The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar with Exercises

Reporting statements

REPORTING CLAUSE + THAT-CLAUSE

When we report a statement, we often use a that-clause after the reporting clause:

Tom:

I don't know her.

Tom told me

that he didn't know her

.

That is often omitted after certain reporting verbs in informal styles:

Tom told me

he didn't know her

.

Examples of reporting verbs used to report statements:

add, admit, agree, announce, answer, argue, boast, claim, comment, complain, confirm, deny, doubt, estimate, exclaim, explain, fear, insist, mention, observe, promise, propose, remark, repeat, reply, report, reveal, be rumoured, say, state, suggest, suppose, tell, warn

Related topics:

SAY, TELL and ASK