Reported Speech

Lesson 4: Reporting Commands, Requests, and Suggestions

Lesson: 4 of 8 | Level: 🟠 Intermediate

1. Lesson Overview

Not everything that is reported is a statement or a question. A great deal of spoken language consists of commands, requests, instructions, advice, suggestions, warnings, offers, and invitations — directive speech acts that aim to influence the behaviour of the listener rather than simply convey information. Reporting these speech acts requires a different grammatical structure from reporting statements or questions — the to-infinitive construction replaces the that-clause and the tense backshift system of earlier lessons.

This lesson examines how commands, requests, suggestions, warnings, offers, and invitations are reported — with full attention to the range of reporting verbs available for each type of speech act, the grammatical structures that follow each verb, and the comprehensive rules that govern the accurate and natural reporting of directive speech.

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Report commands and instructions using the to-infinitive construction
• Report requests, suggestions, warnings, offers, and invitations accurately
• Choose the appropriate reporting verb for each type of directive speech act
• Apply all relevant transformations — pronoun, time/place, and modal changes — to reported directives
• Recognise and correct common errors in reporting commands, requests, and suggestions

2. Core Content

A. The Core Structure — Reporting Verb + Object + To-Infinitive

Commands, instructions, and requests in direct speech are typically expressed as imperative sentences — sentences in which the subject (you, understood) is not stated and the main verb appears in its base form.

For example:

‘Submit the report before Friday.’ ‘Do not remove the samples from the laboratory.’ ‘Please check the calibration before the dive.’

When these imperative sentences are reported, they are transformed using the structure:

Reporting verb + object (person addressed) + to-infinitive

For negative commands and requests, not is placed before the to-infinitive:

Reporting verb + object + not + to-infinitive

For example:

Direct: ‘Submit the report before Friday.’ Reported: The supervisor told the team to submit the report before Friday.

Direct: ‘Do not remove the samples from the laboratory.’ Reported: The principal investigator instructed the researchers not to remove the samples from the laboratory.

Direct: ‘Please check the calibration before the dive.’ Reported: The team leader asked the technician to check the calibration before the dive.

B. Reporting Commands — Tell and Order

The most common reporting verbs for commands are tell and order. Both are followed by object + to-infinitive.

Tell is used for everyday commands and instructions — it implies authority without necessarily suggesting harshness or formality. Order implies greater authority, formality, or urgency — it suggests that compliance is expected and non-compliance may have consequences.

For example:

Direct: ‘Return to the surface immediately.’ Reported: The dive supervisor told the team to return to the surface immediately. Reported: The dive supervisor ordered the team to return to the surface immediately.

Direct: ‘Do not proceed beyond this point.’ Reported: The safety officer told the researchers not to proceed beyond that point. Reported: The safety officer ordered the researchers not to proceed beyond that point.

Other reporting verbs for commands: command, direct, require, instruct, compel, urge.

C. Reporting Requests — Ask

The most common reporting verb for requests is ask. It is followed by object + to-infinitive — the same structure as tell and order, but with a softer, more polite implication.

For example:

Direct: ‘Please review the draft before the meeting.’ Reported: The researcher asked the committee to review the draft before the meeting.

Direct: ‘Could you check the data before submitting it?’ Reported: The team leader asked the analyst to check the data before submitting it.

Direct: ‘Please do not share the preliminary findings before peer review.’ Reported: The principal investigator asked the team not to share the preliminary findings before peer review.

Note that polite forms in direct speech — please, could you, would you mind — are not reproduced in reported speech. The politeness is conveyed by the choice of reporting verb (ask rather than tell or order).

Other reporting verbs for requests: request, beg, invite, urge, implore, entreat.

D. Reporting Instructions — Instruct and Direct

Instruct and direct are used for formal instructions — typically written or official — where the speaker is in a position of authority and the instructions are procedural or regulatory.

For example:

Direct: ‘Complete the safety checklist before each dive.’ Reported: The protocol instructed the divers to complete the safety checklist before each dive.

Direct: ‘Submit all data to the central archive within thirty days.’ Reported: The funding body directed the researchers to submit all data to the central archive within thirty days.

E. Reporting Advice — Advise and Recommend

Advise and recommend are used when the speaker is offering guidance rather than issuing a command. Both can be followed by object + to-infinitive or by a that-clause with should.

