Reported speech in imperative sentence.
As we know, imperative sentence is used to denote a ‘wish’, ‘warning’, ‘advice’, ‘order’, ‘command’, ‘suggestion’, ‘request’, etc.
Before reporting an imperative sentence, the reporting verb in the question is to be changed, according to the sense that the sentence expresses and also in accordance with the tense form of the reporting verb, as explained step by step below,
Step 1
If the reporting verb is simple present, the reporting verb in the answer should be changed into,
‘wish/wishes’ or ‘warn/warns’ or ‘advise/advises’ or ‘order/orders’ or ‘command/commands’ or ‘suggest/suggests’ or ‘request/requests’ according to the sense of the direct speech. ( reporting object should be written after these verbs)
Step 2
If the reporting verb is simple past, the reporting verb should be,
‘Wished’ or ‘warned’ or ‘advised’ or ‘ordered’ or ‘commanded’ or ‘suggested’ or ‘requested’
Step 3
If the reporting verb is simple future, the reporting verb should be,
‘Will/shall + wish’ or ‘will/shall + warn’ or ‘will/shall + advise’ or ‘will/shall + order’ or ‘will/shall + command’ or ‘will/shall + suggest’ or ‘will/shall + request’.
Step 4
After changing the reporting verb as mentioned above and writing the reporting object, ‘to’ or ‘not to’ should be written on the basis of ‘positive’ and ‘negative ‘ meaning.
Step 5
If the sentence is in ‘positive’ meaning, ‘to’ is to be written and if ‘negative’ ‘not to’ is to be written ( instead of ‘don’t’, ‘never’ etc in the direct speech)
Then write down the direct speech as seen in the question after making required changes there. ( in imperative sentences, verbs don’t have tense forms. So we don’t have to concern about the changes of tense)
Eg: Teacher says to students,” study well and get ready for the exam”
( the sense that the sentence expresses is an ‘advice’; the reporting verb ‘says’ is in ‘simple present’ form; the sentence is in ‘positive meaning’, the subject ‘Teacher’ is singular)
Teacher ‘advises’ students ‘to’ study well and get ready for the exam.
( the reporting verb ‘says’ is changed as ‘advises’ according to tense form of the ‘reporting verb’ and the ‘sense’ of the ‘direct speech’ and after it the reporting object ‘students’ is written ; as the sentence is in positive meaning, ‘to’ is written here)
His father said to James, “ Don’t repeat it”
( the sense is ‘warning’; the word ‘don’t’ denotes ‘negative meaning’)
His father ‘warned’ James ‘not to’ repeat it.
( reporting verb is changed as ‘warned’ according to the tense form of the ‘reporting verb’ and the ‘sense’ of the ‘direct speech’ ; ‘not to’ is written instead of ‘don’t’ in the direct speech)
Mathew will say to him, “ come here at the earliest”
( the ‘reporting verb’ is in ‘simple future’ form and the ‘direct speech’ expresses ‘a command’; the sentence is in ‘positive’ meaning)
Mathew ‘will command’ him ‘to’ come there at the earliest.
( ‘reporting verb’ is changed as ‘will command’ according to the tense form of the reporting verb and the sense of the direct speech; as the direct speech is positive, ‘to’ is written)
Step 6
If the direct speech expresses a ‘request’, the word ‘please’ or ‘kindly’ or any word expressing a request is to be avoided in reported speech.
Eg: Mohan said to his friend, “Please give me the instructions to operate the machine”
( here, the direct speech expresses a ‘request’ by the word ‘please’ and also the sentence is in ‘positive meaning’; the reporting verb ‘said’ is in ‘simple past form’)
Mohan ‘requested’ his friend ‘to’ give him the instructions to operate the machine.
(reporting verb ‘said’ is changed as ‘requested’ according to the ‘tense’ form of the ‘reporting verb’ and the ‘sense’ of the ‘direct speech’; ‘to’ is written, as the direct speech expresses ‘positive’ meaning)