that other academics think the same as you.

It would be easy to just learn the verb “to state”, and use this all the time. However, using a range of other verbs can allow you to express your opinion about the author’s idea more precisely. For example, “to state” is quite neutral , but “to claim” implies that there is no proof behind what the author is saying.

Past or present tense?

You can use both the past and the present tense in academic writing.

If you are talking about recent research, use the present. This makes a connection between past research and now, which adds weight to your argument.

• Wang (2016) support s the idea that there is a significant link between play and child development. (present simple)

If you are talking about how research was conducted, you will need to use the past simple (either active or passive voice).

• Wang (2016) examin ed fifty groups of siblings. (past simple) The siblings were asked the following questions. (passive voice)

Avoid these common mistakes!

• It’s possible to express someone’s opinion using “According to…”. This does not need a reporting verb. “According to” does the job of a reporting verb already. e.g. “According to Covey (2017)…” (Not: “ According to Covey (2017) states that… ”)
• A source written by one author will need a singular verb with “-s” at the end e.g. “Liu (2016) suggest s that…” (Not: “ Liu (2016) suggest that… ”)
• A source written by more than one author will need a plural verb. e.g. “Liu and Helzer (2016) suggest that…” (Not: “ Liu and Helzer (2016) suggests that… ”)
• If you use “et al.” to indicate multiple authors, this will also require a plural verb as it means “they”. e.g. “Rosenberg et al. (2018) argue that…” (Not: “ Rosenberg et al. (2018) argues that…” )

Reporting verbs: Exercises

• Why didn’t you _____________ me that you don’t eat meat? a) say.  b) tell
• I didn’t ____________ anything to you, because I was too worried. a) tell.    b) say
• We __________ them to meet us in the main square at half past eleven. a) told.  b) said
• You should ________ her that you don’t want to go on holiday. a) say.  b) tell
• Are you going to ___________ anything to Sue about your good news? a) say.  b) tell
• They have ________ that we will need to bring our own bed linen and towels. a) told.    b) said

Which of these sentences are right and which are wrong? Choose correct or incorrect.

• She suggested to study together for the exam. a . Correct    b. Incorrect
• I said you not to do that. a. Correct    b. Incorrect
• I didn’t tell anyone anything. a . Correct.  b . Incorrect
• We have decided live in the countryside. a. Correct    b. Incorrect
• My grandmother always encouraged to learn to cook. a. Correct    b. Incorrect

Choose the correct verb to complete the sentences.

• She invited me ________ to her house for a drink after work. a. go    b. going  c. to go
• She asked me _________ some money. a. lending    b. to lend    c . to lend her
• They persuaded me _________ to London with them. a. go    b. to go    c. of going
• He advised _______ more exercise. a. I do    b. me to do    c. me doing
• He begged me not _______ anybody about the accident. a. of telling    b. tell    c. to tell
• He reminded ________ to renew the car insurance. a . to me    b. me    c. of me
• She refused _______ the washing-up again! a. me to do    b. to do.  c. doing
• She apologised _________ me an angry text message. a. of sending. b. for sending    c. sending
• He admitted ________ the red wine on the sofa. a. spilling    b. to spill    c. spill of
• He suggested _________ on a cycling holiday next year. a. go    b . going c. we going
• He denied _________ my car. a. taking    b . to take    c. taking of
• She decided __________ the risotto. a. having.  b. to have    c. to having

Exercise 1:

Exercise 2:

• b. Incorrect (She suggested studying together for the exam.)
• b. Incorrect (I told you not to do that.)
• b. Incorrect (We have decided to live in the countryside.)
• b. Incorrect (My grandmother always encouraged me to learn to cook.)

Exercise 3:

You may also like

How to improve listening skills in English

Many students have already recognised the advantages of learning English via Skype and are benefiting from the opportunity to improve their English speaking skills with a native teacher.

Russian Mistakes in English: 54 False Friends

False friends (also called "false cognates”) are Russian words that look or sound similar to English words but have different meanings. In this guide, you will find a list of common false friends with definitions and examples to show the differences between the words.

101 English Homophones You Should Know

English can be a confusing language to learn! Have you ever come across two words that sound the same, but have different meanings? These are called homophones. In this detailed guide, you will learn 101 sets of homophones with real native examples. Don’t forget to check out our study tips and quiz at the end!

Our experience, dedicated to yours.

Skype english courses, latest blog posts.

• Relaxed pronunciation in English
• How To Work In UK Medicine: A Practical Guide
• 35 Comparative And Superlative Adjectives | List With Examples + Exercises

Get started today by requesting your free 15-minute consultation with OTUK!

