The list of words to be used in reported speech

Reported speech commonly occurs in continuous flow of speech, not in unrelated sentences. To hold it together we use phrases like she went on to say, he continued, he added that …. We also vary the reporting verbs: to observe, to note, to remark.

Yes / no answers or adverbs like well are common in direct speech, but they disappear when we report them.

We do not apply the rules of the sequence of tenses mechanically when we are reporting someone’s speech; we have to interpret what we hear or read, so we often use reporting verbs like exclaim, insist, suggest, mention, etc.

E. g. ‘You really must let me pay the bill,’ Andrew said.

Andrew insisted on paying the bill.

After the more common reporting verbs such as agree, mention, notice, say, think, tell we often leave out the conjunction that, particularly in informal speech.

E. g. I told him I wanted to catch the train.

However, after less common reporting verbs such as complain, confide, deny, grumble, speculate, warn and also in formal writing after the verbs answer, argue, reply the conjunction that is not likely to be left out. The conjunction that is not omitted either in cases when that clause does not immediately follow the verb-predicate of the principal clause.

Compare: She agreed (that) it would be safer to buy a car than a motorbike.

She agreed with her parents and brothers that it would be safer to buy a

car than a motorbike.