Unit 11: The diary of a double agent
Reported speech
Select a unit
- 1Pop-ups
- 2Hidden talents
- 3Can't buy me love
- 4Travellers' tales
- 5The colleague from hell
- 6Jurassic mystery: unpacking the past
- 7Career changes
- 8Art
- 9Project management
- 10The dog ate my homework!
- 11The diary of a double agent
- 12Fashion forward
- 13Flat pack skyscrapers
- 14Extreme sports
- 15Food fads
- 16Me, my selfie and I
- 17Endangered animals
- 18A nip and a tuck: cosmetic surgery
- 19I'm really sorry...
- 20Telling stories
- 21Fakes and phrasals
- 22Looking to the future
- 23Becoming familiar with things
- 24From rags to riches
- 25Against the odds
- 26Our future on Mars?
- 27Where is it illegal to get a fish drunk?
- 28Dodgy dating
- 29Annoying advice
- 30I'll have been studying English for thirty weeks
Session 1
Insist, demand and advise are all reporting verbs. Learn how and why we use this kind of verb in 6 Minute Vocabulary, then do lots of practice exercises to test yourself.
Activity 2
Time to practise
I can't deny it...
In 6 Minute Vocabulary we learned these useful reporting verbs: deny, admit, apologise, insist, suggest, advise, demand and offer.
We use them to talk about what someone has said. They're used more often in writing than speaking, and are especially common in journalism.
For example, a recent news story about the British economy said:
As the chancellor presented the first Conservative Budget in 20 years, he insisted that Britain had "turned a corner".
In other words, the chancellor said firmly that Britain had "turned a corner" (come out of a difficult situation). We often use insist when we know that not everyone agrees with what we are saying.
ፅሁፉን ያንብቡና ቀጣዩን ክንውን ይሞክሩ

To do
To test how well you understand these verbs, you're going to complete some quotes adapted from BBC news stories. Think about what each sentence means and choose the most appropriate verb.
News quotes
8 Questions
Choose the correct reporting verb to complete these quotes adapted from BBC news stories
ድጋፍ
Activity
Choose the correct reporting verb to complete these quotes adapted from BBC news stories
ፍንጭ
If you make a mistake you should say so, even if you don't want to...Question 1 of 8
ድጋፍ
Activity
Choose the correct reporting verb to complete these quotes adapted from BBC news stories
ፍንጭ
These residents aren't happy. They're asking in a strong way.Question 2 of 8
ድጋፍ
Activity
Choose the correct reporting verb to complete these quotes adapted from BBC news stories
ፍንጭ
The stars of One Direction are happy to meet the girl.Question 3 of 8
ድጋፍ
Activity
Choose the correct reporting verb to complete these quotes adapted from BBC news stories
ፍንጭ
It sounds like not everyone agrees. In this situation, if you believe something is true you need to say it firmly.Question 4 of 8
ድጋፍ
Activity
Choose the correct reporting verb to complete these quotes adapted from BBC news stories
ፍንጭ
The government is saying that people should stay out of the hot sun.Question 5 of 8
ድጋፍ
Activity
Choose the correct reporting verb to complete these quotes adapted from BBC news stories
ፍንጭ
Tennis player Novak Djokovic appeared to shout at a girl. He's feeling bad and wants to say...?Question 6 of 8
ድጋፍ
Activity
Choose the correct reporting verb to complete these quotes adapted from BBC news stories
ፍንጭ
The speaker believes that chemicals are affecting the environment.Question 7 of 8
ድጋፍ
Activity
Choose the correct reporting verb to complete these quotes adapted from BBC news stories
ፍንጭ
The scientist isn't being too direct or firm in his way of speaking.Question 8 of 8
Excellent!Great job!መጥፎ እድል ነጥብ አስመዝግበዋል :
Next
Well done. One more thing to learn is which words come after these verbs. Do we say advise to or advise that? Find out in the next activity.
Session Vocabulary
deny
to say that something is not true, especially when other people are saying it isadmit
to say that something is true, although you don’t want to say thisapologise for
to say that you are sorry for something that you have doneinsist
to say firmly that something is or isn’t correct, when other people are saying the oppositesuggest (meaning one)
to tell someone your ideas about what to do, where to go, etc.suggest (meaning two)
to say something is true but not in a strong or direct wayadvise
to tell someone what you think they should do, in a polite waydemand
to ask for something very firmly or aggressivelyoffer
to say that you are willing to do something