Reporting & Quoted Speech Verbs

Past Tense Verb Example Sentences

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

Added The anthropology professor added a few more comments on historical

(añadir) analysis.

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

Analyzed (analizar) Actuaries analyzed the insurance claims for the previous 5 years.

Announced The Nobel Foundation announced the Nobel Laureates in Economics,

(anunciar) Peace, Literature, Chemistry, Physics, and Medicine.

Apologized (disculparse) The speech writer apologized for plagiarizing certain key phrases.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Concluded The lecturer concluded with a review of the cinematic concepts

(concluir) discussed in class that day.

Contended The losers contended that the game had been fixed and the score was
(contener) invalid.
 Deduced Characters in the whodunit play incorrectly deduced the one who had
(deducir) done it.

Debated (debatir) The leaders debated the ideal health care reform plan.

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

(definir) study.

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

Discounted The financial advisors discounted this month’s unemployment figures as

(descontar) an anomaly in a bullish economy.

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

Emphasized Dr. Patel, a medical statistician, emphasized the importance of

(enfatizar/subrayar) accurate and timely data.

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

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

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

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

Forecasted (pronosticar) Meteorologists forecasted a snowy winter and an early spring.

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

(predecir) events.

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

Highlighted The emcee highlighted the main accomplishments of the plenary

(destacar) speaker.

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

Interpreted (interpretar) Archeologists and linguists interpreted the ancient tablets as important.

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

Justified (justificar) In the courtroom, the defendant justified his actions.

Listed (escuchar) The reporter listed the counties affected by the tornado warning.

Mandated Congress mandated that by February 2009 all television broadcasts will
(bajo mandato) use digital television (DTV).
Mentioned (mencionar) The librarian mentioned at least 5 other relevant journals.

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

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

Predicted (predecir) Doctors predicted the patient would make a full recovery.

Promised (prometer) The candidates promised to improve the situation.

Proved (demostrar) Mathematicians proved the theorem is valid.

Questioned The teacher questioned the students' understanding of the Socratic

(cuestionar) Method.

Quoted The playwright quoted Confucius, “A superior man is modest in his

(citar) speech, but exceeds in his actions.”

Read (leer) 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
(refutar) system.

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

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

Requested (solicitar) Audience members at the concert requested two encores.

During the review, the students restated some key ideas to make sure
Restated (reformular)
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.

Visitors to the area stressed the importance of continuing to support the

Stressed
survivors of this natural disaster.

Suggested The librarian suggested searching in a few more databases that

(sugerir) specialize in English literature.

Surmised (asumir) 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
(prevenir/advertir) of global warming.

Welcomed The principal welcomed the high school freshman class.

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