For example:

Direct: ‘You should establish baseline measurements before the operations begin.’ Reported: The expert advised the team to establish baseline measurements before the operations began. Reported: The expert advised that the team should establish baseline measurements before the operations began.

Direct: ‘I recommend conducting additional tests before publishing.’ Reported: The reviewer recommended conducting additional tests before publishing. Reported: The reviewer recommended that additional tests should be conducted before publishing.

Note that recommend can be followed by a gerund (-ing form) or a that-clause — but not by object + to-infinitive directly. I recommend him to do it is non-standard — use I recommend that he should do it or I recommend his doing it.

F. Reporting Suggestions — Suggest

Suggest is one of the most frequently misused reporting verbs in English — and one that causes persistent errors. It is followed by a gerund, a that-clause (with should or subjunctive), or a question word + infinitive — never by object + to-infinitive.

For example:

Direct: ‘Why don’t we extend the survey by two weeks?’ Reported: The researcher suggested extending the survey by two weeks. ✅ (gerund) Reported: The researcher suggested that they should extend the survey by two weeks. ✅ (that-clause + should) Reported: The researcher suggested that they extend the survey by two weeks. ✅ (that-clause + subjunctive — formal) Reported: The researcher suggested them to extend the survey. ❌ (object + to-infinitive — non-standard)

Direct: ‘Let’s conduct a preliminary survey first.’ Reported: The team leader suggested conducting a preliminary survey first. Reported: The team leader suggested that they should conduct a preliminary survey first.

G. Reporting Warnings — Warn

Warn is used when the speaker is alerting the listener to a potential danger or negative consequence. It is followed by object + not + to-infinitive for negative warnings, or by object + that-clause for warnings about events.

For example:

Direct: ‘Do not attempt a dive in these conditions — it is too dangerous.’ Reported: The safety officer warned the team not to attempt a dive in those conditions.

Direct: ‘If you proceed, the equipment will be damaged.’ Reported: The engineer warned the team that if they proceeded, the equipment would be damaged.

Direct: ‘The storm is approaching — you must return immediately.’ Reported: The meteorologist warned that the storm was approaching and that they must return immediately.

H. Reporting Offers — Offer

Offer is used when the speaker is proposing to do something for the benefit of the listener. It is followed by to-infinitive — not by an object before the infinitive.

For example:

Direct: ‘I will help you with the data analysis.’ Reported: The researcher offered to help with the data analysis.

Direct: ‘I can provide additional logistical support for the expedition.’ Reported: The institute offered to provide additional logistical support for the expedition.

I. Reporting Invitations — Invite

Invite is used when the speaker is asking someone to participate in something. It is followed by object + to-infinitive.

For example:

Direct: ‘Would you like to join us for the second phase of the expedition?’ Reported: The team leader invited the visiting researcher to join them for the second phase of the expedition.

Direct: ‘Please come to the presentation of our preliminary findings.’ Reported: The research team invited the committee to attend the presentation of their preliminary findings.

J. Reporting Promises — Promise

Promise is used when the speaker is committing to a future action. It is followed by to-infinitive or by a that-clause.

For example:

Direct: ‘I will submit the full report before the end of the week.’ Reported: The researcher promised to submit the full report before the end of that week. Reported: The researcher promised that she would submit the full report before the end of that week.

K. Reporting Refusals — Refuse

Refuse is used when the speaker declines to do something. It is followed by to-infinitive.

For example:

Direct: ‘I will not release the data before peer review is complete.’ Reported: The researcher refused to release the data before peer review was complete.

Direct: ‘We will not proceed without a full environmental impact assessment.’ Reported: The team refused to proceed without a full environmental impact assessment.

L. A Summary of Reporting Verb Structures for Directives

3. Usage in Context

• Report commands using tell + object + to-infinitive — or order for more formal or authoritative commands.

Direct: ‘Return to the surface at once.’ Reported: The dive supervisor told the team to return to the surface at once.

Direct: ‘Do not leave the monitoring station unattended.’ Reported: The safety officer ordered the technicians not to leave the monitoring station unattended.

• Report negative commands and requests by placing not before the to-infinitive.

Direct: ‘Do not share the data before verification.’ Reported: The principal investigator instructed the researchers not to share the data before verification.

