Reported Imperative

Sam An Teng

How to change (1): "to infinitive" form

Simply use this construction:

• Reporting verb + (pronoun) + to + infinitive
• Reporting verb + (pronoun) + NOT + to + infinitive

Requests:

For examples,

• Quoted: "How can I get at the university?"
• Reported: He asked me to show him how to get at the university. 

• Quoted: "Can you lend me $50?"
• Reported: Then he asked me to lend him $50.

Advice/instructions:

For examples,

• Quoted: "Don’t totally copy from internet!"
• Indirect: She advised me not to copy from internet. 

• Quoted: "Don't chat. You're disturbing others."
• Reported: My teacher told us not to chat as we were disturbing others.

Promises:

• Quoted: "I’ll post our photos today on Facebook."
• Reported: She promised to post our photos on Facebook.

Commands:

For examples,

• Quoted: "Don't park your motorbike here!"
• Reported: He told us not to park the motorbike there.

• Quoted: "Leave now. It’s very late."
• Reported: She ordered us to leave as it was very late.

Practice: Use "to" form to change the direct command (quoted) to an indirect statement.

1. My sister shouted, "Leave me alone!"  
    My sister told me ……………………………………………………..................................

2. Teacher said, "Knock the door before you come in."  
    Teacher told me …………………………………………………….................................

3. The guide said, "Go down the hill and turn left."  
    The guide told me to …………………………………………………..............................

4. The marketing manager said, "Tell me your opinions."  
    The marketing manager told us ………………………………………..........................

5. My boss said, "Be sure to finish the budget on time." 
    My boss told use ………………………………………………………..........................

6. My boss told, "Do the presentation again."  
    My boss told …………………………………...……….................................................

7. Teacher. "Don't talk to your classmate."
    The teacher told ……………………………………………...........................................


How to change (2): "should" form

Simply these constructions:

• Reporting verb + that + (pronoun) + should + infinitive  
• Reporting verb + that + pronoun + infinitive

Suggestions:
 
For examples,

• Quoted: Let’s go to Brighton for the weekend./ Why don’t we go to Brighton for the weekend?
• Reported: I suggested that we should go to Brighton for the weekend. (or I suggested we go to Brighton for the weekend.)

• Quoted: You must do the washing up before you go out.
• Reported: I insisted that she should do the washing up before she went out. (or I insisted that she do the washing up before she went out. Or; I commanded her to do the washing up before she went out.)

Practice: Use "should" form to change the direct command (quoted) to an indirect statement.

1. "Take a preparatory course," my counselor told me.  
     My counselor told me ………………………………………..........................................
2. He said, "Don't spend too much!"  
     He said ……………………………………………...........................................................
 
3. "Be home by midnight," my father said.  
       My father said ……………………………………..........................................................
 
4. The teacher said, "Don't give up hope!"
      The teacher said ………………………………....…………………...............................
 
5. Hilary said to us, "Don't believe him."  
       Hilary said ……………………………………………….................................................
 
6. He said, "Let's not blame him till we hear the facts."  
      He said ………………………………………………….....................................................
 
7. The students said, "Let's request make-up classes." 
      The students said …………………...…………………..................................................... 
 

Reported Question

Sam An Teng

How to report Yes/No questions

To change quoted question to an reported speech, you have to follow the steps below:

1. First, change the question to statement word order, i.e. Sub + verb …   
2. Second, Remove the Auxiliary (if any), and change one tense back.
3. Third, add IF/WHETHER next to the reporting verb,
4. Fourth, join the clauses.
5. Last, check if you need to change pronouns, or adverbs.

របៀបប្តូរៈ

1. ប្តូរពីទម្រង់សំណួរ (Do/Does + sub + verb) ទៅជាទម្រង់ស្រប (Sub + verb…)
2. លុប Auxiliary verb រួចប្តូរកាល (មួយកាលថយក្រោយ) – មើលតារាងខាងលើ។
3. ថែម IF/WHETHER បន្ទាប់ពី REPORTING VERB ។
4. ភ្ជាប់ជាប្រយោគ។
5. ពិនិត្យមើលសព្ទនាម ឬ កិរិយាស័ព្ទវិសេស ថាត្រូវប្តូរ ឬ មិនប្តូរ។

For examples,

• Quoted: John asked, "Are you coming?"
• Reported: John asked if I was coming. 

• Quoted: Mary inquired, “Did you get my email?"
• Reported: Mary inquired whether I had gotten his email. 

• Quoted: Jack asked, “Were you calling?"
• Reported: Jack asked whether I had been calling. 

• Quoted: My friend said, “Have you been exercising?"
• Reported: My friend asked if I had been exercising.

Practice: Write the indirect clause in the blank.

