In informal spoken reports, say, think and ask are the most common reporting verbs. These verbs can go before sentences or between clauses.
- She asked me what I was doing there.
- He said that he wouldn’t go.
- I thought that it was funny.
A much wider variety of reporting verbs are also available in English. If you repeat the reporting verbs say and think, your writing and speech will become boring after a while.
The reporting verbs given in this lesson are not very common, but they are quite useful.
To say something suddenly
Use a reporting verb like blurt, exclaim or snap to suggest that somebody said something suddenly.
Blurt
To blurt something out is to say something suddenly without thinking about the consequences.
- She blurted out his name.
To snap is to speak to someone in a sudden, angry way.
- ‘Who do you think you are?’ he snapped angrily.
Exclaim
To exclaim is to say something suddenly and loudly, especially because you are surprised, impressed, upset, angry etc
- ‘Hurrah!’ Jack exclaimed. ‘We’ve won!’
Giving advice, opinion etc.
Some common reporting verbs used to give advice or express your opinion are: advise, argue, caution, note, observe, warn etc.
- The mother cautioned the child to be careful while crossing the road.
- The teacher warned the students to be extra careful while handling harmful chemicals.
Say loudly
The following reporting verbs can be used to suggest that somebody said something loudly: exclaim, bellow, call, cry, scream, shout, yell
Bellow
To bellow is to shout something loudly.
- ‘I won’t go!’ he bellowed.
Scream
To scream is to make a loud cry because you are frightened or hurt.
- When he saw a dark figure moving towards him, the boy screamed in horror.
Yell
To yell is to say something in a loud voice.
- Why are you yelling at me?
Shout
To shout is to say something loudly.
- He shouted that he was busy.