Name:

QSE Intermediate Grammar supplement

Class:
Unit 13

1 Language: reporting verbs

When quoting direct speech, many different verbs are used. Here are some of the most common ones:
exclaim cry laugh whisper scream shout murmur grunt
Verbs used for quoting direct speech: The same verbs in reported speech:
• ‘That was wrong of you,’ he exclaimed. • He exclaimed (that) it was wrong of her.
• ‘I’m sorry,’ the girl whispered. • The girl whispered (that) she was sorry.
Other reporting verbs follow the rules of reported speech. We say:
explain / complain / deny / admit / agree / promise / warn / demand / suggest / recommend + (that) +
verb.
• ‘It’s very dangerous,’ he said. • He warned us (that) it was very dangerous.
• ‘Why don’t you buy the car, John?’ I said. • I suggested (that) John bought the car.
Some reporting verbs are followed by to + verb. These verbs include:
offer / promise / agree / refuse.
• ‘I’ll lend you the money,’ my father offered. • My father offered to lend me the money.
Other reporting verbs are followed by someone + to. These verbs include:
invited / persuade / advise.
• ‘You should discuss it,’ said the doctor. • The doctor advised us to discuss it.
The verb suggest can be followed by should OR the subjunctive form, which is the same as the
present simple.
• ‘Ring the company,’ my friend said. • My friend suggested (that) we should ring
the company.
• My friend suggested (that) we ring the
company.
Note these structures: accuse someone of + (do)ing / apologise for + (do)ing.
• ‘I know you stole the money, Simon!’ she • She accused Simon of stealing the money.
cried.

Rewrite the sentences as reported speech using verbs from the box.
complain accuse grunt apologise deny advise admit invite suggest exclaim

1 ‘Come and stay the weekend,’ Matthew said to me. 6 My neighbour said, ‘Lock up your house,’
................ ................
2 The customer said, ‘The food isn’t hot.’ 7 The teacher said, ‘John, you’re lying.’
................ ................
3 ‘Alright, it’s true, I borrowed the car,’ said 8 ‘You could buy it,’ my father said to me.
the boy. ................
................ 9 ‘I hate school!’ exclaimed the girl.
4 The man said, ‘I’m so sorry I behaved badly.’ ................
................ 10 ‘All right, I’ll do it,’ he grunted.
5 ‘I didn’t break the window,’ the child said. ................
................

1 My score: …… out of 10

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© Brookemead Associates Ltd, 2009 BROOKEMEAD ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
 Name:
QSE Intermediate Grammar supplement
Class:
Unit 14

1 Language: the gerund and the infinitive

The gerund (verb + -ing) can be used as a noun, eg as the subject of a sentence.
• Swimming is very enjoyable. • Watching television is entertaining.
However, when a noun has a similar meaning to a gerund, we usually use the noun.
• Work has to be done. NOT Working has to be done.
The infinitive can also be used as the subject of a sentence, but it is very formal and no longer used
much. We more often use it + adjective + to.
• To go to bed early is healthy. • It’s healthy to go to bed early.
• To eat in restaurants is expensive. • It’s expensive to eat in restaurants.
Look at these different forms of the infinitive: Examples of their use:
• to (do) =ordinary infinitive • I’m so glad to see you.
• not to (do) = negative infinitive • I’m glad not to study today.
• to be (do)ing = progressive infinitive • It’s great to be talking to you.
• to have (done) = perfect infinitive • I’m happy to have finished my exams.
• (not) to be (done) = passive infinitive • I’d like to be included in the plans.
• to have been (done) = perfect passive infinitive • She ought not to have been told.
Certain adjectives can be followed by of + the infinitive:
nice kind polite rude silly good generous stupid
• It’s nice of you to visit the old lady. • It was rude of him to say you can’t come with us.
But we say: kind / polite / generous / good / generous / rude / nice to someone:
• He is very nice to the old lady. • He was very rude to you. • Please be kind to them.

