Reporting Verbs in Context.

Read this interview with a politician and complete the journalist’s report with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

The Interview

Journalist: Hello and thank you for coming Minister, I have some important questions for you about the scandal that we have seen in the newspapers over the last few days. 

Minister: You’re welcome, in fact I’m really glad to have an opportunity to clarify a few things.

Journalist: So will you answer all of my questions?

Minister: Absolutely, although I must say in advance that because this is a complicated legal situation so although I can send you some data to prove what I’m saying, I won’t be able to go into much detail. As soon as this matter is resolved I’ll be able to be much more transparent , and that’s a promise.

Journalist: What do you think that you can do about the situation? If what the newspapers have said is a lie then how will you prove your innocence?

Minister: Well, if the papers don’t retract their stories and publish a full apology I will have no alternative to taking legal action. I’d like to say though, to any young people who may read this, that it’s important that we fight corruption. I think that young people should get involved in politics,

Journalist: Is there anything else that you’d like to say to the government?

Minister: I’d also like to take the opportunity to challenge the government and the newspapers to provide evidence of their accusations. I think that the government should be very careful when dealing in lies. They tell lies about my party. I’m sorry that I wasn’t more transparent about this before, but we had to investigate the claims before we could eny them. It’s the media’s fault for publishing these stories when they hadn’t checked the facts. I suppose I shouldn’t have trusted journalists and politicians to be honest, I made a mistake and wish that I hadn’t.