
In this table, we have listed out some common reporting verbs that are used in everyday English. Reporting verbs list General reporting verbs These can be particularly useful in formal and academic writing. There are many other reporting verbs in English. Charlotte told her mum to make a birthday cake for her.

Please, make a birthday cake for me!” Charlotte said to her mum ( direct speech) The first reporting verbs that English students learn are usually say and tell. These verbs are used in reported speech, which can be direct or indirect. Reporting verbs (or referring verbs) are words used to report about (or refer to) what another person has said, written or done. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’) Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech: (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’) He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’)

He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. We can use a perfect form with have + - ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past: He said we needn’t come till six o’clock. ‘You needn’t come till six o’clock,’ he said. He said he would buy it if he had the money.

‘I would buy it if I had the money,’ he said. ‘You should go there immediately,’ she said. He said they could sell it for about 2,000 euros. ‘We could sell it for about 2,000 euros,’ he said. She said it must be awful to live in such a noisy place. ‘It must be awful to live in such a noisy place,’ she said. In reported questions, shall becomes should
