Imperative Reported Speech with Examples & Practise Exercises

Malvika Chawla

Updated on

Jan 9, 2024

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Imperative Reported Speech

Imperative Reported Speech: When studying English grammar, the candidate needs to have all the knowledge about imperative reported speech. By doing so, they will be able to construct sentences in a much better way. Imperative sentences in reported speech are used to give commands. In this blog, you will read about imperative reported speech which will help you learn about this concept.

This Blog Includes:

What is An Imperative Sentence?
What is Imperative Reported Speech?
Imperative Reported Speech with Verb from Direct to Indirect Speech
Imperative Reported Speech Exercise 1
Imperative Reported Speech Exercise 2
FAQs

What is An Imperative Sentence?

An imperative sentence is a type of sentence that gives commands or makes requests. These sentences usually take the form of the subjectless verb. The tone is often forceful, commanding and direct.

What is Imperative Reported Speech?

Imperative in reported speech is a little bit different from regular sentences. They are generally used when one gives orders and we can also use them to make requests.

In imperatives, we use “ask/tell somebody to do something.”

Reported speech imperatives differ in structure from other reported speech sentences. Some imperatives including examples are given here:

Commands: Keep low!

Requests: Please close the gate

Advice: Move and lie down

Suggestions: Take the pill the next day instead

Below given examples below show how imperative is used in reported speech.

Imperative: “Come here.”

Reported Speech: She told me to come here.

Imperative Reported Speech with Verb from Direct to Indirect Speech

An imperative sentence always indicates a command, advice or a request. Therefore, we must use appropriate verbs according to advice, command or request. Here is a list of verbs used to change direct speech into indirect speech as provided in the table below:

Verbs of Request	Request, Ask, beg, desire, entreat, pray, implore, solicit
Verbs of Advice	Exhort, Urge, Persuade and Advice
Verbs of Command	Order, tell, command bid, change, require. (‘Forbid’) is the negative verb of command.
The most used Verbs include:	Ask and tell

Another main key point in ‘tell’ is often used to express a ‘command’, ‘order’ or ‘request’. Therefore, it is safe to use ‘tell’ in the indirect form when there is doubt about a proper word to introduce a reported speech.

Imperative Reported Speech Exercise 1

Change the following sentences into indirect speech.

My brother said, “Would you like to have tea with me?”
He said to his teacher, “Please explain this poem to me.”
“Come quickly”, he shouted, “and help me as I am in grave danger.”
The saint said to the pupils, “Be quiet and listen to me carefully.”
“Be punctual from tomorrow,” my teacher said, “otherwise I will complain to the Principal.”

Imperative Reported Speech Exercise 2

Rewrite each sentence into reported speech.

Grandma said to me, “Please fetch my glasses.”
The librarian said to us, “Return the books in a month.”
I said to the agent, ”Please book two tickets for America.”
Andrew said, ”I’ll have a chicken sandwich and some coffee.”
He said, ”Fasten your seat belts.”

Check Your Answers:

Grandma asked me to kindly fetch her glasses.
The librarian told us to return the books in a month.
I requested the agent to book two tickets for America.
Andrew asked for a chicken sandwich and some coffee.
He asked us to fasten our seat belts.

More Blogs on Reported Speech!

FAQs

What is an example of an imperative in a reported speech?

An example of an imperative in a reported speech are:
He instructed me to keep quiet.
The driver asked me to close the window of the bus.

How do you report an imperative?

To report an imperative, one can do so by using an infinitive along with a reporting verb. These will include tell, order instruct, win or direct.

What is imperative speech?

In imperative speech, the sentence that expresses an advice, request or order is called an imperative speech.

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Malvika Chawla

Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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