Verbs form a vital component of the English language - they are one of the parts of speech that define it. Verbs are the action part of the basic communicating tool – the sentence. A sentence is not complete without a verb and a noun in it. Thus, the verb is one of the most important elements of the language. One of the places where verbs are useful is in reported direct or indirect speech. These are called reporting verbs and this is the first of two High English quizzes which will help you to understand their use.
We have learnt in the past various properties of verbs and the way to use them in sentences. Verbs, besides being action verbs, also indicate tense and need to be in agreement with the subject of the sentence. Reporting verbs are an important element in reported speech and they are used effectively to convey a wealth of meaning to the communication. Reporting verbs are used both in direct and indirect speech. The usefulness of reporting verbs can be seen in the following examples of indirect speech: