Enhancing Your Reporting Statements: A Comprehensive Guide

When we report statements, we often use a that-clause in the reported clause.

Standard Usage:

• Using 'that':
  • He said (that) he was enjoying his work.
  • The members of the Security Council warned that further action may be taken.

Omission of 'that':

After more common reporting verbs such as agree, mention, notice, promise, say, and think, 'that' can often be omitted, particularly in informal speech. However, it is less likely to be left out:

• Formal Writing or After Less Common Verbs:

  • She complained (that) the service was slow.
  • He denied (that) he had stolen the money.
  • They warned (that) the situation could escalate.

• After Common Verbs, but Formal:

  • She declared (that) she would run for president.
  • He speculated (that) the price of oil would rise.

Alternative Structures:

Some reporting verbs have an alternative with an object + to-infinitive (often to be), although these are often more formal:

• With Object + to-Infinitive:
  • I felt the results to be satisfactory.
  • They declared the vote to be invalid.

Verbs like acknowledge, assume, believe, consider, expect, find, presume, report, think, and understand follow similar patterns.

Object Placement:

• With Notify and Similar Verbs:

  • I notified the bank that I had changed my address.

  Note: If using a that-clause after 'notify' in an active form, an object must be included between the verb and the that-clause, and this object can't be a prepositional object.

• With Advise, Promise, Show, Teach, Warn:

  • He advised (me) to take the job.

  • She promised (us) to come early.

  • They showed (him) how to do it.

  • He warned (them) not to go there.

  Note: An object before a that-clause is not always necessary with these verbs.

Object Usage with Prepositions:

After some verbs, we can use a that-clause with or without a personal object before the that-clause. However, if we include an object, we put a preposition before it:

• With 'To':

  • She admitted (to me) that she was seriously ill.
  • I pointed out (to the driver) that he had parked across the entrance.

  Verbs include announce, complain, confess, explain, indicate, mention, propose, recommend, report, say, and suggest.

• With 'With':

  • We agreed (with Susan) that the information should go no further.
  • I checked (with them) that they were free on Thursday.

  Verbs include argue, disagree, and joke.

• With 'Of':

  • The club asks (of its members) that they pay their fees by 31 December.
  • The company demands (of its staff) that they should be at work by 8.30.

  This pattern is usually used in formal contexts. Less formally, we can use a to-infinitive clause after ask and require (e.g., The club asks its members to pay their fees by 31st December). However, we can't use a to-infinitive clause after 'demand'.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

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