Unit4: Language Focus

Language Focus
Grammar
Reported Speech

positive imperative
Shut up!
tell + to
infinitive
He told me to
shut up.
negative imperative
Don't do that again!
tell + not +
to infinitive
He told me
not to do it
again.
imperatives as requests
Please give me some money.
ask + to
infinitive
He asked me
to give him
some money.

Reporting orders and requests
If someone says something which orders or requests someone to
do something, this can be reported with verbs such as tell and
ask, followed by an object and a to-infinitive, e.g.:
“Please sit down.” = She told us to sit down.

“Pass me the salt, would you?” = He asked me to pass him the
salt.
Other verbs that occur in this pattern include: order, command,
forbid, instruct, beg and urge, e.g.:
“Please don’t leave me!” = She begged him not to leave her.


Indirect Orders with to + Base Form of Verbs
1. The teacher said to his students, “Do all the homework
before you come to class”
 The teacher told his students to do all the home work
before they came to class
2. “Go and see the game tomorrow ,” said Trung to Hoang.
 Trung told Hoang to go and see the game the
following day.
3. Father said ,”Don’t waste your time playing games all day
,son.”
 The Father told his son not to waste his time playing
games all day
a) Change the following sentences into reported speech

4. “Go ahead with your presentation,” said the
interviewer.
 The interviewer told the interviewee to go
ahead with her presentation
5. “Please do not touch any of the materials here,” said
the employer to his assistant.
 The employer told his assistant not to touch
any of the material here
6. The coach said, “Be fast and concentrate hard”.


The coach told the player to be fast and
concentrate hard
7. “Don’t hesitate to ask if you have a question,” said
the instructor to the students.

The instructors told the students not to
hesitate to ask if they had a question