Reported Commands/Requests/Suggestions

To report commands, requests, suggestions and instructions, etc., in reported speech we use an appropriate reporting verb (advise, ask, order, suggest, tell, etc.) and the to-infinitive, that-clause or -ing form.

1. “Be quiet”, the teacher said.

The teacher told us to be quiet.

2. “Will you help me cook dinner?” the mother said to her daughter.

The mother asked her daughter to help her cook dinner.

3. “Let’s do the shopping now”.

I suggested doing the shopping then.

4. “Don’t come here”, he said.

He ordered not to go there.

5. “Don’t interrupt me”, the teacher said to us.

The teacher asked us not to interrupt her (him).

Reporting (or Introductory) Verbs

Reporting Verb	Direct Speech	Reported Speech
+ that clause: explain add inform smb. claim demand deny promise boast admit complain insist suggest+… V₁	“I like this film because it is exciting”. “The manager will be back tomorrow”. “I didn’t take your camera”. “I am the best chess-player in our city”. “You must visit this exhibition”. “Let’s go sightseeing here”.	She explained that she liked the film because it was exciting. He informed us that the manager would be back the next day. She denied that she had taken my camera. He boasted that he was the best chess-player in their city. She insisted that I must (had to) visit the exhibition. She suggested that we should go sightseeing there.
+smb.+infinitive: advise beg ask command order encourage remind invite warn forbid tell	“You should eat less sweets”. “Could you open the window”. “Stop talking, children”. “Don’t forget to call me”. “Nobody can help you”.	She advised me to eat less sweets. She asked me to open the window. She ordered the children to stop talking. She reminded me not to forget to call her. They warned me that nobody could help me.
+ infinitive: agree claim promise demand refuse threaten offer	“Yes, I’ll drive you home”. “I’ll meet you at the station”. “No, I won’t do it”. “Would you like me to help?”	He agreed to drive me home. He promised to meet me at the station. He refused to do it. He offered to help.
+ ing form: accuse smb of insist on apologize for suggest deny, etc.	“You have taken my book.” “I am sorry I’ve broken your cup.” “No, I didn’t say this.”	He accused me of taking (or: having taken) his book. She apologized for breaking my cup. He denied saying/having said it.
Note:admit, advise, boast, insist, threaten, warn, remind can be followed by a that-clause in Reported Speech.

Reporting Exclamations

a) Exclamations usually become statements in reported speech.

He said,	“Thank you!” “Good luck!” “Congratulations!” “Liar!”	= He thanked me. = He wished me luck. = He congratulated me. = He called me a liar.
The notice said,	“Welcome to Belarus!”	= The notice welcomed the visitors to Belarus.

b) The word order in reported exclamations may be the following:

“What a clever boy you are!” she exclaimed.

a) She told him what a clever boy he was.

b) She told him that he was a clever boy.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 2578

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