Rewrite the sentences as shown using either the gerund or an infinitive form.
Sometimes both are possible.
1 It was wrong of him to do that.
He ought ............... .
2 I think the gate has been mended.
The gate seems ............... .
3 It can be risky to invest in the stock market.
............... can be risky.
4 I stupidly forgot my passport.
It was ............... .
5 It can be dangerous to ski off-piste, but many people love it.
............... dangerous but many people love it.
6 Is taking vitamin pills sometimes a good idea?
Is it a good idea ............... ?
7 Someone should clean the kitchen.
The kitchen needs ................
8 To meet you again is wonderful.
It’s ............... .
9 I’m delighted I’m working here.
I’m delighted ............... .
10 I can’t see it anywhere.
It’s ............... . 1 My score: …… out of 10

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 Name:
Grammar supplement
Class:
Unit 15 QSE Intermediate

1 Language: verbs followed by gerund or infinitive

Some verbs can be followed by the gerund (verb + ing) or the infinitive, but with a change of meaning in
each case. These verbs include: to remember / to regret / to go on / to try / to stop / to mean.
• I remember phoning him. (= I telephoned him and I remember that I did this.)
• You must remember to phone him. (= This is something you must do.)
• I regret to say / tell you / inform you that I am leaving. (= I am sorry, but I must tell you that…)
• I regret not telling the truth. (= I did not tell the truth and now I am sorry I did this.)
• The students went on talking when the teacher came in. (= The students continued talking when
the teacher came in).
• The class discussed unemployment and then went on to discuss the economy.
(= First the class discussed unemployment and then it did something else.)
• I wanted to stop smoking so I tried to smoke less each day. (= It was difficult to do this.)
• I wanted to stop smoking so I tried visiting a hypnotist. (= I used the method of hypnotism).
• I’ve stopped looking in shop windows. (= I don’t look in shop windows any more.)
• Sarah was walking home but stopped to look in a shop window. (= She stopped in order to look …)
• I didn’t mean to upset him. (= I didn’t intend to upset him).
• I don’t want to tell him if it means upsetting him. (= if the result is that he will be upset.)

Put the verbs in brackets in either the gerund or the infinitive form.
1 I stopped (talk) ............... because I could see no one was listening.
2 John stood up angrily and left the dinner table but everyone went on (eat) ............... .
3 Before you leave on holiday, remember (give) ............... our neighbour the house key.
4 Did you mean (tell) ............... him the answer?
5 The boy tried (climb) ............... the wall but it was too high.
6 Do you remember (meet) ............... the Watson family last year?
7 It was a mistake and I regret (do) ............... it.
8 I don’t remember (see) ............... him at the party.
9 If we decide to go, it will mean (leave) ............... very early.
10 The company did badly at first but went on (do) ............... very well.

1 My score: …… out of 10

202
© Brookemead Associates Ltd, 2009 BROOKEMEAD ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
 Name:
Grammar supplement
Class:
Unit 17 QSE Intermediate

1 Language: It is said that . . . / He is said to . . .

We use the phrase:
They say / believe / think (that) + verb to talk about general opinion.
• They say (that) the Prime Minister has lost his party’s support.
• They think (that) the climate is getting warmer.
To say the same thing more formally, we use the phrase:
It is said / thought / believed / known / feared / whispered (that) + verb.
• It is said (that) the actor has left his wife and family.
• It is thought (that) the Antarctic glaciers are melting.
The infinitive is used in the following very formal structure to talk about general opinion. Notice that the
infinitive form corresponds to the tense in the first sentence.
For example: the past tense… …the perfect infinitive
• The terrorists have left the country. • The terrorists are said to have left the country.
For example: future tenses… …progressive infinitive
• The Prime Minister will retire soon. • The Prime Minister is known to be retiring
soon.
Here are some more examples:
• The singer remains silent before a • The singer is said to remain silent before
performance. a performance.
• The workers have not been told. • The workers are not thought to have
been told.

Rewrite the sentences using the phrases in brackets.

1 The council will build a new road round the town. (They say)
............... .
2 He does not always tell the truth. (It is known)
............... .
3 The economy is deteriorating. (It is feared)
............... .
4 The actor will star in a film about Hitler. (is believed to)
............... .
5 The bears have left the region. (are thought to)
............... .
6 The author’s new book has been completed. (is said to)
............... .
7 The climber has been lost in the snow storm (It is thought)
............... .
8 The new group plays very popular music. (is known to)
............... .
9 It is very dangerous to go hiking alone on this mountain. (They say)
............... .
10 The scientist is working on a new invention. (is known to)
............... .

2B My score: …… out of 10

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