English grammar
Beg / warn / advise + person + (not) to — more reporting verbs
Report requests, warnings and advice with the right verb.
From the scene She begged me to help her
In short
Beg, warn and advise work like ask: verb + person + (not) to + verb. Say and suggest never do.
Your turn
Which one goes with beg + person + to?
Options: she warned me not to drop the tray · she begged me to take churros up · she asked me to help her with her boxes
Show answer
beg + person + to → she begged me to take churros up
How it works
You already know ask/tell someone to.
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
She also warned me (blank) drop the tray.
Options: don't · no to · not to
Show answer
She also warned me not to drop the tray.
También me advirtió que no se me cayera la bandeja.
Good to know
Other reporting verbs work the same way and say more about how it was said: she begged me to (asked desperately), she warned me not to (danger!), I advised her to (a recommendation). Not goes before to.
Good to know
Say and suggest never work like this: not she said me to / she suggested me to.
ask + person + to (recap) she asked me to help her with her boxes
Javi
She asked me to help her with her boxes.
Me pidió que la ayudara con sus cajas.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
(blank).
Options: She warned me not to drop the tray · She asked me to help her with her boxes · She begged me to take churros up
Show answer
Javi
She asked me to help her with her boxes.
Me pidió que la ayudara con sus cajas.
beg + person + to she begged me to take churros up
Javi
And she begged me to take churros up to the third floor.
Y me suplicó que subiera churros al tercero.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
And (blank) to the third floor.
Options: she warned me not to drop the tray · she begged me to take churros up · she asked me to help her with her boxes
Show answer
Javi
And she begged me to take churros up to the third floor.
Y me suplicó que subiera churros al tercero.
warn + person + not to she warned me not to drop the tray
advise + person + to I advised her to wait until tomorrow
Javi
I advised her to wait until tomorrow.
Le aconsejé que esperara hasta mañana.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
(blank).
Options: She begged me to take churros up · I advised her to wait until tomorrow · She asked me to help her with her boxes
Show answer
Javi
I advised her to wait until tomorrow.
Le aconsejé que esperara hasta mañana.
Common mistake
Not said or suggested here. Say and suggest can't take me + to.
And she begged me to take churros up to the third floor.
Y me suplicó que subiera churros al tercero.
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| ask + person + to (recap) | she asked me to help her with her boxes |
|---|---|
| beg + person + to | she begged me to take churros up |
| warn + person + not to | she warned me not to drop the tray |
| advise + person + to | I advised her to wait until tomorrow |
More lines from the story
- JaviShe also warned me not to drop the tray.También me advirtió que no se me cayera la bandeja.
- JaviShe said the churros were for us... and told me to eat them cold.Que los churros eran para nosotros... y que me los comiera fríos.
- JaviDoña Elena stopped me on the stairs again.Doña Elena me paró otra vez en la escalera.