reported speech requests and commands exercises

Reported Speech Exercises | Reporting Requests And Commands

Do the exercises below about the reported speech (requests and commands) and click on the button to check your answers.

(Before doing the exercise you may want to see the lesson on reported speech )

Transform these requests and commands into reported speech (start the sentence as suggested.)

• Can you lend me your book? → She asked me
• Please, help me with my homework → She begged her brother
• Could you spell your name, please? → She asked him
• Stand up. → The policeman ordered the criminal
• Don't be late. → She warned me
• Please, park your car away from the factory. → The security agent asked her
• Don't call me anymore. → She asked him
• Enjoy your stay in Paris → The hotel manager told her
• Please, keep quiet. → She asked the kids
• Don't leave me alone. → He told his mom
• Could you bring your laptops? → The teacher asked the students
• Be nice to your sister . → He urged his son
• You must not use the calculator.→ The maths teacher told the students
• Can you send invitations to all participants? → He asked his secretary
• You had better exercise regularly. → The doctor advised him
• Don't eat too much red meat. → The doctor advised him
• Stop making fool of me. → He asked her
• Open the window, please. → The duke ordered his butler
• Drop me at the hotel, please. → He asked the taxi driver
• Don't put the bag on the table. → She asked her daughter

Related materials

• Reported speech exercise (mixed)
• Reported speech exercise (questions)
• Reported speech exercise (requests and commands)
• Reported speech lesson

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• ESL Discussion Topic — Routines
• ESL Speaking Activity — Gerunds and Infinitives [Set 2]
• ESL Speaking Activity — Would you like? [Set 1]
• ESL Speaking Activity — Gerunds and Infinitives [Set 1]
• ESL Speaking Activity — Scenarios Affecting Self-Esteem [set 1]
• Reported requests
• 1. Amelia, “Can you carry the bag?” Amelia asked me . to carry the bag
• 2. William, “Could you explain to me the rule?” William asked me . to explain to him the rule
• 3. Olivia, “Can you teach me to drive?” Olivia asked me . to teach her to drive
• 4. Mila, “Can you stop yelling at me?” Mila asked me . to stop yelling at her
• 5. James, “Could you repeat?” James asked me . to repeat
• 6. Noah, “Can you show me the answer?” Noah asked me . to show him the answer
• 7. Chloe, “Could you pick me up at 7 am?” Chloe asked me . to pick her up at 7 am
• 8. Daniel, “Can you go with me?” Daniel asked me . to go with him
• 9. Jack, “Can you walk the dog?” Jack asked me . to walk the dog
• 10. Ivy, “Could you go with me?” Ivy asked me . to go with her
• Reported requests — Exercise 2
• Reported statements — mixed tenses — Exercise 1
• Reported statements — mixed tenses — Exercise 2
• Reported statements — mixed tenses — Exercise 3
• Reported statements — mixed tenses — Exercise 4

Reported Speech (Part 2) – Requests, Orders, and Questions

My colleague asked me to help him update his computer.

Read Reported Speech (Part 1) to learn how to make reported statements.

In Part 2, we will focus on requests, orders, and questions.

1. Requests/orders

• “Asked me to”  is used for requests.
• “Told me to” is stronger; it is used for orders/commands.
• The main verb stays in the infinitive: She asked me to make copies. He told me to go to the bank.

2. Yes/no questions

• “Asked if” and “wanted to know if” are equal.
• The main verb changes according to the rules for reported statements : “ Did you turn off the TV?” (past simple) She asked if I had turned off the TV (past perfect)
• We don’t use the auxiliary verbs “do/does/did” in the reported question.

3. Other questions

• “Asked”  and “wanted to know” are equal.
• We don’t use the auxiliary verb “do” or “does” in the reported question: “Where does he work?” She wanted to know where he works .
• In questions with the verb “to be,” the word order  changes in the reported question: “Where were you born?” (Question word + [to be] + subject) He asked where I was born (Question word + subject + [to be]) He asked where was I born

Reported Speech (Part 2) Quiz

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Requests in Reported Speech

For pronouns and place / time expressions see statements in reported speech. Tenses are not relevant for requests – simply use ‚to‘  + infinite verb.

For negative requests, use ‚not to‘ + infinite verb.

Exercises on reported speech

• Syllabus 2024-25
• CBSE Class X SQP 2023-24
• CBSE Class XII SQP 2023-24
• Class X SQP 2022-23
• Class XII SQP 2022-23
• Request Answers

Reported Speech: Commands and Requests Practice Exercises

• Post last modified: 10 April 2022
• Post category: Grammar Exercises / School Grammar

Reported Speech: Imperative Sentences Exercises

1. The Commander said, “My lads, pick up your guns and open fire at the enemy.”

2. The teacher said to the boys, “Take out your books and read them silently.”

3. Mother said to Reena, “Go to the kitchen, and prepare a cup of tea for me.”

4. My servant said to me, “Sir, let me go out for an hour to meet my friend who is ill.”

5. The old woman said to Sita, “My daughter, I am shivering with cold, give me some old sweater of yours.”

6. My neighbour said to me, “This box is very heavy, come please, and help me lift it up.”

1. The Commander ordered his lads (or soldiers) to pick up their guns and open fire at the enemy.  

2. The teacher ordered the boys to take out their books and read them silently.

3. Her mother told Reena to go to the kitchen and prepare a cup of tea for her.

4. My servant requested me to let him (or to allow him to) go out for an hour to meet his friend who was ill.  

5. Calling Sita, her daughter, the old woman said that she was shivering with cold, and begged of her for an old sweater of hers. [Note: Keep in mind that in the above sentence, the first part is a statement. Therefore, we connected it with that. But the second part is a request. Therefore, we connected it with begged of.] 

