Commands, requests, advice in indirect speech. The indirect command, request, advice are usually expressed by “verb of command, request, advice + object + full infinitive”.
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“Speak quietly, Tom” she said.
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She told Tom to speak quietly.
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“Get your coat, Tom” he said.
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He urged Tom to get his coat.
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“You had better sleep”, she said.
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She advised Tom to sleep.
Negative commands, requests, advice are usually reported by not + full infinitive.
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“Don’t go too far, boys”, she said.
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She warned boys not to go too far.
Indirect commands, requests, advice should always contain the addressed person. But the addressed person is
often not mentioned in direct commands, requests, advice. When reporting such commands, requests or advice we
must add a noun or pronoun.
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He said, “Go away”.
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He told me / him / her / them / us / the children / etc to go away.
Ask is an exception the addressed person can be omitted if ask comes before certain verbs like see, speak to, talk to.
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He said, “Speak to me”.
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He asked to speak to him.
We can express an indirect command with structure tell / say + subject + to be to + bare infinitive
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He said, “Wait”.
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He told me that I was to wait.
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He told me to wait.
If the command is in the negative form we put not after to be in indirect command.
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He said, “Don’t speak”.
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He told me that I was not to speak.
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He told me not to speak.
Actually there is no differences between two structures but tell / say + subject + to be to + bare infinitive structure
is more usual in two cases:
1) if the introductory verb is in the present tense,
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He says, “Meet me at the station”.
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He says that we are to meet him at the station.
2) if there is clause before a command,
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He said, “if you see Ann tell her to ring me”.
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He told me that if I saw Ann i was to tell her to ring.
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He told me to tell Ann to ring him if i saw her.