Reporting Verbs Patterns

Friday, 17^th March 2017

Lingua e traduzione inglese I

(Monolingue)

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This paragraph describes how the commonest reporting verbs are structured:

to admit (to) doing sth/ + that clause: “ammettere di fare [qlcs]”

Philips openly admits to having an alcohol problem.
Philips openly admits having an alcohol problem.
Philips openly admits that he has an alcohol problem.

to apologise (AmE: apologize) [sb] for doing [sth]: “perdonare [qlcn] di fare [qlcs]”

I apologise my wife for having been unfaithful with me

to deny doing [sth]/ that-clause: “negare di fare [qlcs]”

She denies owing rent money to her greedy roommate.
She denies that she owes rent money to her greedy roommate.

to insist on doing [sth]: “insistere nel fare [qlcs]”

The strikers are insisting on higher wages.

to offer to do [sth] for [sb]: “offrirsi di fare [qlcs] per [qlcn]”

I offer to carry the old lady’s shopping bag for her.

to recommend doing [sth] to [sb]/that [sb] should do [sth]: “consigliare di fare [qlcs] a [qlcn]"

I recommend calling a plumber to you.
I recommend that you should call a plumber.

to refuse to do [sth]: “rifiutarsi di fare [qlcs]”

The child refused to eat his spinach.

to remind [sb] to do [sth]: “ricordare a [qlcn] di fare [qlcs]”

Remind me to call mom at 5pm, please.

to warn [sb] not to do [sth]/ [sb] against doing [sth]/ that-clause: “avvertire [qlcn] di non fare [qlcs]”

I warned him not to get too drunk.
I warned him against getting too drunk.
I warned him that I must not get too drunk.

Grammatical rule

When the gerund has a different subject to the main subject of the sentence, use the object (pronoun) or possessive form:

I insist on him/Mario speaking English in class.
I insist on his/Mario’s speaking English in class.

Instead in the next example the gerund has the same subject as the main verb:

I insist on speaking English in class.

Pay attention to time communication:

I denied stealing the cake.
I denied having stolen the cake.

So: gerund to express past is having + past participle.

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