So the particle と is used to mean 1) to make an exhaustive list 'X And Y' 2) It is used to make the 'X If/When then Y' construction. and 3) used to mean 'With X'. These usages are crystal clear to me.
What is not so clear is when this particle is used just before verbs, as in 。。。と言う 、。。。と思う、　which I have come across quite often. What is this usage of the particle defined as? And how is it to be interpreted for verbs other than these two, since I do now the usage of と言う and と思う?
When is this particle used just before verbs and what meaning is intended by doing that?

I do understand the two examples given above but what I do not understand is where else this particle can be used before verbs and how that is to be interpreted!

in those cases, it's used to indicate the object of ones speech or thought, often referred to as the 'quoting' particle。examples:
彼氏に「お前とは結婚しない」と言われた。
I was told by my boyfriend "I won't marry you"
日本は核を持つべきだと思う？
Do you think Japan should have nukes?
ジョンと言う人
A person called John.

By the way the と doesn't have to come before the verb, it just needs to attached to the end of the quoted/thought part. eg:
「お前とは結婚しない」と彼氏に言われた。

yes I understand that but what I mean to say is that it is also used before verbs other than 言う　and 思う what does it mean than?

Are you familiar with Tae Kim's guide? These two sections give a rather detailed explanation:

http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/gra...nsubclause
http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/define

When used with people, it can mean "with".
スザンと一緒にホテルに行った。
I went to the hotel with Susan.
あなたと会ったことが思い出せない。
I don't remember meeting (with) you.

It can also be used for conditional situations: http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/gra...nditionals

And there is also a special とする form: http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/reasoning

To actually answer your question: I've heard it referred to as "quotative と"... Wiki seems to confirm:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quotative

It's really that simple... It means the same thing if you use it with ～と説明 he explained that "blah blah.." or ～と述べた he expressed that "such and such.." and so on...


You might get tripped up when it's used with verbs that you wouldn't always think of as "saying" something... The と tells you something is being said or thought.

eg. ～とおかんむりだ　he (said) angrily [literally: he is angry, (saying)...

～と意気込む he (said) enthusiastically

and so on...

It's also used in the sense of 'as if to', 'in order to', 'with intention of' when placed after volitional verbs to make a kind of adverbial clause showing the intention or manner in which an action takes place.
窓から逃げようと泥棒は窓を開けた。
In order to (as if to) escape from the window, the robber opened the window.

also used with sounds etc again to give an adverbial sense of how an action takes place.
ドカンと爆発。
explode with a bang.

うわ。　皆さんは素晴らしい。