6. My neighbour said that the (that) box was very heavy, and requested me to move and help him lift that up. (Here also, the sentences are of two types—we connected one part with that and the other par t with to.)

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Reported questions commands + requests exercises PDF

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Reported questions PDF exercise 1

Key with answers 1

• Change direct questions to reported questions. "Where did you work?" - He asked me ___.

Reported questions PDF exercise 2

Key with answers 2

• Report a dialogue. "Did you pass the exam, Sue?" - "Yes, I did."... Tim asked Sue ___.

Reported questions PDF exercise 3

Key with answers 3

• Change reported questions into direct questions. Sam asked me why I hadn't come. - "Why didn't you come?"

Reported commands PDF exercise 4

Key with answers 4

• Complete sentences in the reported speech. "Leave your room." - He asked me ___.

Reported commands PDF exercise 5

Key with answers 5

• Find and correct mistakes. "Don't do it." - He told me I didn't do it.

Reported speech exercises PDF Changes of tenses, time and place in reported statements.

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Direct and indirect speech exercises Multiple choice and gap-filling exercises on reported statements, questions and commands.

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Reported speech rules PDF Changes of tenses, pronouns, time and place in reported statements, questions and commands.

English grammar PDF All PDF rules with examples on this website to download for free.

Reported questions

Direct questions become reported questions with the same word order as statements. The reporting verb say changes into ask, want to know, wonder... "Where have you been?" he said. - He asked me where I had been. "What time did it start?" he said. - He wanted to know what time it had started. "Why won't he do it?" she said. - She wondered why he wouldn't do it.

In yes/no questions we use if or whether in questions. If is more common and whether is more formal. "Will you come?" she asked me. - She asked me if/whether I would come. "Did he marry Sue?" she said. - She wondered if/whether he had married Sue.

Reported commands and requests

The commands, requests and advice mostly have the same form in English: verb + object + infinitive ( advise, ask, beg, forbid, order, persuade, recommend, tell, urge, warn etc.).

In the direct speech we do not mention the person in the imperative. In the indirect speech the person addressed must be mentioned. "Get up!" he said. - He told me to get up. "Please, revise for the test," he said. - He urged me to revise for the test. "Put on your coat," I said. - I advised him to put on his coat.

Negative commands, requests and advice are made by verb + object + not + infinitive. "Don't hesitate," he said. - He persuaded me not to hesitate. "Don't smoke," the doctor warned my father. - The doctor warned my father not to smoke.

Tell can introduce statements, commands, requests or advice. The form is different, however.

Statements with tell "I'm leaving," he told me. - He told me that he was leaving.

Commands, requests or advice with tell "Leave the room," he told John. - He told John to leave the room. "Don't give up," the teacher told her students. - The teacher told the students not to give up.

Similarly ask is used in reported questions, commands, requests or advice in different forms.

Questions with ask "Will you make coffee?" he said. - He asked me if I would make coffee.

Commands, requests or advice with ask "Make coffee, please," he said. - He asked me to make coffee. "Don't park in my place," Greg told me. - Greg asked me not to park in his place.

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Reported speech

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Reported Speech

Perfect english grammar.

Reported Statements

Here's how it works:

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:

• Direct speech: I like ice cream.
• Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

• Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

* doesn't change.

• Direct speech: The sky is blue.
• Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Reported Questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

• Direct speech: Where do you live?
• Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
• Direct speech: Where is Julie?
• Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.
• Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
• Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

• Direct speech: Close the window, please
• Or: Could you close the window please?
• Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
• Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
• Direct speech: Please don't be late.
• Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

• Direct speech: Sit down!
• Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
• Click here for an exercise to practise reported requests and orders.
• Click here for an exercise about using 'say' and 'tell'.
• Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

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Reported Requests

A request is when somebody asks you to do something – usually politely. Reported requests are one form of reported speech .

We usually introduce reported requests with the verb "ask". The structure is very simple:

• We asked the man to help us.
• They asked us to wait.

Because we use the infinitive there is no need to worry about tense. But as with reported statements and reported questions , we may need to change pronouns as well as time and place in reported requests.

Here are some examples:

Contributor: Josef Essberger

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Reported commands and requests in English

1. reported commands.

• affirmative commands → to + infinitive
• negative commands → not + to + infinitive

1.1. Affirmative commands

• Direct Speech → Dad, “Do your homework.”
• Reported Speech → Dad told me to do my homework.

1.2. Negative commands

• Direct Speech → Teacher, “Do n't talk to your friend.”
• Reported Speech → The teacher told me not to talk to my friend.

1.3. The introductory sentence in commands

The word tell in introductory sentences in Reported Commands can be substituted with other words, e.g.

There is no backshift of tenses, no matter which tense is used in the introductory sentence.

Direct Speech

• Dad, “Do your homework.”
• Reported Speech
• Dad tells me to do my homework.
• Dad told me to do my homework.

2. Suggestions

• Father, “Let's watch a film.”
• Father suggested watching a film.
• Father suggested that they should watch a film

Do not use the infintive after suggest . Father suggested to watch a film.

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Reported Speech Requests Commands/Exclamations

Reported Requests/Commands

Indirect speech exclamations.