Reporting Verbs: Gerunds, Infinitives, and That-Clauses
When we report what someone said, we don't always just use "say" or "tell." We use expressive reporting verbs like admit, warn, or apologize to convey the speaker's exact tone and intention. However, these verbs require specific grammatical patterns. For example, you refuse to do something (infinitive), but you deny doing something (gerund). You might also warn someone not to do something (object + infinitive).
In this challenge, you will help document alien sightings, clumsy waiters, and roommate disputes while practicing these tricky verb patterns. You will choose the correct structures for verbs followed by gerunds (like suggest or deny), infinitives (like offer or promise), object + infinitive combinations (like warn or tell), and that-clauses (like explain or insist). You will also navigate the subtle grammatical differences between say, tell, and ask.
You'll work through 12 questions in a mix of single-choice, multi-choice, drop-down, and drag-and-drop formats.
Try the quiz to check your knowledge!
apologized
We use apologize + for + verb-ing to express regret for an action. Neither "suggest" nor "promise" is followed by the preposition "for" in this way.
promised
We use promise + (not) to + infinitive to commit to doing or not doing something. "Warned" would need an object (warned us not to), and "apologized" would need "for not using."
warned
We use warn + object + that clause to alert someone of a danger or rule. "Suggested him that" and "apologized him that" are grammatically incorrect patterns.
The correct answers are claimed, explained, and insisted.
These verbs can be followed directly by a that-clause to report statements or beliefs.
Told is incorrect here because it requires a direct object before the that-clause (e.g., told the sheriff that...). Asked is used to report questions, not statements of fact.
offered
We use offer + to + infinitive (offered to fix). "Suggest" is followed by an -ing verb or a that clause, and "advise" usually needs an object (advised someone to fix).
suggested
We use suggest + verb-ing (suggested waiting). "Tell" and "ask" require an object and a to-infinitive in this context (told us to wait / asked us to wait).
advised
We use advise + object + to + infinitive (advised us to pack). "Say" and "suggest" cannot be followed directly by an object pronoun like "us" in this way.
Choose the correct phrase to describe the stubborn cat's dramatic behavior.
Even though we offered him a bowl of premium tuna, Mr. Whiskers refused _____ down from the top of the refrigerator.
The correct answer is to come.
The reporting verb "refuse" is followed by an infinitive with "to" (refuse + to do something). Mr. Whiskers will come down when he's ready, and not a moment sooner!
The correct answers are admitted and denied.
Both admit and deny can be followed directly by a gerund (the -ing form of a verb).
The verbs refuse, promise, and offer are followed by a to-infinitive, not a gerund (e.g., Dave refused to eat it, Dave promised to buy more).
Complete the museum tour guide's very important safety instruction.
The nervous tour guide warned the school children _____ the priceless dinosaur bones.
The correct answer is not to touch.
The reporting verb "warn" follows the pattern: warn + object + (not) + to + infinitive. When making it negative, we place "not" right before the infinitive.
The correct answers are told, encouraged, and advised.
These verbs follow the grammatical pattern Reporting Verb + Object + to-infinitive (e.g., told the client to lift).
Suggested and said cannot be used with this pattern. We cannot say "suggested someone to do something" or "said someone to do something." Instead, we would use a that-clause (e.g., suggested that the client lift the weights).
Help resolve this classic roommate dispute by dragging the correct reporting verbs to complete the story.
My roommate suggested making a weekly cleaning schedule so the apartment would stay tidy. She promised to wash the dishes every evening after dinner. However, she told me to take out the trash and do all the vacuuming!
My roommate suggested making a weekly cleaning schedule so the apartment would stay tidy.
The verb "suggest" is followed by a gerund (-ing form) when we don't mention a specific person doing the action.
She promised to wash the dishes every evening after dinner.
The verb "promise" is followed directly by a to-infinitive when the speaker is the one doing the action.
However, she told me to take out the trash and do all the vacuuming!
The verb "tell" requires an object (like "me") followed by a to-infinitive to report a command or instruction.
told
We use tell + object + that clause. Because the object "us" is present, we must use "told" (told us that). We don't say "said us that."
asked
We use ask + object + if/whether for reported yes/no questions. Dad is asking a question ("Are you joking?"), so "asked her if" is correct.
said
We use say + (that) clause. There is no direct object (like "me" or "us") right after the verb, so "said" is the correct choice. If it were "told," it would need to be "told us that."
Complete the confused farmer's interview with the local news by dragging the correct reporting verbs into his account of the alien abduction.
The friendly aliens asked me if I wanted a quick tour of their glowing spaceship. I said that I was much too busy milking the cows right now. Before they flew away, their leader told me to keep the visit a secret from the neighbors.
The friendly aliens asked me if I wanted a quick tour of their glowing spaceship.
We use "ask" + object + "if/whether" to report yes/no questions.
I said that I was much too busy milking the cows right now.
We use "say" + "that" clause to report a statement. We cannot use "tell" here because there is no direct object (like "told them").
Before they flew away, their leader told me to keep the visit a secret from the neighbors.
We use "tell" + object + to-infinitive to report an order or strong request. "Said" cannot be followed by an object pronoun like "me" in this way without "to" (and even then, "said to me to keep" is incorrect).
Help the hungry student complete their diary entry about a culinary crime.
When confronted about the missing pepperoni slice, my roommate Dave completely denied _____ it.
The correct answer is eating.
The reporting verb "deny" is followed by a gerund (the -ing form of the verb). Even though Dave totally ate it, grammatically speaking, he denied eating it!
Read the restaurant review and drag the correct reporting verbs to complete the customer's story about a very clumsy waiter.
First, the waiter apologized for spilling hot tomato soup all over my favorite shirt. He quickly offered to bring me a free slice of chocolate cake to make up for the mess. However, the manager later admitted that the poor guy was actually on his very first day of work.
