Three ways of reporting what someone said about themselves:

• "My sister admitted forgetting my birthday." (a reluctant confession)
• "He claimed to have sent the invoice twice." (you're not fully convinced)
• "The company denied that it had leaked the data." (rejecting an accusation)

Before you check: what comes straight after each of these three verbs — and is it always the same kind of word?

1. At the garage, the driver finally says: "Okay, fine — I did skip the last two services."

Tell the story: The driver admitted the last two services.

2. A driver at the parking machine insists: "I already paid for this space!" The attendant isn't convinced — the machine shows no payment.

Tell the story: The driver claimed for the parking, but the machine showed no payment.

3. My flatmate and I argued about the noise from upstairs for twenty minutes. In the end, they stopped resisting and agreed I had a point.

Tell the story: My flatmate finally that I had a point.

• "The doctor advised him to rest for a week."
• "She warned us not to be late."
• "My friend urged me to apply for the job."

What always sits between the reporting verb and "to" here?

• "He insisted that she take the money."
• "The doctor suggested that he cut down on salt."
• "The doctor suggested cutting down on salt."

Look at "take" and "cut" in the first two. Why isn't it "takes" or "he cuts", given the subjects are "she" and "he"?

1. A colleague tells you: "You really should back up your files before the update."

Report it: My colleague advised me my files before the update.

2. The lawyer tells you firmly: "Don't sign anything until I've checked it."

Report it: The lawyer warned us anything until she'd checked it.

3. My colleagues told our boss firmly: "He's exhausted — give him the afternoon off."

Report it: My colleagues insisted that he the afternoon off.

• "Where do you live?" → She asked me where I lived.
• "Are you coming tonight?" → He asked if I was coming that night.
• "Turn off the lights before you leave." → The manager told us to turn off the lights before we left.

Look at the first two. What happens to the word order, and to "do/are"?

1. At the garage, I ask: "How much will the repair cost?"

Report it: I asked the mechanic how much the repair .

2. The electrician tells us firmly: "Don't touch that wire — it's live!"

Report it: The electrician told us the wire because it was live.

3. In the lesson, the teacher said: "Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius." That's still true every time you switch on the kettle.

Report it: The teacher explained that water at 100 degrees Celsius.

Think of a real conversation from the last few weeks — an argument, a piece of advice, some news, an awkward exchange with a landlord, a colleague, a friend or family member. (If nothing comes to mind, invent one.)

Tell the whole story out loud for one minute. Try to include:

• something someone claimed, admitted, denied, conceded, argued or pointed out
• something someone advised, warned or urged you to do — or insisted on
• a question someone asked you, or something they told you to do
• one thing they said that's still true today

Write a short message (3–5 sentences) to a friend, retelling the same conversation. Try to use: one attitude-revealing verb (claimed/admitted/denied/conceded/argued/pointed out), one "someone + to" pattern (advised/urged/warned/told someone to), and one "insisted/suggested that..." or a reported question. The checker will tell you which it finds.

1. "She denied to have taken the file."

2. "My manager suggested me to take a break."

3. "The officer insisted that he shows his ticket."

4. "She asked me did I finish the report."

5. Your colleague says something you know isn't true, and you're skeptical. "He ___ that he'd sent the invoice, but I never received anything."

6. Your doctor mentions it gently, almost in passing — no urgency at all. "My doctor ___ that I eat more vegetables."

7. Direct question: "Why were you late?" — "She asked me ___ I was late."

1. "This bread is delicious," she said. Report it: She said (that) the bread delicious.

2. Say it out loud: name two reporting verbs that both roughly mean "said", but where one signals you believe the speaker and the other signals doubt.

3. At passport control, the tourist finally says: "Okay, yes — I did overstay my visa by two weeks."

Report it: The tourist admitted his visa by two weeks.

4. My sister keeps telling me: "You should really apply for that promotion."

Report it: My sister has been urging me for that promotion.

5. At the interview, they asked: "Why do you want to leave your current job?"

Report it: They asked me why I to leave my current job.

Which practice helped you most today — fixing the mistakes, choosing the right verb for the attitude, or telling your own story? Say why you think that one worked for you.