1. "Are you Cambodian?"  
    He asked me ……………………………………………..……………….................................

2. "Are you walking to school today?"  
    They asked me …………………………………………….…………………............................

3. "Have we got another battery charger?"  
    Can you tell me …………………………………………………………..…………...................

4. "Did they buy a new house?"  
    I'm not sure ……………………………………………………………..………….....................

5. "Is she your new teacher?"  
     I really don't know …………………………………………………….………………………..

6. "Will you join the workshop?"  
    Could you tell me ……………………………………………………………………................

7. "Had he been to Siem Reap before?"  
     Do you know ………………………….………………………………………………….........

8. "Have you planned your trip yet?"  
     They asked me ………………………………………….....…….………..……………..........

9. "Are you having a party tonight?"  
     I would like to know ………………………………………........….….………..........................

10. "Is the shopping center open until 10pm?"
​       ​​​Could you tell me …………………………………………………..……..…………..............


How to report information questions

To change quoted question to an indirect speech, you have to follow the steps below:

1. First, change the question to statement word order, i.e. put the subject before the verb.
2. Second, remove the Auxiliary (if any), and change one tense back.
3. Join the clauses
4. Last, check if you need to change pronouns, or adverbs.

របៀបប្តូរៈ 

1. ប្តូរពីទម្រង់សំណួរ ទៅជាទម្រង់ស្រប
2. លុប Auxiliary Verb រួចប្តូរកាល (មួយកាលថយក្រោយ) -- មើលតារាង
3. បន្ទាប់មកត្រូវភ្ជាប់ប្រយោគ
4. ពិនិត្យមើលសព្ទនាម ឬ កិរិយាស័ព្ទវិសេស ថាត្រូវប្តូរ ឬ មិនប្តូរ។

For examples,

• Quoted: My friend said, "Where did you work?"
• Reported: My friend asked where I had worked. 

• Quoted: Mike asked, "Where are you going?"
• Reported: Mike asked where I was going. 

• Quoted:Tom asked, “Whom were you calling?"
• Reported: Tom asked whom I had been calling. 

• Quoted: My friend asked, “How have you been doing?"
• Reported: My friend asked how I had been doing.

Practice: Change the direct question (quoted) to an indirect question.

1. "What did the teacher say?"  
    He asked me …………………………………………………………………………..........

2. "Where are you going?"  
    They asked me ………………………………....………………………………...................

3. "What time is it?"  
    Can you tell me ………………….................……..................................................................

4. "How old are you?"  
     I'd rather not say………………………………..……...…………….....................................

5. "When are you leaving?"  
     Please let me know ………………………………......……………......................................

6. "What is your car's color?"  
     Would you tell me ………………………........…………………….......................................

7. "Did you get the scholarship?"  
     Would you mind telling me ……….....……………………………………….......................

8. "How many times have you looked at that photo?"
     They asked me…………………………………………………………................................

9. "Who have you invited to dinner tonight?"
      I would like to know ………………………………………………………….........................

10. "Who did they choose to organize the event?"
       Can you tell me ……………………………………………………………........................... 

Reported Statement

Sam An Teng

Statements are positive or negative sentences. It is important that you should review the changes required (in the previous unit) when you report the statements .
 

How to report statements

To change quoted speech to an indirect statement, you have to follow the steps below:

1. First, change the tense (one tense backwards), look at the table above.
2. Second, add THAT next to the reporting verb,
3. Third, join the clauses.   
4. Then, check if you need to change pronouns, or adverbs.

របៀបប្តូរ៖  

1. ប្តូរកាល (មួយកាលថយក្រោយ) -- មើលតារាង
2. ថែម THAT បន្ទាប់ពី REPORTING VERB
3. បន្ទាប់មកត្រូវភ្ជាប់ប្រយោគ
4. ពិនិត្យមើលសព្ទនាម ឬ កិរិយាស័ព្ទវិសេស ថាត្រូវប្តូរ ឬ មិនប្តូរ។

For examples,

• Quoted:    Sok said, “I'm a teacher.”
• Reported: He said that he was a teacher. 

• Quoted:    Navy said, “I have been to France three times.”
• Reported: She said that she had been to France three times. 

• Quoted:     Piseth said, "It was raining yesterday."
• Reported: Piseth said (that) it had been raining the day before. 

• Quoted:     My friend said, "I will be there at 9:00pm."
• Reported: My friend said (that) he would be here at 9:00pm.

Practice 

Report the statements below.
1. My friends said, "We will have an exam tomorrow."
    My friends said ………………………………..............................................................

2. Samnang said, "My friend has had a road accident."
     He said …………………………………………………………..................................

3. Bopha said, "I didn't do homework last week."
    She said …………………………................................................................................

