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Reporting commands, requests, advice and instructions.
Commands, requests, instructions, advice, and warnings can be reported using different verb patterns depending on the communicative purpose.
Common structures include reporting verb + object + to-infinitive, reporting verb + object + not + to-infinitive, and reporting verb + that-clause or gerund in some cases.
Tell is commonly followed by an object and a to-infinitive when reporting a command or instruction.
For example, "Close the door" becomes She told me to close the door.
Ask can be followed by an object and a to-infinitive when reporting a request.
For example, "Please help me" becomes She asked me to help her.
Instructions can be reported using verbs such as tell, instruct, direct, and order followed by an object and a to-infinitive.
For example, The officer instructed us to wait outside.
Negative commands are commonly reported with object + not + to-infinitive.
For example, "Do not touch it" becomes He told me not to touch it.
Negative requests can be reported with a structure such as ask + object + not + to-infinitive.
For example, "Please do not tell anyone" becomes She asked me not to tell anyone.
Advise can be followed by an object and a to-infinitive when reporting advice directed at a particular person.
For example, "You should wait" becomes She advised me to wait.
Tell + object + to-infinitive can also report advice or strong recommendations depending on context.
For example, The doctor told him to get some rest.
Warn can be followed by an object and a to-infinitive when reporting a warning about an action.
For example, "Do not go there" becomes She warned me not to go there.
Warn can also be followed by an object + against + gerund when warning someone about an activity.
For example, He warned us against driving on the icy roads.
Order can be followed by an object and a to-infinitive to report an authoritative command.
For example, The officer ordered the soldiers to leave the building.
Beg can be followed by an object and a to-infinitive when reporting an urgent or emotional request.
For example, He begged me to stay.
Some verbs used to report recommendations take different complement patterns depending on the verb.
For example, She advised me to wait, while She recommended waiting is standard.
Permission can be reported using verbs and expressions such as allow, permit, let, and give permission.
For example, "You can leave" can become They allowed us to leave.
Allow is followed by an object and a to-infinitive when reporting that someone was permitted to do something.
For example, The teacher allowed us to leave early.
Permit can be followed by an object and a to-infinitive in formal or official reporting.
For example, The regulations permitted residents to park there.
Let can report permission, but its grammatical pattern differs from allow and permit.
For example, "You can use my phone" can become She let me use her phone. Let is followed by an object and a bare infinitive.
When ask reports a request for information rather than a request for an action, it normally takes if, whether, or a wh-clause instead of an object + to-infinitive.
For example, She asked me if I was ready contrasts with She asked me to wait.
Commands can sometimes be reported with passive structures when the person receiving the command is not important or is understood.
For example, Staff were told to remain in the building.
A perfect infinitive can occasionally report an instruction concerning an action expected to have been completed earlier.
For example, He was told to have the report completed by Friday.
Please in direct requests is normally not retained as a separate word in the reported structure.
For example, "Please sit down" becomes She asked me to sit down.
Pronouns in reported commands and requests change according to the relationship between the original speaker, listener, and reporter.
For example, "Help me" becomes He told her to help him.
Time and place references may change when commands or requests are reported from a different context.
For example, "Come here tomorrow" may become She told me to go there the next day, depending on the reporting viewpoint.
Different reporting verbs add different meanings such as authority, urgency, persuasion, warning, or politeness.
Compare told me to leave, asked me to leave, ordered me to leave, begged me to leave, and warned me not to stay.
Use the reporting verb and complement pattern that matches the original communicative purpose.
Common mistakes include using a that-clause after tell for a command, adding to after let, forgetting the object after tell, using if for an action request, and using the wrong negative infinitive pattern.