This document discusses how to report orders, commands, and requests in indirect speech. It provides examples of changing direct commands like "Get plenty of rest" to the reported form "The doctor told me to get plenty of rest." For requests, the reported form uses "asked" instead of "told," such as changing "Can you help me cook dinner?" to "My sister asked me to help her cook dinner." The document explains that the infinitive form is used without past tense for both commands and requests in indirect speech.

1. •For orders or commands
•For requests

2. Orders / Commands
Sometimes people tell us to do something
directly in this way:
Example:
The doctor: “Get plenty of rest.”
Reported Speech:
The doctor told me TO GET plenty of rest.
OR
The doctor said TO GET plenty of rest.

3. More examples . . .
The teacher: “Take a break.”
The teacher told us TO TAKE a break.
John: “Call me later.”
John told me TO CALL HIM later.
My mom: “Don’t stay up late.”
My mom said NOT TO STAY up late.

4. Notice that we use the infinitive form
for this type of reported speech.
*No past forms
The teacher told us ___________
a break.
•Notice also that we never use THAT here:
The teacher told us THAT to take a
break.

5. Requests
Someone asks us to do something
and we want to report this to
another person. EXAMPLE:
My sister:
“Can you help me cook dinner?”
Reported Speech:
My sister asked me to help
her cook dinner.

6. More examples . . .
The teacher: “Can you turn off your cell phone?”
The teacher asked me TO TURN off
my cell phone.
John: “Will you call me later?”
John asked me TO CALL HIM later.
My mom: “Can you come visit me soon?”
My mom asked me TO COME visit her soon.

7. Notice that again, we use the
infinitive form for this type of reported
speech.
*No past forms
Notice also that we never use THAT
here.
The only difference between reporting
commands and reporting requests is:

8. Compare the 2 structures:
Cindy:
“Help me move this desk.”
“Could you help me move this desk?”
Reported speech:
Cindy TOLD US to help her move the/that.
desk.
Cindy ASKED US to help her move the/that
desk.

9. Your turn to practice:
Change the following to reported
speech. Some sentences are:
(1) statements
(2) commands
(3) requests
Write the answers
on your paper.

10. 1. Tom: “Could you open the window?
2. The teacher: “You haven’t handed in your
homework yet.” *teacher = female
3. My sister: “Send me pictures from your
trip to Hawaii.”
4. Melissa: “I have a new dog.”
5. My neighbour: “Can you help me paint my
house? *neighbour = male

11. 1. Tom asked me to open the window.
2. The teacher said I hadn’t handed in my
homework yet.
3. My sister told me to send pictures from
my trip to Hawaii.
4. Melissa said she had a new dog.
5. My neighbour asked me to help him paint
his house.