The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar with Exercises

Reporting verb + THAT-clause

VERB + THAT-CLAUSE

Examples of reporting verbs used with a that-clause:

add, admit, agree, answer, believe, claim, complain, confess, confirm, decide, deny, doubt, explain, feel, hope, insist, mention, promise, repeat, reply, say, suggest

Employee: ... and so far I haven't received a negative response to my work.

The employee

added

that up to that point he hadn't received a negative response to his work.

George: Well, I had difficulty answering some of the questions.

George

admitted

that he had had difficulty answering some of the questions.

Chris: Yes, it was a great film.

Chris

agreed

that the film was great.

Matthew: Do you want to have a cup of coffee sometime?

Joanna: Sorry, but you're not my type.

When Matthew asked her out, Joanna

answered/replied

that he was not her type.

Rev. Johansson: All humans are born equal.

Reverend Johansson

believes

that all humans are born equal.

Julie to her neighbour's wife: You may not believe me, but I saw your husband with a blonde girl in the disco on Saturday.

Julie

claimed

that she had seen her neighbour with a blonde girl in the disco on Saturday.

Student to his friend: I hate having to write tons of essays every semester.

The student

complained

that he had to write a lot of essays.

Julie to her neighbour: Yes, it was me who started that ugly rumour about you. I'm sorry.

Julie

confessed

that she had started an ugly rumour about her neighbour.

Secretary to a colleague: That's right, the meeting is on Tuesday.

The secretary

confirmed

that the meeting was on Tuesday.

Customer: I don't think I'll buy this notebook after all.

The customer

decided

that he wouldn't buy the notebook.

Francesco: No, I didn't bump your car.

Francesco

denied

that he had bumped my car.

Student: I don't think that we could convince the professor that this is not plagiarism.

The student

doubted

that they could convince the professor that it was not plagiarism.

Jill: I can make fire with a stick. You know, my father taught me how to do it when I was a child.

Jill

explained

that her father had taught her how to make fire with a stick when she was a child.

Alex: Well, I think we should back her up in this terrible situation.

Alex

felt

that they should back her up in that terrible situation.

Chef: I hope nobody will notice that this is not turkey but pork.

The chef

was hoping

that nobody would notice that it was not turkey but pork.

Secretary to boss: I'm absolutely sure that I shredded those documents.

The secretary

insisted

that she had shredded the documents.

Tom: Once I get back to school, I'm going to take up swimming again.

Tom

mentioned

that he was going to take up swimming again.

David: I will be on time, I promise.

David

promised

that he would be on time.

Wife to husband: As I've told you before, I'd like to invite Dan and Margaret as well.

The wife

repeated

that she wanted to invite Dan and Margaret as well.

Camila: It may have been Mario who bumped your car.

Camila

suggested

that it might have been Mario who had bumped my car.