• Report requests using ask + object + to-infinitive — the politeness markers please, could you, and would you are not reproduced in reported speech.

Direct: ‘Could you please check the instruments before the dive?’ Reported: The team leader asked the technician to check the instruments before the dive.

• Report suggestions using suggest + gerund or suggest + that-clause + should — never suggest + object + to-infinitive.

Direct: ‘Why don’t we extend the monitoring period by six months?’ Reported: The scientist suggested extending the monitoring period by six months. Reported: The scientist suggested that they should extend the monitoring period by six months.

• Report advice using advise + object + to-infinitive or advise + that-clause + should.

Direct: ‘You should recalibrate the instruments before proceeding.’ Reported: The engineer advised the team to recalibrate the instruments before proceeding. Reported: The engineer advised that the team should recalibrate the instruments before proceeding.

• Report warnings using warn + object + not + to-infinitive for negative warnings, or warn + that-clause for warnings about events.

Direct: ‘Do not attempt the dive — the conditions are too dangerous.’ Reported: The safety officer warned the divers not to attempt the dive.

Direct: ‘If you proceed, you risk damaging the equipment permanently.’ Reported: The engineer warned that if they proceeded, they risked damaging the equipment permanently.

• Report offers using offer + to-infinitive — no object before the infinitive.

Direct: ‘I will help you analyse the data.’ Reported: The researcher offered to help analyse the data.

• Report invitations using invite + object + to-infinitive.

Direct: ‘Would you like to present your findings at the conference?’ Reported: The organiser invited her to present her findings at the conference.

• Report promises using promise + to-infinitive or promise + that-clause.

Direct: ‘I will submit the complete report by Friday.’ Reported: The researcher promised to submit the complete report by Friday. Reported: The researcher promised that she would submit the complete report by Friday.

• Report refusals using refuse + to-infinitive.

Direct: ‘I will not release the preliminary data before peer review.’ Reported: The scientist refused to release the preliminary data before peer review.

• Report encouragements using encourage + object + to-infinitive.

Direct: ‘You should publish the findings — they are significant.’ Reported: The supervisor encouraged the team to publish the findings.

• Report reminders using remind + object + to-infinitive.

Direct: ‘Don’t forget to back up the data before the system maintenance.’ Reported: The technician reminded the team to back up the data before the system maintenance.

• Report persuasion using persuade + object + to-infinitive.

Direct: ‘You really should reconsider — the evidence is compelling.’ Reported: The researcher persuaded the committee to reconsider.

• Report urgings using urge + object + to-infinitive.

Direct: ‘You must act now — the window for intervention is closing.’ Reported: The scientist urged policymakers to act immediately.

• Report instructions using instruct + object + to-infinitive or direct + object + to-infinitive.

Direct: ‘Complete the environmental impact assessment before proceeding.’ Reported: The regulatory authority instructed the company to complete the environmental impact assessment before proceeding.

• Pronoun and time/place expression changes apply to reported directives in the same way as to reported statements.

Direct: ‘Submit your findings here tomorrow.’ Reported: The editor told the researcher to submit her findings there the following day.

• Let’s suggestions are reported using suggest + gerund or suggest + that-clause + should.

Direct: ‘Let’s review the data before drawing any conclusions.’ Reported: The team leader suggested reviewing the data before drawing any conclusions. Reported: The team leader suggested that they should review the data before drawing any conclusions.

• Why don’t we/you suggestions are reported in the same way as let’s suggestions.

Direct: ‘Why don’t you extend the survey by another two weeks?’ Reported: The advisor suggested that the team should extend the survey by another two weeks.

• Forbid + object + to-infinitive reports prohibitions — formal refusals of permission.

Direct: ‘You are not allowed to enter the restricted zone.’ Reported: The authority forbade the team to enter the restricted zone.

4. Common Errors and Corrections

5. Lesson Mastery

After completing this lesson, you should now be able to:

    ✅ Report commands and instructions using the to-infinitive construction

    ✅ Report requests, suggestions, warnings, offers, and invitations accurately

    ✅ Choose the appropriate reporting verb for each type of directive speech act

    ✅ Apply all relevant transformations to reported directives

    ✅ Recognise and correct common errors in reporting commands, requests, and suggestions