English — reporting verbs and their patterns
When reporting what someone said, each verb takes a fixed complement. Some verbs are followed by -ing (admit doing), some by a to-infinitive (offer to help), some by an object plus to-infinitive (remind me to call), and some by a preposition plus -ing (apologize for being late). Choosing the wrong pattern is a common B2 error.
How it works
The verb, not the meaning, fixes the pattern. Suggest and admit take -ing (She suggested leaving early; He admitted breaking it). Offer, promise and refuse take a to-infinitive (They offered to help; She refused to answer). Warn and remind take an object first (I reminded her to lock the door; They warned us not to go). Accuse uses of and apologize uses for, both with -ing (He accused me of lying; She apologized for arriving late).
Examples
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| suggest + -ing | She suggested taking a break. |
| admit + -ing | He admitted stealing the money. |
| offer / promise / refuse + to | They offered to drive us home. |
| promise + to | I promised to call her back. |
| warn / remind + object + to | She reminded me to bring my passport. |
| warn + object + not to | They warned us not to touch it. |
| accuse + object + of + -ing | He accused her of cheating. |
| apologize + for + -ing | She apologized for being late. |
Good to know
Watch the object slot. Warn and remind need an object before to (remind me to call — not remind to call), while offer and promise do not (offer to help). After a preposition, only the -ing form is possible: write She apologized for being late, never She apologized for be late. Suggest never takes an object plus to-infinitive: say He suggested that I wait or He suggested waiting, not He suggested me to wait.