Reported Speech – Orders and Requests

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.

Notice the difference between these:

The verb to ask means to inquire. It indicates a question. The object is optional.
Mary asked a question.
Mary asked me my name.

To ask + object + to + verb means to request. The object is required.
Mary asked me to help her. Mary requested my help.
Mary asked the server for a glass of water. Mary requested a glass of water.

As we have already learned, to tell is to convey a message.
Tobias told me the news.

To tell + object + TO means to command. The object is required.
Tobias told me to give him my lunch money.
Tobias told the staff to be on time.

With both to ask and to tell, when we add to + base form of a verb, we create an order or request.
Mary asked me to help her. Mary requested me to help her.
Mary told me to help her. Mary ordered me to help her.

Can you report what Sam said?