REPORTING VERBS TEACHERS NOTES

A.

G RAMMAR P RESENTATION
S TRUCTURE

Verbs: encourage, invite, remind, warn, advise

Reporting verb +

object +

infinitive

I encouraged
He reminded
They advised

her
me
him

to study
to buy
to find

Spanish.
some bread.
a new job.

S TRUCURE B
Verbs: agree, decide, offer, promise, refuse, threaten
Reporting verb +

infinitve

My daughter refused
David agreed
I have decided

to go
to make
to study

swimming.
dinner.
architecture.

S TRUCTURE C
admit, agree, decide, deny, explain, insist, promise, recommend, suggest

B.

Reporting verb +

that

He admitted
She denied
I promised

(that)
(that)
(that)

he had eaten the last piece of cake.

she had drawn on the wall.
I would do my homework.

C ONTROLLED PRACTICE
Give the students the tables with each structure. Present each grammar point, eliciting
as much information as possible Get the students to write a sentence in each table
alongside each word. Get feedback from the class.

C.

M ORE C ONTROLLED P RACTICE

Cut up the questions and distribute them around the class. The students need to ask
each other the questions, and the answers need to be in full sentences, using the
reporting verbs. You can either divide the class into groups of 2-3 students to do this, or
do this as a mingling activity, where the students have to walk around asking different
students the same question.

REPORTING VERBS TEACHERS NOTES

D.

F REE P RACTICE
These activities can be done either straight after presenting the grammar, but you may
want to break it up a bit, and use these activities as revision during a later lesson:
1.

2.

Write all the reporting verbs onto flashcards and place them face down on the
table. The first student picks up a card and starts a story. The second student
picks up another card and continues the story. Continue in this way until all the
words have been used.
Write the reporting verbs onto flashcards and place them face down on the
table. Write some of the vocabulary words that you have recently taught the
students onto flashcards and place them face down on the table. You should
have 2 piles of cards on the table. Each student has to pick up one card from
both piles, and then give a sentence using both words.

REPORTING VERBS S
S TRUCTURE A
encourage
invite
remind
warn
advise

S TRUCTURE B
agree
decide
offer
promise
refuse
threaten

S TRUCTURE C
admit
agree
decide
deny
explain
insist
promise
recommend
suggest

TUDENTS NOTES

REPORTING VERBS S

TUDENTS NOTES

Do you think that you are good at encouraging other people?

Would you invite your mother-in-law to go to the cinema with you?
If your husband/wife forgot to wash the dishes, would you remind them
to do it, or would you wash them yourself?
You see a stranger walking into a dangerous situation. Would you warn
them to stop, or would you walk away?
You have a friend who is 18 and doesnt know what to do after school.
Would you advise them to study something or take a year off?
Have you ever agreed to do something, and then really regretted it?
You have a limited budget for a holiday. Would you decide to (a) go on a
more expensive, shorter holiday, or (b) go on a longer, cheaper holiday or
(c) save your money for later?
Your teacher asks the class to take turns doing a presentation. Would you
offer to go at the beginning or the end?
Have you ever made a promise that you couldnt keep?
What food would you refuse to eat?
Have you ever threatened to do something violent to someone?
When you find out that you have made a mistake, do you admit it?
Would you agree that someone is right, when you know they are actually
wrong?
If you decided that your fianc was the wrong person for you, would you
call off the wedding?
If you were caught doing something wrong, would you deny it?
Who was the last person to explain something to you, and what did they
explain?
If you get horrible food at a restaurant would you insist that they give you
another meal?
What would you suggest that I do this weekend?
Are there any restaurants that you would recommend?