First, the waiter apologized for spilling hot tomato soup all over my favorite shirt.
The verb "apologize" is followed by the preposition "for" and a gerund (-ing form).
He quickly offered to bring me a free slice of chocolate cake to make up for the mess.
The verb "offer" is followed by a to-infinitive. "Suggest" would require an -ing form (suggested bringing).
However, the manager later admitted that the poor guy was actually on his very first day of work.
The verb "admit" is often followed by a "that" clause to report a confession or acknowledgment of a fact.
Clause
A clause is a grammatical unit built around a verb — typically a subject plus a predicate (She laughed; The manager approved the budget). Clauses come in two types: independent clauses stand alone as complete sentences; dependent clauses need an independent clause to make sense (Because I overslept — incomplete on its own).
Spotting clause boundaries is the foundation of correct punctuation. Once you can see where one clause ends and another begins, comma rules, run-on sentences, and complex sentence structure stop being mysteries.
Gerund
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun — swimming, reading, being late. It can sit in any position a noun can: as the subject (Swimming is fun), as the object of a verb (I enjoy swimming), or as the complement of a preposition (She's good at swimming).
Gerunds matter because dozens of common English verbs and almost every preposition force you into the -ing form. Pick the wrong shape — I enjoy to swim, good at to swim — and the sentence sounds clearly off to a native speaker. Knowing which contexts demand a gerund (vs. an infinitive) is what makes verb patterns click.
Indirect speech
Indirect speech (also called reported speech) is how you tell someone what another person said without quoting their exact words. "I like apples" → He said that he liked apples. The signature move is backshift: tenses move one step into the past when the reporting verb (said, told, thought) is itself in the past — present becomes past, past becomes past perfect, will becomes would, can becomes could.
Pronouns and time expressions also shift to fit the new perspective: "I'll see you tomorrow" → She said she'd see me the next day. Mastering this is essential for B1+ communication, especially in writing.
Infinitive
The infinitive is the basic, unmarked form of a verb, used when no tense or subject agreement is needed. English has two flavours: the to-infinitive (to swim, to read) and the bare infinitive (swim, read). The to-infinitive follows verbs like want, decide, hope, plan (I want to swim); the bare infinitive follows modal verbs (I can swim) and certain causative verbs (Let him go).
Knowing which form to use after which verb is one of the trickiest distinctions in English — closely tied to the parallel choice of gerund (-ing form). I want to swim but I enjoy swimming aren't interchangeable.
Negation
Negation in English usually places not after the auxiliary or modal verb: I am not going, She does not know, You must not go. When there's no auxiliary, you add do-support: I go → I do not go. Most combinations contract: don't, can't, won't, isn't.
The trickiest rule for many learners: double negatives are not standard English. I didn't see nothing is non-standard; the standard forms are I saw nothing or I didn't see anything. Negative words like never, nobody, nothing already carry the negation — adding not on top doubles up.
Object
In grammar, an object is the entity a verb acts on. Tom studies grammar — grammar is the object. English distinguishes three types: a direct object (the thing acted on: Sam fed the dogs), an indirect object (the recipient: She sent him a present), and a prepositional object (introduced by a preposition: She is waiting for Lucy).
Knowing whether a verb takes an object — and which kind — is built into transitive and intransitive verb patterns. Pick the wrong pattern and the sentence either dangles or doubles up.
Past tense
The past tense is how English talks about events finished before now. It comes in four flavours: simple past (I walked) for completed events, past progressive (I was walking) for actions ongoing at a past time, past perfect (I had walked) for events before another past event, and past perfect progressive (I had been walking) for ongoing events leading up to a past point.
Choosing the right one is what makes past narratives clear instead of murky. When I arrived, she ate dinner is technically grammatical but means something different than had eaten (already done) or was eating (in progress when you arrived).
Verb
A verb is a word that expresses an action, a state, or an occurrence — the engine of every English sentence. Most verbs have five forms: base (go), -s form (goes), past tense (went), past participle (gone), and -ing form (going). The verb be is the major exception with eight forms; modal verbs like can and must have fewer.
Verbs carry tense (when), aspect (how it unfolds), mood (the speaker's attitude), and voice (active vs passive). Mastering them is foundational — virtually every other grammar topic depends on getting verbs right.
Collocations
Collocations are combinations of words that habitually occur together in a fixed order — make a decision (not do a decision), strong coffee (not powerful coffee), heavy rain (not thick rain). The grammar would allow either pairing, but native speakers consistently pick one and reject the other. Common patterns include verb + noun, adjective + noun, adverb + adjective, and adverb + verb.
Learning vocabulary as collocations rather than isolated words is the single fastest way to sound natural in English. It's the difference between I made a big mistake and I did a big mistake — small, but immediately noticeable.
B1 | Intermediate
B1 is the intermediate level in the CEFR framework — the point where you stop relying on memorised phrases and start handling everyday English independently. At B1 you can describe experiences, explain opinions, and follow most clear standard speech on familiar topics like work, travel, and hobbies.
Grammatically, B1 means combining tenses with precision, building complex sentences, and starting to use passive voice, modal verbs for necessity and possibility, and verb patterns (gerund vs. infinitive). Knowing your level shapes what you study next: pushing too far ahead frustrates you; staying below your level wastes time.
Difficulty: Medium
The Medium difficulty tag marks questions and challenges in the middle of the difficulty range — typically suitable for A2 to B1 learners. Expect a single rule with realistic distractors, longer sentences, and contexts where you have to think before answering rather than reading off the obvious choice.
Filter by Medium when you're past the absolute basics and ready to consolidate. It's the level where most lasting progress happens — easy enough that you can finish without exhausting concentration, hard enough that getting it right means you've actually understood.