• Join our team

OTUK. All rights reserved. Terms & Conditions     Cookies Policy OTUK Training Ltd. Company registered in England No. 09629443

Email: info@onlineteachersuk.com Developed by Andrey Kramerov

Reporting Verbs Exercises (with Printable PDF)

| Danielle McLeod

| Grammar , Quizzes

Danielle McLeod

Danielle McLeod is a highly qualified secondary English Language Arts Instructor who brings a diverse educational background to her classroom. With degrees in science, English, and literacy, she has worked to create cross-curricular materials to bridge learning gaps and help students focus on effective writing and speech techniques. Currently working as a dual credit technical writing instructor at a Career and Technical Education Center, her curriculum development surrounds student focus on effective communication for future career choices.

English language learners aren’t the only students who struggle with flow and sophistication in their writing structure.

When my students are asked to refer to (or report) the materials they are using to support their claims, they often have a hard time bending information into their own work. Referencing research is an important step in the academic writing process. Without it, you could be accused of plagiarism.

But how do you work supportive text into your own? Let’s review what reporting verbs are and practice how you can use them in-text to provide proper material citations.

What Is a Reporting Verb?

Reporting verbs allow you to tell an audience about another conversation you’ve had or information you’ve received from a source other than yourself. This is called reported or indirect speech.

When you use materials that you did not create in your writing, you need to provide credit to your sources. Reporting verbs, also called referring verbs, are action words that indicate your use of another’s materials. You use them to connect in-text quotes, paraphrases, and information to their original source.

When you use materials in this manner, you are usually using them to support a claim you have made. You also may be using it to refute the idea of another.

For example:

• Rogers and Duckle’s study indicates that economic changes can be influenced at a local level and are influenced by socio-economics.
• Smith concluded that further research on the topic was needed.
• Unbiased reviews of the report state that flood water recession could have been supported by the city’s municipalities and that their neglect was unacceptable.

Reporting Verb Options

Writers new to this process often struggle with sentence structure and will use the same verbs over and over, making their writing redundant and choppy sounding. Practice improves these skills, as does exposure to the many verbs you can take advantage of.

Some of the most popular verbs are listed below and can function in more than one way to refer to the material you are using:

Reporting Verbs Exercise #1

Choose the correct reporting verb from the list to complete the sentence. List: stated, mentioning, pointed out, tell, questions, negates, claims, agrees

Reporting Verbs Exercise #2

Rewrite the original sentences using the reporting verb in brackets. Answers will vary slightly. Example: “You shouldn’t eat before you swim,” said my mother [advise] Answer: My mother advised me not to eat before swimming.

Reporting Verbs Exercise #3

Choose the correct reporting verb to complete the sentence.

Grammarist is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you.

2024 © Grammarist, a Found First Marketing company. All rights reserved.

Reported Speech

Perfect english grammar.

Reported Statements

Here's how it works:

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:

• Direct speech: I like ice cream.
• Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

• Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

* doesn't change.

• Direct speech: The sky is blue.
• Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Reported Questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

• Direct speech: Where do you live?
• Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
• Direct speech: Where is Julie?
• Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.

• Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
• Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

• Direct speech: Close the window, please
• Or: Could you close the window please?
• Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
• Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.

• Direct speech: Please don't be late.
• Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

• Direct speech: Sit down!
• Reported speech: She told me to sit down.

• Click here for an exercise to practise reported requests and orders.

• Click here for an exercise about using 'say' and 'tell'.
• Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Hello! I'm Seonaid! I'm here to help you understand grammar and speak correct, fluent English.

Read more about our learning method

Learn Vocabulary

Learn English Vocabulary Through Pictures with 150 Topics

Vocabulary Exercises A1

English Vocabulary Exercises for A1 with Answers.

Vocabulary Exercises A2

English Vocabulary Exercises for A2 with Answers.

Vocabulary Exercises B1

English Vocabulary Exercises for B1 with Answers.

Vocabulary Exercises B2

English Vocabulary Exercises for B2 with Answers.

