Admit, deny, accuse

  • B2 · Upper-intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min
  • reporting verbs

Reporting verbs and their patterns: refuse to, advise someone to, deny and admit + -ing, accuse someone of, insist on, suggest that (He denied taking a single dollar, and she accused him of lying). The student reads a restaurant manager's report on missing tips, matches what people said with the report, and reports a neighbors' argument as a mediator.

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admitteddeniedaccused … of

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2In this lesson
  3. 3Reading: the missing tipsReading comprehension
  4. 4What did they say?Grammar exercise
  5. 5Find the reporting verbsGrammar exercise
  6. 6Reporting verbs and their patternsGrammar rule
  7. 7Match the reportsGrammar exercise
  8. 8Which pattern?Grammar exercise
  9. 9Report itGrammar exercise
  10. 10Find the mistakeGrammar exercise
  11. 11Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  12. 12The neighborsSpeaking practice
  13. 13About youGrammar exercise
  14. 14Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: the canceled field tripGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: which report is correct?Grammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: build the reportsGrammar exercise
  4. 4Homework: write it upDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. Have you ever worked in a restaurant, a café or a store? What was the hardest part?
  2. Do people in your country usually leave a tip in a restaurant? How much?
  3. When two people disagree at work or at home, who usually sorts it out?

Grammar rule

Reporting verbs and their patterns

PatternVerbsExample
+ to + verbrefuse, agree, offer, promiseThe bank refused to lend us the money.
+ someone + to + verbadvise, tell, ask, remind, warnThe ranger advised us to stay on the trail.
+ -ingdeny, admit (also admit to + -ing)She admitted reading my messages.
+ someone + of + -ingaccuseMy aunt accused the plumber of overcharging her.
+ on + -inginsistMy trainer insists on stretching before every run.
+ for + -ingapologize (to someone)The airline apologized for losing our luggage.
+ that + someone + base verbsuggest (also recommend)Our dentist suggested that my son wear a mouth guard.
+ (that) + clausedeny, admit, insist, agreeHe admitted that he had never read the book.

How we use them

  • A reporting verb tells us what the speaker did, not only what they said: "I didn't do it!" → He denied doing it. "You did it!" → She accused him of doing it.
  • The negative goes before the verb in the pattern: She warned us not to touch the paint. He admitted not checking. They accused the club of not paying its players.
  • For an earlier action, you can also use having + past participle: He denied having taken it.

Watch out

  • suggest never takes someone + to: I suggest you to call → I suggest that you call, or I suggest calling.
  • deny and admit take -ing, not to: She denied to know him → She denied knowing him.
  • accuse someone of, not for or with. (blame someone for is a different verb.)
  • insist on + -ing, not insist to: He insisted on waiting.
  • In American English, after suggest that, the base verb for every person: I suggest that she wait. (should wait is also fine.)

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