REPORTED SPEECH — COMMANDS EXERCISE 1 (ESL)
level: Intermediate (B1/B2)
Reporting commands and requests in English uses a different structure from reporting statements — instead of shifting tenses, you use an infinitive pattern with the person addressed. Getting this right requires knowing which reporting verb to use and how the structure changes.
Grammar review
Reported commands and requests — tell/ask + to-infinitive
Reporting commands and requests follows different rules from reporting statements. Instead of tense backshift, we use a specific verb pattern.
Reporting commands:
told + object + to + base verb
Direct: “Close the window.”
Reported: She told him to close the window.
Reporting requests (more polite):
asked + object + to + base verb
Direct: “Please help me.”
Reported: She asked him to help her.
Negative commands:
told + object + not to + base verb
Direct: “Don’t touch that!”
Reported: He told her not to touch it.
Key differences from reported statements:
• No tense backshift — the structure changes entirely
• Tell is used for commands; ask for requests and questions
• The infinitive with to replaces the imperative verb
• The word order is: reporting verb + person + (not) + to + verb
Reporting commands and requests follows different rules from reporting statements. Instead of tense backshift, we use a specific verb pattern.
Reporting commands:
told + object + to + base verb
Direct: “Close the window.”
Reported: She told him to close the window.
Reporting requests (more polite):
asked + object + to + base verb
Direct: “Please help me.”
Reported: She asked him to help her.
Negative commands:
told + object + not to + base verb
Direct: “Don’t touch that!”
Reported: He told her not to touch it.
Key differences from reported statements:
• No tense backshift — the structure changes entirely
• Tell is used for commands; ask for requests and questions
• The infinitive with to replaces the imperative verb
• The word order is: reporting verb + person + (not) + to + verb
Report each command or request using the correct reported speech structure.
KEEP PRACTICING — MORE EXERCISES FOR YOU:
Reported commands use infinitives rather than tense shifts — these exercises cover all the reported speech variations.
More reported speech exercises:
Reported speech (mixed tenses) 1 (B1/B2)
Reported speech (mixed tenses) 2 (B1/B2)
Reported speech (mixed tenses) 3 (B1/B2)
Reported speech (simple past) 1 (B1/B2)
Related tense exercises:
Simple past or present perfect? 1 (B1/B2)
Simple past 1 (A2/B1)
Mixed verb tenses 1 (B1/B2)
Browse all grammar exercises →
Reported commands use infinitives rather than tense shifts — these exercises cover all the reported speech variations.
More reported speech exercises:
Reported speech (mixed tenses) 1 (B1/B2)
Reported speech (mixed tenses) 2 (B1/B2)
Reported speech (mixed tenses) 3 (B1/B2)
Reported speech (simple past) 1 (B1/B2)
Related tense exercises:
Simple past or present perfect? 1 (B1/B2)
Simple past 1 (A2/B1)
Mixed verb tenses 1 (B1/B2)
Browse all grammar exercises →
