Imperative sentence direct indirect speech
An imperative sentence is a sentence that expresses an order, a request, or advice.
When converting imperative sentence of reported speech of a direct speech into indirect speech, the following rules should be followed:
Rule-01:
(A) Reporting verb is changed by the word ‘request’, to imply request, ‘order’, to imply order, ‘command’ to imply command, ‘advice’, to imply advise, otherwise changed by the word ‘tell‘.
(B) Inverted comma disappears and ‘to’ sits before the verb of an imperative sentence (at the point of connection of two clauses).
(C) The rest part of the reported speech sits after ‘to’( from the main verb to the end of the sentence).
Example:
Direct: The teacher said to the boy, “Do it.”
Indirect: The teacher ordered the boy to do it.
Direct: The teacher said to the boy, “Do not do it”
Indirect: The teacher ordered the boy not to do it.
Direct: Mark said to us, “I think you should take a taxi.“
Indirect: Mark advised us to take a taxi.
Direct: The policeman said to me, ” Please move this car.”
Indirect: The policeman told me to move the car.
Direct: The old man said, “Please, give a glass of water.”
Indirect: The old man requested to give a glass of water.
Direct: The inspector said, “Can I see your ticket, please?
Indirect: The inspector asked to see my ticket.
Rule- 02:
When addressing someone in the direct speech of imperative sentence, the following rule/structure is used to convert the speech into indirect speech.
Structure: Addressing + NP(obj) + as + NP + Speaker + reporting verb + to + from the main verb to the end of reported speech.
Example:
Direct: He said to them,“My friends, listen to me”
Indirect: Addressing them as friends he said to listen to him.
Direct: The speaker said, “Friends, lend me your ears.”
Indirect: Addressing the audience as friends, the speaker requested them to lend him their ears.
Use of Let:
Rule- 03:
A) When ‘let’ means to propose or offer to go –
B) If there is ‘us’ after let, the reporting verb is changed by the word ‘propose’ or ‘suggest’ while doing the indirect narration.
C) Inverted comma disappears and sits ‘that’ there.
D) ‘they/we + should’ sits in place of ‘let us’
E) The rest part of the reported speech sits there. ( from the main verb to the end of the sentence).
Structure: Subject + propose / proposed + that + they / we +should + from the main verb to the end of the sentence of reported speech.
Example:
Direct: Rubel said, “ Let us study now”.
Indirect: Rubel proposed/suggested that we/they should study then.
Direct: Gita said to Rita, “ Let us run a race”
Indirect: Gita proposed to Rita that they should run a race.
Use of Let:
Rule- 04:
When ‘let’ does not mean propose:
A) In this case reporting verb does not change. ‘said’ / ‘told’ sits there.
B) Inverted comma disappears and ‘that’ sits before the reported speech.
C) May/might / might be allowed to is used before the verb of reported speech.
Structure: Subject + reporting verb + object + that + The subject of reported speech + might + from the main verb to the end of the sentence of reported speech.
Example :
Direct: The boy said to me, “ Let me go now”
Indirect: The boy told me that he might/might be allowed to go then.
Direct: The old man said,” Let me have something to eat”
Indirect: The old man said that he might/might be allowed to have some food.
Imperative sentence direct indirect speech
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