Communicating what someone else said is one of the most practical skills in everyday English. Whether you are writing a professional email or sharing what a friend told you, reported speech with infinitives gives you a clean, natural way to do it. Understanding the structure behind this pattern will help you sound more fluent and precise.
How does reported speech with infinitives work?
The core idea is straightforward: you are not quoting someone directly. Instead, you rephrase their words using a reporting verb followed by an infinitive [1:42]. For example, instead of saying "John said: 'I will do it if I get paid extra,'" you report it as "John agreed to do it if he got paid extra." You become the narrator, and the original speaker's words are woven into your own sentence.
Two essential grammar rules make this pattern work:
- The main reporting verb goes in the past form: asked, promised, agreed [3:10].
- The second verb takes the infinitive form (to bring, to come, to improve) [3:30].
A clear example from the lesson: "My mother asked me to bring her a soda." Here, asked is past tense and to bring is the infinitive that carries the action being reported.
Which verbs can you use to report what others say?
English offers a rich set of reporting verbs, and each one adds a slightly different meaning. Here are some of the most useful ones covered in the lesson [3:55]:
- Agreed to — shows acceptance.
- Claimed to — implies the speaker is stating something that may or may not be true.
- Hoped to — expresses a wish or expectation.
- Preferred to — indicates a choice between options.
- Promised to — communicates commitment.
- Offered to — shows willingness to do something.
- Demanded to — conveys a strong or forceful request.
- Refused to — signals rejection.
- Threatened to — warns about a negative action.
How do real-life examples look?
The lesson walks through four practical cases [4:18]:
- Obama said: "I will improve healthcare." → Reported: "Obama promised to improve healthcare."
- Marta said: "I hope we win the match." → Reported: "Marta hopes to win the match."
- The salesman said: "I can give you a 5% discount." → Reported: "The salesman offered to lower the price."
- The judge said: "I need to see the evidence." → Reported: "The judge demanded to see the evidence."
Notice how the choice of verb changes the tone of what is being reported. Offered feels polite, while demanded feels authoritative.
What does reported speech look like in a professional email?
The lesson includes a practical email exercise that shows how reported speech fits naturally into business writing [6:10]. Here is the completed version:
"Dear Mr. Johnson, the following email is to report what the client said regarding the sale of several of our machines. One of the customers demanded to see the machines working and operational before completing the purchase. Another preferred to pay in cash and decided to wait for a bigger discount. The final customer agreed to buy five of them but refused to leave any contact information. Please let me know what course of action to take for each case, as last month one customer threatened to sue the company due to delays in his order."
Why is this structure so useful?
Using reported speech with infinitives allows you to summarize conversations efficiently. In professional settings — emails, meeting notes, reports — this structure keeps your writing concise and clear. Instead of long direct quotes, you compress the message into a single, well-structured sentence.
The key takeaway is to match the right reporting verb to the speaker's intention: use agreed for acceptance, refused for rejection, threatened for warnings, and offered for willingness. Practicing with real scenarios, like the email above, helps you internalize the pattern quickly.
Try watching a short conversation — a movie scene, a podcast clip, or even a chat between friends — and practice reporting what each person said using these infinitive structures. Share your attempts in the comments!
