REPORTING VERBS (suggest / advise / offer) (B1 Grammar)

Not all reported speech uses 'said' or 'told'. Verbs like advise, offer, promise, and suggest report HOW someone spoke — but each one needs a different pattern.

Quick tip: advise/tell/ask + sb + to. offer/promise/agree + to. suggest/recommend + that... or -ing (never 'to').

advise / tell / ask + someone + to

These verbs name a person, then use to + base verb.

offer / promise / agree / refuse + to

These verbs use to + base verb, with no person in between.

suggest / recommend + that... or -ing

These verbs do NOT use 'to'. Use that + clause, or the -ing form. Never 'suggest someone to'.

Common mistakes

Practise it

Ask which verb it is: advise/tell/ask need a person + to; offer/promise just take to; suggest/recommend take that... or -ing.