FULL Grammar Exercises

FULL English Grammar Exercises with Answers

Verbs and Tenses Exercises

English Verbs and Tenses Exercises with Answers and Explanations

Grammar Exercises A1

English Grammar Exercises for A1 with Answers

Grammar Exercises A2

English Grammar Exercises for A2 with Answers

Grammar Exercises B1

English Grammar Exercises for B1 with Answers

Grammar Exercises B2

English Grammar Exercises for B2 with Answers

Listening Exercises Beginner

English Listening Exercises for Beginner with Answers

Listening Exercises A1

English Listening Exercises for A1 with Answers

Listening Exercises A2

English Listening Exercises for A2 with Answers

Listening Exercises B1

English Listening Exercises for B1 with Answers

Listening Exercises B2

English Listening Exercises for B2 with Answers

Listening Tests A1

Practice Listening Tests for A1 with Answers & Transcripts

Listening Tests A2

Practice Listening Tests for A2 with Answers & Transcripts

Listening Tests B1

Practice Listening Tests for B1 with Answers & Transcripts

Listening Tests B2

Practice Listening Tests for B2 with Answers & Transcripts

Word Skills Exercises A1

English Word Skills Exercises for A1 with Answers

Word Skills Exercises A2

English Word Skills Exercises for A2 with Answers

Word Skills Exercises B1

English Word Skills Exercises for B1 with Answers

Word Skills Exercises B2

English Word Skills Exercises for B2 with Answers

Reading Exercises Beginner

English Reading Exercises for Beginner with Answers

Reading Exercises A1

English Reading Exercises for A1 with Answers

Reading ExercisesC A2

English Reading Exercises for A2 with Answers

Reading Exercises B1

English Reading Exercises for B1 with Answers

Reading Exercises B2

English Reading Exercises for B2 with Answers

Speaking Exercises A1

English Speaking Exercises for A1 with Answers

Speaking Exercises A2

English Speaking Exercises for A2 with Answers

Speaking Exercises B1

English Speaking Exercises for B1 with Answers

Speaking Exercises B2

English Speaking Exercises for B2 with Answers

Writing Exercises A1

English Writing Exercises for A1 with Answers

Writing Exercises A2

English Writing Exercises for A2 with Answers

Writing Exercises B1

English Writing Exercises for B1 with Answers

Writing Exercises B2

English Writing Exercises for B2 with Answers

Business Listening A1

Business English Listening Exercises for A1 with Answers

Business Listening A2

Business English Listening Exercises for A2 with Answers

Business Listening B1

Business English Listening Exercises for B1 with Answers

Article Level 1

Improve your ability to speak English

Article Level 2

Article level 3, article level 4, conversations.

Listening Practice Through Dictation with Transcripts

• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Reporting verbs

English Grammar Exercises for B2

1. Report the sentences using the reporting verbs below and that.

admin      announce      argue      complain      deny       insist       promise

1   Ian said ‘I didn’t leave the door open.’

      Ian denied that …. …………………………………….

2   ‘I think it would be dangerous to go out in this weather,’ said George.

      …………………………………….

3   Molly said, ‘The traffic is so noisy that I can’t hear myself think!’

       …………………………………….

4   ‘I’ve decided to dye my hair orange,’ said Mike.

5   ‘Don’t worry. I definitely won’t tell anyone your secret,’ Laura told me.

6   Jackie said, ‘This can’t be my bag because it’s the wrong colour.’

7   ‘Yes, it was me who took the money,’ said Fred.

      …………………………………….

1    Ian denied that he had / insisted that he hadn’t left the door open.

2    George insisted / argued that it would be dangerous to go out in that weather.

3    Molly complained that the traffic was so loud that she couldn’t hear herself think.

4    Mike announced that he’d decided to dye his hair orange.

5    Laura promised (me) that she wouldn’t tell anyone my secret.

6    Jackie argued / insisted that it couldn’t be her bag because it was the wrong colour.

7    Fred admitted that it had been him who had taken the money.

2. Listen and match the speakers with the reported speech.

a   She complained that the weather was too hot. ……………..

b   She agreed that the weather was too hot. ……………..

c   She explained that she would be late. ……………..

d   She promised that she wouldn’t be late. ……………..

e   She denied that she was ill. ……………..

f   She insisted that she was ill. ……………..

g   She argued that it was too expensive. ……………..

h   She agreed that it was too expensive. ……………..

