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COMMAND & REQUEST NOTES

The document provides guidelines on how to convert commands, requests, and suggestions from Direct Speech to Reported Speech, emphasizing the absence of tense backshift for commands. It outlines the structure for affirmative and negative commands, the use of different introductory verbs, and the necessary changes in pronouns and expressions of time/place. Additionally, it includes examples and a set of practice sentences with their answers for better understanding.

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Joseph Edward Natal
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0 views

COMMAND & REQUEST NOTES

The document provides guidelines on how to convert commands, requests, and suggestions from Direct Speech to Reported Speech, emphasizing the absence of tense backshift for commands. It outlines the structure for affirmative and negative commands, the use of different introductory verbs, and the necessary changes in pronouns and expressions of time/place. Additionally, it includes examples and a set of practice sentences with their answers for better understanding.

Uploaded by

Joseph Edward Natal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Reported commands and

requests
1. Reported Commands

There is no backshift of tenses with commands/requests in Reported


Speech.

You only have to change the person and shift expressions of time/place
descibed on our page Reported Speech – Summary.

Form

 affirmative commands → to + infinitive

 negative commands → not + to + infinitive

1.1. Affirmative commands

 Direct Speech → Dad: “Do your homework.”

 Reported Speech → Dad told me to do my homework.

1.2. Negative commands

 Direct Speech → Teacher: “Don't talk to your friend.”

 Reported Speech → The teacher told me not to talk to my friend.

1.3. The introductory sentence in commands

The word tell in introductory sentences in Reported Commands can be


substituted with other words, e.g.

 advise
 ask

There is no backshift of tenses, no matter which tense is used in the


introductory sentence.

Direct Speech

 Dad: “Do your homework.”

Reported Speech

 Dad tells me to do my homework.

 Dad told me to do my homework.

2. Suggestions

Direct Speech

 Father: “Let's watch a film.”

Reported Speech

 Father suggested watching a film.

 Father suggested that they should watch a film

Do not use the infintive after suggest. Father suggested to watch a film.

How to use Reported Speech

If you have a sentence in Direct Speech, try to follow our 5 steps to put the
sentence into Reported Speech..

1. Define the type of the sentence (statement, questions, command)


2. What tense is used in the introductory sentence?

3. Do you have to change the person (pronoun)?

4. Do you have to backshift the tenses?

5. Do you have to change expressions of time and place?

1. Statements, Questions, Commands

Mind the type of sentences when you use Reported Speech. There is more
detailed information on the following pages.

 Statements

 Questions

 Commands, Requests

2. The introductory sentence

If you use Reported Speech there are mostly two main differences.

The introductory sentence in Reported Speech can be in the Present or


in the Past.

If the introductory sentences is in the Simple Present, there is no backshift of


tenses.

Direct Speech:

 Susan: “Mary works in an office.”

Reported Speech:

 Introductory sentence in the Simple Present →


Susan says (that)* Mary works in an office.

 Introductory sentence in the Simple Past →


Susan said (that)* Mary worked in an office.
3. Change of persons/pronouns

If there is a pronoun in Direct Speech, it has possibly to be changed in


Reported Speech, depending on the siutation.

 Direct Speech → Susan: “I work in an office.”

 Reported Speech → Susan said (that)* she worked in an office.

Here I is changed to she.

4. Backshift of tenses

If there is backshift of tenses in Reported Speech, the tenses are shifted the
following way.

 Direct Speech → Peter: “I work in the garden.”

 Reported Speech → Peter said (that)* he worked in the garden.

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Simple forms

Simple Present Simple Past

Simple Past

Present Perfect Past Perfect

Past Perfect

will would
Direct Speech Reported Speech

Progressive forms

am/are/is was/were

was/were

has been had been

had been

5. Conversion of expressions of time and place

If there is an expression of time/place in the sentence, it may be changed,


depending on the situation.

 Direct Speech → Peter: “I worked in the garden yesterday.”

 Reported Speech → Peter said (that) he had worked in the garden the day
before.

Direct Speech Reported Speech

this evening that evening


today/this day that day

these days those days

now then

a week ago a week before

last weekend the weekend before / the previous weekend

next week the following week

tomorrow the next/following day

here there

6. Additional information

In some cases backshift of tenses is not necessary, e.g. when statements are
still true. Backshift of tenses is never wrong.

 John: “My brother is at Leipzig university.”

 John said (that) his brother was at Leipzig university. or

 John said (that) his brother is at Leipzig university.


or

when you use general statements.

 Mandy: “The sun rises in the east.”

 Mandy said (that) the sun rose in the east. or

 Mandy said (that) the sun rises in the east.

* The word that is optional, that is the reason why we put it in brackets.

Q. Change the following sentences into Indirect


Speech.
1. He said to his servant, “Leave the room at once”.
2. He said to him, “Please wait here till I return.”
3. Sara’s mother said to her, “Cook the food properly”.
4. The teacher said to a student, “Don’t waste your time”.
5. The police man shouted to the man, “Stop or I will shoot you”.
6. My elder brother said to me, “Please post this letter for me”.
7. I said to my brother, “Let us go to some hill station for a
change”.
8. The police officer said to a culprit, “Don’t try to be clever”.
9. The judge said to the accused, “Hold your tongue”.
10. He shouted, “Let me go.”
11. She said, “Be quiet and listen to his words.”
12. I said to my teacher, ” Pardon me sir”
ANSWERS:
1. He ordered the servant to leave the room at once.
2. He requested him to wait there till he returned.
3. Sara’s mother ordered her to cook the food properly.
4. The teacher ordered a student not to waste the time.
5. The police man ordered the man to stop and threatened that
otherwise he would shoot him.
6. My elder brother requested me to post this letter for him.
7. I suggested to my brother that we should go to some hill
station for a change.
8. The police officer ordered a culprit not to try to be clever.
9. The judge ordered the accused to hold his tongue.
10. He shouted to let him go.
11. He urged them to be quiet and listen to his work.

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