4. Thina said, "I have finished my assignment."
    Thina said …………………………………….............................................................

5. He complained, "I have a terrible headache."
    He complained …………………………………………..............................................

6. "I have never driven a Mercedes," he stated.
     He stated …………………………………….…………..............................................

7. He said, "I will be at school at 7:00."
    He promised ……………………………………..………….........................................

8. "I am going to retire this year," my senior manager announced.
     My senior manager said ……………………………...................................................

9. The manager said, "We have got a successful year last year."
    The manager said ………….………………………………….....................................

10. The supervisor said, "You are the symbol of the company and success."
      The supervisor said ………………………………….................................................. 

Reported Speech

Sam An Teng

Reported speech (also called Indirect Speech) is used to report what someone said to another person, but without using the exact words.

យើងប្រើទម្រង់ Reported speech ឬ Indirect speech ដើម្បីរាយការណ៍ ឬប្រាប់ពី អ្វីដែលមនុស្ស ម្នាក់ បាន និយាយ ទៅកាន់មនុស្សម្នាក់ផ្សេងទៀត។

Look at the example:

A friend, Bopha, says to you:

• I went to the stadium last night.

You say to someone else:

• Bopha said (that) she had been to the stadium the night before.

The verb said is called a reporting verb. Other reporting verbs are: accuse, admit, advise, allege, agree, apologize, beg, boast, complain, deny, explain, imply, invite, offer, order, promise, reply, suggest and think. (Using them properly can make what you say much more interesting and informative.) 

To report direct speech, a few changes are necessary; often a pronoun, tense, and adverb.

ជាទូទៅ ចូរចំណាំថា កាលណាយើងប្តូរពីទម្រង់ Direct Speech ទៅជាទម្រង់ Indirect Speech យើងត្រូវប្តូរ៖ (១) កាល (មួយកាលថយក្រោយ) (២) កិរិយាស័ព្ទ វិសេស និង (៣) សព្ទនាម។


Changes in Reporting

Change in Tenses 

Move one tense backwards,  see the list below:

• Simple Present  → Simple Past
• Present Progressive  → Past Progressive
• Simple Past  → Past Perfect Simple
• Present Perfect Simple  → Past Perfect Simple
• Past Progressive  → Past Perfect Progressive
• Present Perfect Progressive  → Past Perfect Progressive
• Future: Be going to  → was / were going to
• Future: Will   → Would
• Conditional I (will)  → Would

Note: could, should, would, might, needn’t, ought to, and used to do not change.

Change in Adverbs

Time and place references often have to change. For examples, 

• today    →   that day
• now  → then
• yesterday  → the day before/ the previous day
• … days ago   → … days before
• last week  → the week before/ the previous week
• next year  → the following year/ the year after
• tomorrow  →  the next day / the following day
• Here/there  →  there
• this/that  →   that
• these/those  →  those

Change in pronouns

Pronouns have to be changed depending on who says what and in which situation. For examples,

• She said, "I teach English online."
• She said that she taught English online.

Optional change in tense

In some cases, it is not necessary to change the tense. But if you are not sure, YOU ARE ADVISED TO CHANGE ALL THE TIME. Let see each case and examples below.

1. The reporting verb (or introductory clause) is in Simple Present (e. g. He says that...), Present Continuous (e.g. She is saying that…), Present Perfect (She has said that...), and Future (She will says...).

For examples, 

• Quoted:  My friend says, "I'll meet you in Siem Reap.”
• Reported: My friend says that he will meet me in Paris. 

• Quoted:  Maly will say, “She will quit her present job.”
• Reported: Maly will say that she will quit her present job.

2. Reporting something immediate after speaking, or which has just said. 

For example,

• Quoted:  “I never forget anything.”
• Reported: You have just said you never forget anything.

3. Reporting facts or general truth

For examples,

• Quoted: My friend said, "The sky is blue?"
• Reported: My friend said the sky is/was blue.

4. Reporting something that is still true

For examples,

• Quoted:  "The National Museum is painted Red."
• Reported: He said that the National Museum is painted red. 

• Quoted:  “Ban Ki-moon is the UN Secretary General.”
• Reported: He told me that Ban Ki-moon is the UN Secretary General.

How to change from quoted to reported speech

The structure is a little different depending on whether you want to transform a statement, a 

question, or an imperative. Please see the details in the following units.

ចំណាំ៖ ទម្រង់របស់ Indirect Speech មានភាពខុសគ្នាខ្លះអាស្រ័យលើការណ៍ដែល យើងប្តូរ ប្រយោគស្រប / បដិសេធន៍ ប្រយោគសំណួរ ឬ ប្រយោគ បែបបង្គាប់បញ្ជារ។