Reporting Verbs Dialogue Activity

I'm teaching reporting verbs this week and I have been looking for some interesting ways to practice them. After a quick search I noticed that most of the activities are based on the transformation of the sentences from direct speech. For example,
 "I'm sorry, I'm late" (apologise) --->
" She apologised for being late."
I decided to turn this activity upside down and come up with the following activity with minimal preparation.

1. Put target reporting verbs on the pieces if paper.

2. In class, revise the verbs and elicit example sentences
Apologise --->
I'm sorry I didn't do my homework.
Deny --->
I didn't do that!

3. Divide Ss in pair or mini-groups.

4. Distribute the papers (3-4 for a pair).

5. Explain that each pair needs to come up with the dialogue that exemplifies the verbs that they have got. They don't have to use the verbs themselves but they have to make the speech act clear. Moreover, it has to be a natural-sounding dialogue.
Example:
-Hi, Lisa!
-Hi, Chris! Would you like to go to the movie with me?
-No, sorry, I need to look after my younger brother. But next week, we'll go for sure!
-Oh, I hate it when you don't spend time with me!
Verbs used: invite, promise, complain

6. Ss work on their dialogues. Teacher monitors and helps if needed.

7. Ss present their dialogues. Meanwhile the rest of the group has to guess which verbs they are exemplifying and write down their ideas.
 Example:
-I think Lisa suggested going to the movie.
-No, but very close!
-Lisa invited Chris to go to the movie.
-Correct!

8. Ss guess. Teacher gives feedback.

If listening to the dialogues is not an option time-wise, Ss can exchange their written dialogues and guess the verbs that were used.