English — Reported commands and requests
To report an imperative, English does not repeat the command directly. Instead it uses a reporting verb such as tell, ask, order, advise or warn, followed by an object (the person addressed) and a to-infinitive: He told me to wait.
How it works
The pattern is verb + object + to-infinitive. To report a negative command, put not before to: She asked me not to go. Note that ask covers both requests ("Please help" → She asked me to help) and questions, and that tell always needs an object here (He told me to wait, not He said me to wait).
Examples
| Direct speech | Reported form |
|---|---|
| "Wait." | He told me to wait. |
| "Please don't go." | She asked me not to go. |
| "Sit down!" | The teacher ordered us to sit down. |
| "You should see a doctor." | She advised him to see a doctor. |
| "Don't touch the wire!" | They warned us not to touch the wire. |
| "Please help me." | He asked me to help him. |
| "Be quiet." | She told the children to be quiet. |
Good to know
A common mistake is using a that-clause or the base verb: not He told me that I wait or He told me wait, but He told me to wait. Also, say takes no personal object in this pattern, so use tell (or ask) instead: He told me to wait, never He said me to wait.