Business English B2 · Lesson 8B

Grammar Bank

The rules behind this lesson — form, use, model sentences and the mistakes to avoid.

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Grammar focus of this lesson

Reporting verbs

1 structure

Reporting verbs
Choosing a verb that carries the speaker's attitude — plus its pattern.
I've got this
Rules & form
- ›+ to + verb: agree, offer, promise, refuse, threaten.
- ›+ object + to + verb: advise, remind, warn, urge, persuade.
- ›+ -ing: suggest, recommend, deny, admit, insist on, apologise for.
- ›+ that clause: claim, argue, point out, explain, announce.
Examples
- “He denied leaking the figures.”
- “She urged us to postpone the rollout.”
- “They pointed out that the terms had changed.”
Watch out · suggest to do ✗ → suggest doing / suggest that we do ✓.
Your own example