Advanced Reported Speech

At C1, reported speech is no longer about backshifting tenses — it is about choosing the right reporting verb and following its grammatical pattern. Each reporting verb (suggest, advise, accuse, deny, urge, threaten) carries a fixed structure: some take an object plus to + V, some take an object plus of + V-ing, some take a bare gerund. Mastering these patterns turns flat, repetitive she said that… reports into precise, formal-register prose.

The committee urged her to reconsider. (urge + obj + to + V) He apologised for missing the meeting. (apologise for + V-ing) They were accused of falsifying the data. (accuse + obj + of + V-ing)

Pattern 1: Verb + to + Infinitive

These verbs report a decision, refusal, offer, promise, or threat made by the subject. No object is needed — the subject acts on themselves.

Verb	Example
`agree to + V`	She agreed to attend the conference.
`refuse to + V`	He refused to comment on the report.
`offer to + V`	They offered to pay half the cost.
`promise to + V`	I promised to call as soon as I arrived.
`threaten to + V`	The minister threatened to resign.
`decide to + V`	We decided to postpone the launch.
`claim to + V`	She claims to have read every page.

Threaten and promise can also be used in the perfect: He threatened to have left without us is wrong, but He threatened to leave and She has promised to come are correct.

Pattern 2: Verb + Object + to + Infinitive

These verbs require a direct object (the person who is told, asked, or advised) before the to-infinitive. They are common in formal reporting of advice, requests, warnings, and instructions.

Verb	Example
`advise + obj + to + V`	The doctor advised him to rest.
`urge + obj + to + V`	The committee urged her to reconsider.
`encourage + obj + to + V`	She encouraged us to apply.
`persuade + obj + to + V`	He persuaded them to accept the offer.
`warn + obj + (not) to + V`	The guide warned us not to drink the water.
`remind + obj + to + V`	I reminded him to lock the door.
`ask + obj + to + V`	They asked me to wait outside.
`order / instruct + obj + to + V`	The captain ordered the crew to abandon ship.
`forbid + obj + to + V`	The court forbade her to leave the country.
`invite + obj + to + V`	The university invited her to give a lecture.

A negative request uses not to + V: He asked me not to mention his name.

Pattern 3: Verb + V-ing (Gerund)

These verbs report admissions, denials, suggestions, and continuations. They take a bare gerund with no object and no preposition.

Verb	Example
`admit (to) + V-ing`	He admitted (to) lying on his application.
`deny + V-ing`	She denied taking the documents.
`suggest + V-ing`	I suggested moving the meeting.
`recommend + V-ing`	The agent recommended booking early.
`propose + V-ing`	They proposed reducing the budget.
`consider + V-ing`	The board is considering selling the division.
`regret + V-ing`	She regrets quitting her job.

A frequent C1 trap: suggest and recommend never take to + V.

Avoid	Use
She suggested to leave early.	She suggested leaving early.
He recommended me to go.	He recommended (that) I go.

Suggest can also take a that-clause with the subjunctive (I suggest that he resign) — see the C1 lesson on the Subjunctive.

Pattern 4: Verb + Preposition + V-ing

These verbs take a fixed preposition before a gerund. Memorise the preposition with the verb.

Verb + preposition	Example
`apologise for + V-ing`	He apologised for missing the meeting.
`insist on + V-ing`	She insisted on paying for everyone.
`complain about + V-ing`	They complained about being kept waiting.
`boast about + V-ing`	He boasted about winning the prize.
`confess to + V-ing`	She confessed to taking the file.
`object to + V-ing`	The board objected to changing the policy.
`dream of + V-ing`	She dreams of becoming a violinist.

Confess differs from admit: admit can drop to (admit lying), but confess always keeps it (confess to lying).

Pattern 5: Verb + Object + Preposition + V-ing

These verbs take both a direct object and a fixed preposition before the gerund. They are characteristic of formal, especially legal and journalistic, reporting.

