Reported Speech: Summary of reporting verbs

Note that some reporting verbs may appear in more than one of the following groups.

1. Verbs followed by 'if' or 'whether' + clause:

ask
know
remember

say
see

2. Verbs followed by a that-clause:

add
admit
agree
announce
answer
argue
boast
claim
comment
complain
confirm
consider
deny

doubt
estimate
explain
fear
feel
insist
mention
observe
persuade
propose
remark
remember
repeat

reply
report
reveal
say
state
suggest
suppose
tell
think
understand
warn

3. Verbs followed by either a that-clause or a to-infinitive:

decide
expect
guarantee
hope

promise
swear
threaten

4. Verbs followed by a that-clause containing should
(but note that it may be omitted, leaving a subject + zero-infinitive):

advise
beg
demand

insist
prefer
propose

recommend
request
suggest

5. Verbs followed by a clause starting with a question word:

decide
describe
discover
discuss
explain
forget
guess

imagine
know
learn
realise
remember
reveal
say

see
suggest
teach
tell
think
understand
wonder

6. Verbs followed by object + to-infinitive

advise
ask
beg
command

forbid
instruct
invite

teach
tell
warn