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When someone tells you to do something or asks you politely, and you later report what they said, you use reported speech for requests and commands. This is an important part of English grammar, especially when retelling conversations or giving information second-hand.
In this post, we’ll explain how to report commands, requests, and suggestions clearly, with examples and a short quiz at the end to help you practise.
What Is Reported Speech?
Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is used to report what someone else said, without quoting their exact words. Instead of using quotation marks, the sentence is usually introduced with a reporting verb like said, told, asked, ordered, or requested.
Reported Speech for Requests and Commands
1. How to Report Commands
When reporting a command (an order or instruction), we usually use the reporting verb told or ordered, followed by the person and the infinitive (to + verb).
A. Reported Commands Formula
Here is the structure of reported commands:
Subject + told/ordered + object + to + base verb
B. Examples of Reported Commands
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| “Close the window.” | She told me to close the window. |
| “Stand up straight.” | The teacher ordered him to stand up straight. |
| “Finish your homework now!” | Dad told me to finish my homework. |
2. How to Report Requests
When reporting requests, we use verbs like asked, begged, or requested, followed by the infinitive.
A. Reported Requests Formula
Here is the structure of reported requests:
Subject + asked/requested/begged + object + to + base verb
B. Examples of Reported Requests
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| “Please help me.” | He asked me to help him. |
| “Could you pass the salt?” | She asked me to pass the salt. |
| “Would you mind opening the door?” | He requested me to open the door. |
3. Requests for Things (Ask for Something)
Sometimes, people don’t ask someone to do something, but instead they ask for something — like an object or some information.
A. Reported Requests for Things Formula
Subject + asked (someone) + for + noun
B. Examples of Requests for Things
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| “Can I have a glass of water?” | She asked for a glass of water. |
| “Could I get some help, please?” | He asked for some help. |
| “Can you give me your phone number?” | She asked for my phone number. |
| “May I have a bar of chocolate?” | He asked for a bar of chocolate. |
Note: We don’t use the infinitive in this structure. We use “asked for” + noun.
4. How to Report Suggestions
Suggestions are often similar to polite requests. They are not direct commands but involve recommending or proposing something.
A. Common Reporting Verbs for Suggestions
- suggested
- recommended
- advised
B. Reported Suggestions Structures
There are several ways to report suggestions:
- Subject + suggested + verb + -ing
e.g. He suggested going to the cinema. - Subject + suggested + that + subject + verb
e.g. He suggested that we go to the cinema. - Subject + suggested + that + subject + should + verb
e.g. He suggested that we should go to the cinema.
C. Examples of Reported Suggestions
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| “Why don’t we go to the cinema?” | He suggested going to the cinema. |
| “Let’s have dinner at home.” | She suggested having dinner at home. |
| “You should take a break.” | He suggested that I take a break. |
| “Shall we watch a movie tonight?” | They suggested that we should watch a movie tonight. |
Note: We don’t use an infinitive structure (to + verb) with suggest. Instead, use verb + -ing, or that + clause.
Negative Commands and Requests
If the original command or request is negative (telling someone not to do something), use not + to + base verb.
Examples:
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| “Don’t touch that.” | She told him not to touch that. |
| “Please don’t be late.” | They asked me not to be late. |
| “Don’t shout in class!” | The teacher ordered us not to shout. |
Common Reporting Verbs
| For Commands | For Requests | For Suggestions |
|---|---|---|
| told | asked | suggested |
| ordered | requested | recommended |
| instructed | begged, implored | advised |
Reported Speech for Requests and Commands: Exercise
Convert the following direct speech into reported speech:
- “Please sit down.”
- The teacher asked the students…
- “Don’t forget to call me.”
- She asked me…
- “Help your sister with her homework.”
- Dad told me…
- “Could you turn down the volume?”
- He asked me…
- “Don’t touch my phone.”
- She told me…
- “Clean your room now.”
- Mom told me…
- “Please wait here until I come back.”
- The nurse asked me…
2. She asked me not to forget to call her.
3. Dad told me to help my sister with her homework.
4. He asked me to turn down the volume.
5. She told me not to touch her phone.
6. Mom told me to clean my room.
7. The nurse asked me to wait there until she came back.
More on the meaning of reported speech.
Conclusion
Reported speech allows us to convey what someone else said without quoting their exact words. In this post, we focused on how to report commands, requests, requests for things, and suggestions. Each structure has its own rules, especially when it comes to verb forms and reporting verbs.
Key Takeaways:
- Commands are reported with verbs like told, ordered, or instructed, followed by to + base verb.
- “Sit down.” → She told me to sit down.
- Requests use verbs like asked, requested, or begged, also followed by to + base verb.
- “Please help me.” → He asked me to help him.
- Negative forms use not to + base verb.
- “Don’t touch that.” → She told me not to touch that.
- Requests for things are reported using asked for + noun (not an infinitive).
- “Can I have a drink?” → He asked for a drink.
- Suggestions are reported using suggest + verb-ing, or suggest that + clause, not the infinitive.
- “Let’s go out.” → She suggested going out.
