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Reported Speech: Commands and Requests

This document discusses reporting commands, requests, and orders in reported speech. It explains that commands are told with no choice of response, while requests are asked politely using "please." Both commands and requests are reported using "tell" and "ask," respectively, followed by the subject and an infinitive verb. Examples are provided for direct and reported orders and requests, as well as how to report negative commands and requests using "not to" plus the infinitive verb.

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1K views16 pages

Reported Speech: Commands and Requests

This document discusses reporting commands, requests, and orders in reported speech. It explains that commands are told with no choice of response, while requests are asked politely using "please." Both commands and requests are reported using "tell" and "ask," respectively, followed by the subject and an infinitive verb. Examples are provided for direct and reported orders and requests, as well as how to report negative commands and requests using "not to" plus the infinitive verb.

Uploaded by

gamze
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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REPORTED SPEECH

COMMANDS AND REQUESTS


Reporting commands and requests is one form of reported speech. For non-native
English speakers is considered to be easier than reporting statements and questions.

Reporting orders
(commands)
A command (order) is when somebody tells you to do something and you have no choice, you have to do it.
It is not usually polite. It is a "command".

We usually introduce reported orders with the verb "tell". Look at the following example:

Direct speech Reported speech


He said: "March!" He told him to march.
The structure is very simple:

subject + told + noun / pronoun + to infinitive

• The fireman told the woman to leave the house.


• The teacher told us to submit the homework.

Because we use the infinitive there is no need to change the tense.


But be careful! we may need to change pronouns, time and place, just like we do in
reported statements and questions.
Some examples:

Direct order Reported order

Dad said: "Eat your food!” He told the boy to eat his food.

The doctor said: “Take these pills 3 The doctor told the patient to take those
times a day“ pills 3 times a day.

She said “Buy some milk in your way She told her husband to buy some milk
home” in his way home.
Aim well,
soldier!

The captain told the


soldier to aim well.
Reporting requests
A request is when somebody asks you politely to do something. Generally, this person addresses to you with
the word “please”.

We usually introduce reported requests with the verb “ask". Look at the following example:

Direct speech Reported speech


He said: “please, behave" He asked her to behave.

As you can notice, the way we report requests is the same way we
report orders (same structure), we just have to replace the verb
TOLD by ASKED, giving us a sense of politeliness.
Some examples:
Direct request Reported request

The nurse said: "Eat your food, please!” She asked the boy to eat his food.

George said “please call me at 7“ George asked me to call him at 7.

She said “turn off the TV, please” She asked her son to turn off the TV.
Show me your license,

please.

The police officer


asked the driver to
show him his
license.
IMPORTANT NOTE:

When the order or request is negative, the structure is the following one:

subject + told /asked + noun / pronoun + NOT to infinitive

• Sonia asked her husband NOT TO go out.


• The teacher told the students NOT TO cheat
during the exam.
Don’t smoke, please!

Kirsten asked her


friend not to smoke.

Now, your turn…


Go to your room!

The father told


his son to go to
his room.
Please, breath deeply.

The doctor
asked her to
breath deeply.
Don’t eat my
carrot!

Snowball told
everyone not to
eat his carrot.
The advertisement
asked people not to
feed the animals.
Help your mother!

He told him to
help his mother.
Do not kiss my
hand!

The Pope told the


woman not to kiss
his hand.

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