UNIT 72 Direct and Indirect Speeches: Imperatives

Grammar Explanations
1. Direct speech states the exact words a speaker used. In writing, use quotation marks.
Indirect speech reports what a speaker said without using the exact words. There are no
quotation marks.
Examples
Come early and bring your insurance card, said the doctor.
The doctor told her to come early and bring her insurance card.
!. The reporting "erb #such as say or tell$ is usually in the simple past tense %or both direct
and indirect speech.
Be careful &se say when the listener is not mentioned. Do not use tell.
Examples
Direct 'peech(((Drink warm milk, he said.
Indirect 'peech((()e told her to drink warm milk.
)e said to call him in the morning.
*+T )e told to call him in the morning.
,. Direct speech imperati"es use the base %orm o% the "erb.
Indirect speech imperati"es use the in%initi"e to report-
a. instructions
b. commands
c. requests
d. in"itations
Examples
Direct 'peech(((Come early, he said.
Indirect 'peech((()e said to come early.
Direct 'peech(((.ait.
Indirect 'peech((()e told me to wait.
Direct 'peech(((Could you please arri"e by /-001
Indirect 'peech((('he asked him to arri"e by /-00.
Direct 'peech(((Could you 2oin us %or lunch1
Indirect 'peech((('he in"ited me to 2oin them %or lunch.
3. &se a negati"e in%initi"e #not4in%initi"e$ to report negati"e imperati"es.
Examples
Direct 'peech(((Don5t go.
Indirect 'peech((()e told her not to go.
6. In indirect speech, make changes to keep the speaker5s original meaning.
a. Change pronouns and possessi"es.
b. Change time phrases.
c. Change this and here.
Examples
)e said to 7nn, Tell me your problem.
)e told 7nn to tell him her problem.
Call me tomorrow.
'he said to call her the next day.
'ign this %orm here.
'he told him to sign that %orm there.
INDENTI!"# 8ead this article about sleep disorders. Circle all the reporting "erbs.
&nderline once all the direct imperati"es. &nderline twice all the indirect imperati"es.
Tossin$ and Turnin$ %& 'onnie Sun$
Can5t sleep1 9ou5re not alone. :illions o% people are up tossing and turning instead o%
getting their ;;;;5s. Dr. 8ay Thorpe, Director o% the 'leep Disorders Clinic, says, Don5t
think that loss o% sleep is 2ust a minor incon"enience. During and inter"iew he told me to
think about what can happen i% people dri"e when they5re tired. <"ery year up to !00000
car accidents are caused by drowsy dri"ers. Then he asked me to think about a recent
industrial disaster. Chances are that it was caused at least in part by sleep depri"ation.
=eing an insomniac mysel%, I asked Dr. Thorpe %or some suggestions. )e told me to
stop drinking co%%ee. )e said to ha"e a warm glass o% milk instead. 7 lot o% old(%ashioned
remedies work. )a"e a high(carbohydrate snack like a banana be%ore you go to bed, he
said. =ut he ad"ises patients not to eat a hea"y meal be%ore turning in %or the night. .hat
about exercise1 8egular exercise helps, but don5t exercise too close to bedtime, he
suggested. >inally, he told me not to despair. Don5t worry about not sleeping. It5s the
worst thing to do, he said I don5t know. 7%ter thinking about those industrial accidents, I
doubt I5ll be able to sleep at all?
'())SE# Connie 'ung "isited Dr. Thorpe5s sleep clinic. Complete her notes with the
correct words in parentheses.
@ast week I "isited the sleep clinic. Dr. Thorpe called and asked me
1. #arri"eAto arri"e$ at /-,0 !. #tonightAthat night$. )e ,. #saidAtold$ me to bring 3. #myAyour$
nightshirt and toothbrush. I arri"ed on schedule. The technician, Buan <strada, in"ited me
6. #watchAto watch$ TC in the lounge. )e D. #saidAtold$ to relax E. #hereAthere$ while they
got my room ready. 7n hour later, Buan come back and got me ready to sleep. )e attached
electrodes to my body and hooked me up to a machine. Could you please /. #explainAto
explain$1 I asked. The machine records brain acti"ity. Buan instructed me F. #don5tAnot to$
lea"e the bed until 10. #tomorrowAthe next$ morning. To my surprise, I %ell asleep right
away. In the morning, Dr. Thorpe told me that except %or some leg mo"ements during the
night, I ha"e healthy sleep patterns. )e ad"ised me 11. #getAto get$ some more exercise.
*E+*ITE# 8ead the ad"ice that TC news commentator Bohn 'tossel ga"e "iewers about
the common and "ery dangerous problem o% %eeling sleepy when dri"ing. 8ewrite his
ad"ice in indirect speech.
1. Gull o"er and take a brie% nap.
!. Don5t take a long nap.
,. 'ing to yoursel"es.
3. Turn your radio to an annoying station.

6. Don5t drink co%%ee.
D. +pen your window.
E. @et cold air in.
/. =e care%ul when you stop your car.

F. Don5t stop on a deserted roadside.

10. Don5t drink and dri"e.
EDIT# 8ead this student5s 2ournal entry. >ind and correct %ourteen mistakes in the use o%
indirect imperati"es. The %irst mistake is already corrected. 8emember to check
punctuation?
In writing class today, Buan read one o% his stories. It was wonder%ul. 7%ter class, the
teacher in"ited me to read a story in class next week. )owe"er, I asked her no to call on me
next week because I5m ha"ing trouble getting ideas. 'he said me not to worry, and she said
to wait %or two weeks. Then I talked to Buan, and I asked hem tell me the source %or your
ideas. )e said that they came %rom his dreams, and he told me keep a dream 2ournal %or
ideas. )e in"ited me to read some o% his 2ournal. It was "ery interesting, so I asked him to
gi"e me some tips on remembering dreams. )e said getting a good night5s sleep because
the longer dreams come a%ter a long period o% sleep. )e also tell me to keep my 2ournal by
the bed and to write as soon as I wake up. )e said to no mo"e %rom the sleeping position.
)e also told me to don5t think about the day at %irst. #I% you think about your day, you might
%orget your dreams.$ :ost important(((e"ery night he tells himsel% that to remember his
dreams tomorrow morning.