a 1   b 2   c 4   d 3   e 5   f 6   g 8   h 7

1   The weather’s too hot for me. I can’t stand it!

2   Yes, you’re right. It is a bit too hot, actually.

3   I know I’ve got that appointment but I won’t be late, I guarantee you!

4   I have an appointment so I may be a little late, I’m afraid.

5   I feel fine. There’s nothing wrong with me, honestly!

6   I really feel unwell. I’m far too ill to come in today.

7   Yes, the price is a bit too high, isn’t it?

8   How much? That’s ridiculous! That’s a lot more than I’m prepared to pay.

3. Write the words in the correct order to make sentences.

1   to / for / invited / lunch / them / they / us / join

2   helping / escape / to / denied / thieves / he / the

3   into / on / lift / she / me / insisted / town / giving / a

4   that / picnic / have / suggested / should / a / Jo / we

5   Ned / losing / me / tickets / blamed / for / our

6   tomorrow / that / to / me / she / promised / lend / DVD

7   advised / go / not / doctor / running / the / him / to

8   answer / that / didn’t / admitted / she / Nina / the / know

1   They invited us to join them for lunch.

2    He denied helping the thieves to escape.

3   She insisted on giving me a lift into town.

4   Jo suggested that we should have a picnic.

5   Ned blamed me for losing our tickets.

6   She promised to lend me that DVD tomorrow.

7    The doctor advised him not to go running.

8    Nina admitted that she didn’t know the answer.

4. Correct the underlined mistakes in the sentences. Use the correct reporting structures.

1   She begged him not telling anyone what he’d heard.

2   I suggested to meet him outside the cinema at eight.

3   Belinda reminded me not forgetting the festival tickets.

4   Anna recommended us to try the new burger bar in town.

5   The teacher accused Jon to cheat in the test.

6   Suzie apologised of not remembering to invite me.

1 begged him not to tell   2 suggested meeting him

3 reminded me not to forget   4 recommended that we (should) try  

5 accused Jon of cheating   6 apologised for not remembering

5. Complete the sentences with a preposition if necessary and the correct form of the verb in brackets.

1   Nick boasted ………………………… (come) top in the test.

2   Our teacher forbade us ………………………… (use) a dictionary.

3   My dad criticised me ………………………… (spend) too much.

4   His neighbour demanded ………………………… (he / turn down) his music.

5   She warned us ………………………… (not / stay) in that part of town.

6   He confessed ………………………… (sell) stolen goods.

7   I proposed ………………………… (we / find) somewhere to have a coffee.

8   Clara insisted ………………………… (give) them a hand with the cooking.

1 about coming   2 to use   3 for spending

4 (that) he turn down   5 not to stay   6 to selling

7 (that) we find   8 on giving

6. Report the dialogue in your notebook using appropriate reporting verbs. There may be more than one answer.

Greg       Hi, Katya. I’m so sorry I didn’t come to your barbecue yesterday.

Katya     Actually, I was quite upset about it, Greg.

Greg       It really wasn’t my fault!

Katya     I won’t listen to any more of your lies, Greg.

Greg       But I couldn’t come because I broke my wrist and had to go to hospital!

Katya     Oh, I see … Well, why don’t you come over this afternoon?

Greg       Great – and I’ll definitely be there this time!

Katya     OK. Oh, and don’t forget to bring my birthday present with you!

Greg apologised to Katya for not going to her barbecue the day before. Katya admitted (to Greg) that she’d been quite upset about it. Greg insisted / argued that it hadn’t been his fault. Katya refused to listen to any more of his / Greg’s lies. Greg explained that he hadn’t been able to go because he’d broken his wrist and had had to go to hospital. Katya suggested that he go / went over that afternoon. Greg promised that he’d definitely be there that time. Katya reminded him to take her birthday present with him.

7. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1   Kevin insisted on ………………………… for our meal, although I was quite happy to share the bill. (pay)

2   We congratulated my uncle on ………………………… the photo competition. (win)

3   You promised ………………………… anyone about our secret place. (not / tell)

4   I’ve agreed ………………………… with our school’s next fund-raising event. (help)

5   My grandmother apologised for ………………………… me a birthday card. (not / send)

6   Charlotte’s friends encouraged her ………………………… the drama group. (join)

7   The waiter recommended ………………………… two portions of chips instead of four. (order)

8   The doctor advised me ………………………… basketball for a week. (not / play)

1 paying   2 winning   3 not to tell   4 to help

5 not sending   6 to join   7 ordering   8 not to play

Related Posts

• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Unreal past and had better
• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Emphasis
• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Mixed conditionals
• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Criticising past actions
• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Relative clauses

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

----------------------------------------

Study Better with The Help of AI

ChatPDF – Chat with any PDF

Quizgecko – Make a Test

Pin It on Pinterest

Brackets: When to Use Brackets in Writing (Examples)

If you want to know what brackets are and how to use them, this article is what you need. Read on to learn everything you need to know to use them correctly in your writing.

• Brackets are punctuation marks used within direct quotations to show edits, comments, or further explanation.

