Reported speech
Commands and
requests
Reported Commands.
Form
•affirmative commands → to + infinitive
•negative commands → not + to + infinitive
1. Affirmative commands
•Direct Speech → Mum: “Tidy your room.”
•Reported Speech → Mum told me to tidy my room.
2. Negative commands
•Direct Speech → Policeman: “Don’t park there.”
•Reported Speech → The policeman told me not to park there.
EXAMPLES:
Direct Speech: “Do your homework.”
Reported Speech: Dad told me to do my homework.
Direct Speech: “clean the blue bike”
Reported Speech: Andres told me to clean the blue bike.
Direct Speech: “write a letter”
Reported Speech: Maria told me to write a letter.
Direct Speech: “Don't play football in the garden”
Reported Speech: Katia told me not to play football in the garden.
Direct Speech: “Don’t open this door”
Reported Speech: Suzy told me not to open the door.
Direct Speech: “Don’t sing that song”
Reported speech: My mother told me not to sing that song.
Reported Requests
Requests are when someone asks you to do
something in a polite way.
Form
•affirmative request → asked me + to + infinitive
•negative request → asked me + not + to + infinitive
1. Affirmative request
• Direct Speech: “Could you close the window, please?”
Reported Speech → She asked me to close the window.
2. Negative request
• Direct Speech: “Could you not make so much .”
Reported Speech → She asked me not to make so much noise.
EXAMPLES:
Direct Speech: She said: "Could you open the window, please?"
Reported Speech: She asked me to open the window.
Direct Speech: He said: "Please don't smoke."
Reported Speech: He asked them not to smoke.
Direct Speech: "Can I have an apple?", she asked.
Reported Speech: She asked for an apple.
Direct Speech: “Please make 10 copies of this report.”
Reported Speech: She asked me to make 10 copies of the report.
Direct Speech: "May I have a glass of water?"
Reported Speech: He asked for a glass of water.
Reported speech
questions
When we report questions, the subject comes before the verb.
• Direct speech: “Where are you going?”
Reported speech: He asked me where I was going.
• Direct speech: “Why is he shouting?”
Reported speech: He asked me why he was shouting.
• Direct speech: “What do you want?”
Reported speech: She asked me what I wanted.
• Direct speech:‘What is the problem?’
Reported speech: She asked what the problem was.
• Direct speech: Who’s the best singer here?
Reported speech: She asked me who the best singer was.
• Direct speech:‘When are you going on holiday?’
Reported speech: She wanted to know when I was going on holiday.
•We report yes/no questions with if or whether.
• Direct speech: “Do you want me to come?”
Reported speech: I asked him if he wanted me to come.
• Direct speech: “Have you fed the dog?”
Reported speech: She asked me whether I had fed the dog
• Direct speech: 'Will you do this?’
Reported speech: She asked me if I would do that.
• Direct speech: 'Are you going to the market?’
Reported speech: She asked me if I was going to the market.
• Direct speech: Will you help me?
Reported speech: She asked me whether I would help her.
• Direct speech: Have you bought a new cellphone?
Reported speech: She wondered if I had bought a new cellphone.
• When we report questions with
who, what or which + to be + object,
the verb be can come before or after the object.
•Direct speech: “Who is the champion?”
Reported speech:
+She asked me who the champion was.
+She asked me who was the champion.
•Direct speech: “What is your favourite colour?”
Reported speech:
+She asked me what my favourite colour was.
+She asked me what was my favourite colour.
