If you want to report a statement, you use a ‘that’-clause after a verb such as ‘say’

3   If you want to report a statement, you use a ‘that’-clause after a verb such as ‘say’.

He said that he would go.

I replied that I had not read it yet.

You often omit ‘that’ from the ‘that’-clause, but not after ‘answer’, ‘argue’, ‘explain’, or ‘reply’.

They said I had to see a doctor first.

He answered that the price would be three pounds.

You often mention the hearer after the preposition ‘to’ with the following verbs.

He complained to me that you were rude.

4   ‘Tell’ and some other reporting verbs are also used with a 'that'-clause, but with these verbs you have to mention the hearer as the object of the verb.

He told me that he was a farmer.

I informed her that I could not come.

The word ‘that’ is often omitted after ‘tell’.

I told them you were at the dentist.

You can also mention the hearer as the object of the verb with ‘promise’ and ‘warn’.

I promised her that I wouldn't be late.

5   Note the differences between ‘say’ and ‘tell’. You cannot use ‘say’ with the hearer as the object of the verb. You cannot say ‘I said them you had gone’. You cannot use ‘tell’ without the hearer as the object of the verb. You cannot say ‘I told that you had gone’. You cannot use ‘tell’ with ‘to’ and the hearer. You cannot say ‘I told to them you had gone’.

6   The reporting verbs that have the hearer as object, such as ‘tell’, can be used in the passive.

She was told that there were no tickets left.

Most reporting verbs that do not need the hearer as object, such as ‘say’, can be used in the passive with impersonal ‘it’ as subject, but not ‘answer’, ‘complain’, ‘insist’, ‘promise’, ‘reply’, or ‘warn’.

It was said that the money had been stolen.

¨    When reporting an order, a request, or a piece of advice, the reported clause is a 'to'-infinitive clause, used after an object

¨    When reporting a question, the reported clause is an 'if-clause or a 'wh'-word clause

¨    Many reporting verbs refer to people's thoughts and feelings

1   If you want to report an order a request or a piece of advice you use a ‘to’-infinitive clause after a reporting verb such as ‘tell’ ‘ask’ or ‘advise’. You mention the hearer as the object of the verb before the ‘to’-infinitive clause.

Johnson told her to wake him up.

He ordered me to fetch the books.

He asked her to marry him.

He advised me to buy it.

If the order request or advice is negative you put ‘not’ before the ‘to’-infinitive.

He had ordered his officers not to use weapons.

She asked her staff not to discuss it publicly.

Doctors advised him not to play for three weeks.

If the subject of the ‘to’-infinitive clause is the same as the subject of the main verb you can use ‘ask’ or ‘beg’ to report a request without mentioning the hearer.

I asked to see the manager.

Both men begged not to be named.