Reporting verb patterns in English B2
Control the complementation patterns that follow reporting verbs such as admit, deny, advise, warn, promise and suggest.
Recognise the main reporting verb patterns patterns in authentic contexts.
Choose a form that accurately expresses report speech while preserving whether it was advice, refusal, admission, warning or commitment.
Avoid errors that change time, agency, emphasis or speaker commitment.
Use the structure appropriately in news, minutes, academic summaries and everyday retelling.
What reporting verb patterns communicates
Control the complementation patterns that follow reporting verbs such as admit, deny, advise, warn, promise and suggest.
The central purpose is to report speech while preserving whether it was advice, refusal, admission, warning or commitment. A successful choice therefore preserves the proposition while making the intended relationship, viewpoint or degree of commitment visible to the reader.
How the pattern is built
Use this working formula: verb + -ing | verb + object + to-infinitive | verb + that-clause. The formula is a decision path: it identifies the trigger, the clause architecture and the element that carries tense or modality.
The model “The consultant advised us to delay the launch.” shows the complete pattern in context. Rebuild the sentence from meaning to form instead of translating each word independently.
| Choice | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund report | admit/deny/suggest + -ing | The manager admitted overlooking the warning. |
| Object plus infinitive | advise/warn/remind + object + to-infinitive | The consultant advised us to delay the launch. |
| That-clause | promise/claim/confirm + that-clause | The supplier confirmed that the parts were in stock. |
Choose by meaning, not by surface similarity
Neighbouring structures may contain similar words but perform different jobs. Compare the three reference patterns and name the intended effect before completing the sentence.
A reliable answer explains both why the chosen form works and why a plausible alternative would change the meaning, time relation, information focus or level of certainty.
| Meaning | Best route |
|---|---|
| an admission or report focused on an action | Gerund report |
| advice or influence directed at a specific person | Object plus infinitive |
| a proposition reported as a claim, promise or confirmation | That-clause |
Register, discourse and editorial control
This grammar is especially useful in news, minutes, academic summaries and everyday retelling. Its value comes from helping the reader process a relationship efficiently, not from making the sentence sound artificially complex.
After editing, check recoverability, natural word order and consistency with the surrounding paragraph. If the marked structure creates ambiguity, return to a fuller or more neutral clause.