Verb + obj + preposition	Example
`accuse + obj + of + V-ing`	She accused him of lying.
`blame + obj + for + V-ing`	They blamed us for losing the contract.
`congratulate + obj + on + V-ing`	I congratulated her on passing the exam.
`criticise + obj + for + V-ing`	The press criticised the minister for failing to act.
`forgive + obj + for + V-ing`	She forgave him for forgetting her birthday.
`praise + obj + for + V-ing`	The judges praised her for designing the prototype.
`prevent + obj + from + V-ing`	The storm prevented us from leaving.
`stop + obj + (from) + V-ing`	Nothing stops her (from) trying again.
`suspect + obj + of + V-ing`	The police suspect him of stealing the keys.
`thank + obj + for + V-ing`	She thanked the audience for coming.
`warn + obj + against + V-ing`	The lawyer warned them against speaking to journalists.

In the passive, this pattern is extremely common in news writing: He has been accused of falsifying records, She was praised for her courage.

Choosing the Verb

The reporting verb itself does much of the work — it tells the reader how something was said, not just what. Compare these neutral and rich versions:

Neutral	Richer
She said she was sorry for missing the meeting.	She apologised for missing the meeting.
He said I should rest.	He advised me to rest.
They said they did not do it.	They denied doing it.
She said he had stolen the file.	She accused him of stealing the file.
He said he would not go.	He refused to go.

Use the rich version in formal writing whenever the meaning of the verb is precise.

Tense Backshift Reminder

After a past reporting verb, tenses usually shift back one step. The reporting verb pattern (gerund or to-infinitive) is independent of backshift — backshift only affects that-clauses.

Direct	Reported (gerund/infinitive)	Reported (that-clause, backshift)
“I’m sorry for being late.”	She apologised for being late.	She said (that) she was sorry for being late.
”Don’t tell anyone.”	He warned me not to tell anyone.	He said (that) I shouldn’t tell anyone.
”I didn’t take the file.”	She denied taking the file.	She said (that) she hadn’t taken the file.

Common Mistakes

Avoid	Use	Why
She suggested to leave early.	She suggested leaving early.	Suggest takes a gerund, not to + V.
He recommended me to apply.	He recommended that I apply / recommended applying.	Recommend takes a gerund or a that-clause, not obj + to + V.
They accused him to steal the file.	They accused him of stealing the file.	Accuse takes of + V-ing.
She apologised to be late.	She apologised for being late.	Apologise takes for + V-ing.
He insisted to pay.	He insisted on paying.	Insist takes on + V-ing.
She denied to take it.	She denied taking it.	Deny takes a gerund.
He warned me to not enter.	He warned me not to enter.	Not goes before to in the negative infinitive.
She advised that I to rest.	She advised me to rest.	Advise + obj + to + V (or advise + that + subjunctive).
They blamed him to lose.	They blamed him for losing.	Blame takes for + V-ing.
He congratulated me to pass.	He congratulated me on passing.	Congratulate takes on + V-ing.

Practice: Exercises

1 / 15

The doctor advised ___ for at least a week.

Summary

C1 reported speech is pattern-driven. Memorise each verb with its frame:

Verb + to + V: agree, refuse, offer, promise, threaten, decide, claim.
Verb + obj + to + V: advise, urge, encourage, persuade, warn, remind, ask, order, forbid, invite.
Verb + V-ing: admit, deny, suggest, recommend, propose, consider, regret.
Verb + preposition + V-ing: apologise for, insist on, complain about, confess to, object to, dream of.
Verb + obj + preposition + V-ing: accuse of, blame for, congratulate on, criticise for, prevent from, suspect of, thank for, warn against.

Choose the verb whose meaning matches the original utterance, then follow its frame. Avoid the classic traps — suggest to do, recommend someone to do, accuse someone to do, apologise to be — and your reported speech will read with the precision expected at C1.