Mastering Reported Commands, Requests, and Suggestions

Reported Commands

When reporting a command, we typically use the verbs "tell" or "order," followed by the infinitive form of the verb.

Structure for Commands

• Direct Speech: Imperative + Object
• Reported Speech: Subject + told / ordered + Object + to + Verb

Examples

• Direct Speech: "Close the door!"
• Reported Speech: He told me to close the door.
• Direct Speech: "Please finish your homework."
• Reported Speech: She asked him to finish his homework.

Reported Requests

For requests, we often use "ask" or "request," and the structure remains similar to that of commands.

Structure for Requests

• Direct Speech: Request
• Reported Speech: Subject + asked / requested + Object + to + Verb

Examples

• Direct Speech: "Can you help me?"
• Reported Speech: He asked me to help him.
• Direct Speech: "Would you mind sending me the report?"
• Reported Speech: She requested him to send her the report.

Reported Suggestions

When reporting a suggestion, we can use "suggest" or "recommend." The structure may differ slightly.

Structure for Suggestions

• Direct Speech: Suggestion
• Reported Speech: Subject + suggested / recommended + (that) + Subject + should + Verb

Examples

• Direct Speech: "Let's go for a walk."
• Reported Speech: He suggested that we should go for a walk.
• Direct Speech: "You should try the new restaurant."
• Reported Speech: She recommended that I should try the new restaurant.

General Notes

• Tense Changes: When converting direct speech to reported speech, verb tenses often change. For example, Present Simple may change to Past Simple.
• Pronoun Changes: Pronouns should be adjusted according to the context of the reported speech.

Examples with Tense Changes

1. Commands

• Direct Speech: "Turn off the lights!"
• Reported Speech: He told us to turn off the lights.

2. Requests

• Direct Speech: "Could you please pass the salt?"
• Reported Speech: She asked me to pass the salt.

3. Suggestions

• Direct Speech: "Why don't we watch a movie?"
• Reported Speech: He suggested that we should watch a movie.