Reporting & Quoted Speech Verbs 

Example Sentences with Past Tense Reporting Verbs


Acknowledged 
Mr. Lee acknowledged the limitations of the article’s main argument.

Added
The anthropology professor added a few more comments on historical analysis.

Alerted 
Atmospheric scientists alerted the government agency about the new ozone data.

Analyzed 
Actuaries analyzed the insurance claims for the previous 5 years.

Announced
The Nobel Foundation announced the Nobel Laureates in Economics, Peace, Literature, Chemistry, Physics, and Medicine.

Apologized
The speech writer apologized for plagiarizing certain key phrases.

Argued
In 1954, lawyers argued the Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka case at the Supreme Court.

Asked
The students asked useful questions while reviewing for the final exam.

Asserted
Some people asserted that it is too complicated to recycle, but most people realize it is simple.

Attributed
The article on mythology attributed the “follow your bliss” quote to Joseph Campbell.      

Believed
Before Columbus, most people believed the earth was flat rather than round.      

Challenged 
The plaintiff’s lawyer challenged the decision in an appellate court.

Claimed
Some other people claimed that they were the first to climb the mountain.

Clarified
Through reading and writing, the literature students clarified their understanding of the poem.

Commented
The researchers commented on their findings for the human genome project.

Compared
The psychologists compared the twin studies with other sibling data to determine the influence of nature versus nurture.

Concluded
The lecturer concluded with a review of the cinematic concepts discussed in class that day.

Contended
The losers contended that the game had been fixed and the score was invalid.

Deduced
Characters in the whodunit play incorrectly deduced the one who had done it.

Debated
The leaders debated the ideal health care reform plan.

Defined
As required, the researchers defined the parameters of their upcoming study.        

Described
The job applicant described his relevant experience and educational background.  

Discounted
The financial advisors discounted this month’s unemployment figures as an anomaly in a bullish economy.

Discussed
The volunteers discussed creative ways to raise money and awareness. 

Emphasized
Dr. Patel, a medical statistician, emphasized the importance of accurate and timely data.

Equated
That poem equated love to the ocean because both are deep and vastly unknowable.

Explained
The city planners explained that building a train would ease traffic.

Extolled
The nutritionist extolled the benefits of eating a healthy diet and exercising.

Expressed
At the book signing, Harry Potter fans expressed their enthusiasm for all the HP books. 

Forecasted
Meteorologists forecasted a snowy winter and an early spring.

Foretold
In the early1800s, Chief Seattle foretold many of the present-day events.

Guessed
Surveyors guessed that the age of the rocks were younger than the carbon dating ultimately showed.      

Highlighted
The emcee highlighted the main accomplishments of the plenary speaker.       

Identified
The etymologists identified the linguistic origin of those 1,000 words. 

Interpreted
Archeologists and linguists interpreted the ancient tablets as important.

Interviewed
The journalist interviewed over 30 local residents for the article on community building.

Justified
In the courtroom, the defendant justified his actions.

Listed
The reporter listed the counties affected by the tornado warning.       

Mandated
Congress mandated that by February 2009 all television broadcasts will use digital television (DTV).

Mentioned
The librarian mentioned at least 5 other relevant journals.

Ordered
The president of the company ordered that arbitration take place before a strike.

Offered
Dr. Smith, an epidemiologist, offered a new interpretation of the data.

Predicted
Doctors predicted the patient would make a full recovery.

Promised
The candidates promised to improve the situation.

Proved
Mathematicians proved the theorem is valid.

Questioned
The teacher questioned the students' understanding of the Socratic Method.

Quoted
The playwright quoted Confucius, “A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”

Read
The poet read his poem at the party. 

Recommended
Both job interviewers recommended that the applicant be hired.

Refuted
Copernicus refuted the theory that the earth is in the center of the solar system.

Related
Each storyteller related their own version of the fairy tale.

Reported
At the board of directors meeting Mr. Jones, the chief financial officer (CFO), reported on the expenses incurred during the fiscal year. 

Requested
Audience members at the concert requested two encores.

Restated
During the review, the students restated some key ideas to make sure they understood the material.

Said
Ms. Garcia said the literary essay would count 25% of the grade.

Sang
The musicians sang every verse of the song.

Spoke
The valedictorian spoke to the graduating class.

Stressed
Visitors to the area stressed the importance of continuing to support the survivors of this natural disaster.

Suggested
The librarian suggested searching in a few more databases that specialize in English literature.

Surmised
Economists surmised the causes were interrelated.

Thought
Philosophers such as Plato thought about how form related to substance.

Told
The museum curator told the story of each piece of artwork.

Warned
Climatologists warned the people living coastal areas about the effects of global warming.

Welcomed
The principal welcomed the high school freshman class.

Wondered
The marine biologist wondered about the impact of overfishing on the fish population.