Let’s learn how to report orders and requests:
The way we report orders and requests is much easier that the way we report statements or questions. We don’t need change the tenses or deal with complicated word order. We just use ‘to’ for affirmatives, and ‘not to’ for negatives.
Subject ‘told’ or ‘asked’ + object + TO/NOT TO + base form of the verb . These are both correct:
Lucy told Steven NOT TO tell anyone.
Lucy asked Steven NOT TO tell anyone.
Let’s look at more examples:
Sam told Frank to be a good friend.
She told him not to gossip.
Sam said that she was an exception to the rule.
She asked him to tell her everything.
Your turn! Can you fill in the missing words?