This guide is part of our free online Grammar Book .

When to Use Brackets

So, first of all, what are brackets? They're often confused with parentheses because they look similar and are also used in pairs. However, they aren't used in the same ways.

• Parentheses are curly ( )
• Brackets have angles [ ]

As I mentioned, they're used in pairs . You'll have an opening bracket at the beginning of the text and a closing bracket at the end.

Now let's get into when you should use them. As you'll learn, they're mainly used when dealing with quoted text.

To Explain or Comment in a Direct Quotation

When quoting something or someone, sometimes you might want to add a comment, clarify something omitted, or further explain something in your own words. To do this, you can use brackets.

Here is an example:

She said that "they arrived [at the restaurant] to find there were no free tables." 

Because this is a direct quote, you can't change it to say, "They arrived at the restaurant." You must put "at the restaurant " in brackets to show that you added these words yourself. And why did you add them? To provide further clarification for the reader; otherwise, they might not understand where they arrived.

Here's another example:

According to the author, " they're [sic] bedrooms were larger than my whole house."

In the sentence above, 'they're' is a misspelling of 'their.' But since it's a direct quotation, you must type it exactly as it was written by the author. By using the word 'sic' in brackets, you're showing that you acknowledge the spelling error.

Here's one more example, this time where the bracketed text serves to translate the Latin text:

My mum always says "Carpe diem [ seize the day]"

To Correct or Change Words in a Direct Quotation

Sometimes when you're reporting speech, you might need to amend a letter or word here or there to ensure your sentence is grammatically correct.

Look at the following sentence, for example:

Sophie said, "All the managers in my organization are women."

Imagine if you wanted to quote this sentence using direct speech. You'd have to make a few changes, and it would look something like this:

Sophie said that "[a]ll the managers in [her] organization are women."

The uppercase 'a' in 'all' has been changed to lowercase, so it should be bracketed. Equally, the 'my' has been changed to 'her,' so you can put that in brackets too.

To Replace Parentheses Within Parentheses

If you need to use parentheses in a piece of text that's already in parentheses, you can bracket it instead. This is the one time when you can use brackets outside of the quoted text.

I always study in the library (the MR [multimedia room] is always too busy).

Punctuation With Brackets

Using punctuation in and around brackets follows the same rules as using punctuation with parentheses. And it's pretty straightforward:

• If the bracketed text is a complete sentence ( independent clause ), punctuate it as usual, and keep the punctuation inside the brackets.
• Don't include any punctuation if the bracketed text is not a complete sentence (a single word or a dependent clause ).
• Except for exclamation points and question marks . You can include those.

Concluding Thoughts on Brackets

So there you have it. Now you know when and how to use brackets. As you can see, it's pretty easy!

Let's summarize what we've learned:

• Brackets are a form of punctuation always used in pairs.
• Use brackets to explain, comment, correct, or change words within direct quotes.
• You can also use brackets to replace parentheses within parentheses.

If you found this article helpful, you might like our Grammar Book , a free online database full of grammar articles just like this one. Check it out!

Learn More:

• Slash: When to Use Slash in Writing (Examples)
• Periods: When to Use Periods in Writing (Examples)
• Exclamation Points: When to Use Exclamation Points in Writing (Examples)
• Semicolons: When to Use Semicolons in Writing (Examples)
• Parentheses: When to Use Parentheses in Writing (Examples)
• Ellipses: When to Use Ellipses in Writing (Examples)
• Question Marks: When to Use Question Marks in Writing (Examples)
• Commas: When to Use Commas in Writing (Examples)
• Colons: When to Use Colons in Writing (Examples)
• Quotation Marks: When to Use Quotation Marks in Writing (Examples)
• Homophones: What Is a Homophone? (Meaning and Examples)
• Parallelism: What Is Parallelism? Definition and Examples
• Imperative Sentences: What Are Imperative Sentences? Definition and Examples
• Compound Words: What Are Compound Words? Definition and Examples
• Language Register in English Writing: Definition, Meaning, and Examples

We encourage you to share this article on Twitter and Facebook . Just click those two links - you'll see why.

It's important to share the news to spread the truth. Most people won't.

Add new comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Post Comment

Present Simple

MeritESLResources

Complete the sentences with the Present Simple of the verbs in brackets.

Loading ad...

• Google Classroom
• Microsoft Teams
• Download PDF

• English ESL Worksheets
• Grammar Topics
• Phrasal verbs

SENTENCE TRANSFORMATIONS 5 (PHRASAL VERBS)