It's often more concise than using a that-clause (e.g., "He said that I should...").
The Basic Structure
The core pattern for this type of reported speech is:
Subject + Reporting Verb + (Object) + (not) + to-infinitive
* Reporting Verb: A verb like tell, ask, advise, offer, promise, warn, etc.
* Object: The person who was spoken to (e.g., me, him, the children). This is necessary for many verbs like tell, ask, and warn.
* to-infinitive: The base form of the verb with to (e.g., to go, to study, to be quiet).
For negative commands or advice, we use not to + infinitive.
Common Reporting Verbs and Their Uses
Let's break down the verbs by the function of the original speech.
1. Reporting Commands and Orders
When the direct speech is an imperative (e.g., "Do this!"), we often use verbs like tell, order, command.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
| The general said, "Attack!" | The general ordered the soldiers to attack. |
| My mom said, "Clean your room." | My mom told me to clean my room. |
| "Don't be late," she said. | She told us not to be late. |
Note: tell is the most common and neutral verb in this category. order and command are much stronger.
2. Reporting Requests
For polite requests (often including "please"), we use verbs like ask, request, beg.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| "Please help me," he said. | He asked me to help him. |
| "Could you open the window, please?" she said. | She asked him to open the window. |
| "Please, please don't go," he said. | He begged her not to go. |
3. Reporting Advice and Suggestions
When reporting advice (e.g., "You should..."), we use verbs like advise, recommend, encourage, urge.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| The doctor said, "You should get more rest." | The doctor advised me to get more rest. |
| My teacher said, "You should apply for the scholarship." | My teacher encouraged me to apply for the scholarship. |
| "I strongly suggest you check the contract carefully," said the lawyer. | The lawyer urged us to check the contract carefully. |
4. Reporting Warnings
For warnings, the most common verb is warn.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| "Don't touch the hot stove," my father said. | My father warned me not to touch the hot stove. |
| The sign said, "Be careful of falling rocks." | The sign warned hikers to be careful of falling rocks. |
5. Reporting Offers, Promises, and Agreements
For offers, promises, and agreements, we use verbs like offer, promise, agree, refuse. Notice that the object is often not needed here if the subject is the one performing the action.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| "I can help you with your suitcase," he said. | He offered to help me with my suitcase. |
| "I'll call you tomorrow, I swear," she said. | She promised to call me the next day. |
| "Okay, I'll wait," I said. | I agreed to wait. |
| "No, I won't do it," he said. | He refused to do it. |
6. Reporting Reminders
To report a reminder, we use the verb remind.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| "Don't forget to buy milk," she said to me. | She reminded me to buy milk. |
| "Remember to lock the door," he said. | He reminded us to lock the door. |
Summary and Key Differences
| Type of Speech | Reporting Verb(s) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Statement/Fact | say, tell that | He said that he was tired. |
| Command | tell, order | He told me to go to bed. |
| Request | ask, request | She asked me to wait. |
| Advice | advise, encourage | They advised us to book early. |
| Warning | warn | He warned them not to be loud. |
| Offer | offer | She offered to drive. |
| Promise | promise | I promised to be careful. |
| Agreement/Refusal | agree, refuse | They agreed to help. / He refused to leave. |
Using this structure makes your English sound more natural and fluent when reporting different kinds of conversations.
REPORTING SPEECH: VERB + (PRO)NOUN OBJECT + INFINITTVE*
advise someone to
remind someone to
invite someone to
ask someone to
tell someone to
order someone to
warn someone to
permit Someone to
encourage someone to
Other common verbs followed by a (pro)noun object and an infinitive:
allow
convince
instruct
beg
direct
persuade
challenge
expect
urge
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