Indirect Speech: Imperatives

Convey a message

​Indirect Speech: Imperatives

a sentence that gives an order or command. It usually starts with a verb in the base form.

Open, close, walk, sit down, etc.

Imperatives

Is a kind of noun clause. It is the direct object of a reporting verb such as say, tell, or ask.

Indirect speech

What is indirect speech?

To report what someone said without quoting the exact words, use indirect speech.

​Don't use quotation marks when writing I.S.

Direct speech: Peter said, "be careful if you go out during the storm."

Indirect Speech: Peter said to be careful if you go out during the storm.

They said to read the weather report.

She says not to go out without a full tank of gas.

​Indirect speech

They said, "Read the weather report."

She says, "Don't go out without a full tank of gas."

Direct speech

An imperative in direct speech becomes an infinitive in indirect speech.

​Change the pronouns in indirect speech as necessary for logic.

Martin said, "Tell me as soon as you know."

Martin told me to tell him as soon as I know.

She told me, "Please call me when you get home."

She asked me to call her when I get home.

Practice 1: Rewrite statement in I.S.

Example:

Martha told me, "Be home before the snowstorm."

Martha told me to be home before the snowstorm.

Open Ended

Everyone is saying, "Get ready for a big storm."

Open Ended

The radio says, "Get supplies of food and water in case the roads are closed."

Open Ended

They told her, "Don't be home too late this afternoon."

Open Ended

Maria always tells them, "Don't leave ."

Open Ended

Carl told me, "Call me when you hear the news."

Practice 2: What were the speaker's original words?

Example:

He asked them to call him when it starts raining.

"Please call me when it starts raining."

Open Ended

The newspaper said to leave a window or door open when there’s going to be a severe storm.

Open Ended

She told his parents to read the emergency instructions in the newspaper.

Open Ended

Ray told Allison to look for the story about him in the paper on Tuesday.

Open Ended

She asked him to pick up some food for her on the way home.

Open Ended

They told me not to wait until the snow gets heavy.