IMPERATIVE SENTENCES (NARRATION)

 

A. The following specific rules should be kept in mind in addition to general rules at the time of changing direct speech to indirect speech in imperative sentences:-

1.  According to sense, reporting verb is changed into an imperative verb i.e. advise, request, order, urge, forbid, prevent, command or pray.

2.  Comma (,) and inverted comma (“…”) are replaced with ‘to’ following reporting verb.

3.  Full stop (.) is placed at the end of the sentence.

a.  Direct     : He said to me, “Please lend me hundred rupees.”

     Indirect  : He requested me to lend him hundred rupees.

b.  Direct     : The master said to Sukhia, “Get out of the house.”

     Indirect  : The master ordered Sukhia to get out of the house.

c.  Direct     : My brother said to me, “Be regular in your studies.”

     Indirect  : My brother advised me to be regular in my studies.

d.  Direct     : The mother said to the daughter, “Do not wear gaudy clothes.”

     Indirect  : The mother forbade the daughter to wear gaudy clothes.

e.  Direct     : The old man said to the youth, “Beware of the mountain pass.”

    Indirect  : The old man cautioned the youth to beware of the mountain pass.

f.   Direct     : The Brigadier said to the soldiers, “Attack the enemy positions.”

     Indirect  : The Brigadier commanded the soldiers to attack the enemy positions.

g.  Direct     : The poor old man said, “Please give me something to eat.”

     Indirect  : The poor old man begged something to eat.

h.  Direct     : The farmer said to the landlord, “Kindly give me a loan.”

     Indirect  : The farmer requested the landlord to give him a loan.

i.   Direct     : The officer said to the peon, “Do not leave the room.”

     Indirect  : The officer ordered the peon not to leave the room.

j.   Direct     : He said to his master, “Forgive me, sir.”

     Indirect  : He respectfully asked his master to forgive him.

B. There is generally a suggestion in reported speech beginning with ‘Let’. The following specific rules should be kept in mind in addition to general rules at the time of changing direct speech to indirect speech in it:-

1.  ‘Let’ is removed and ‘should’ is used in reported speech.

2.  If ‘Let’ implies consent, ‘Let’ is removed and ‘to let’ or ‘might be allowed’ is used.

3.  Reporting verb is changed according to sense. If offer is not solicited, ‘said to’ is replaced with ‘proposed to’. But if offer is solicited, ‘said to’ is replaced with ‘suggested to’.

4.  Comma (,) and inverted comma (“…”) are replaced with ‘that’ following reporting verb.

5.  Full stop (.) is placed at the end of the sentence.

a.  Direct     : He said to me,  “Let us play together.”

     Indirect  : He proposed to me that we should play together.

b.  Direct     : Ram said to them, “Let us run a race.”

     Indirect  : Ram proposed to them that they should run a race.

c.  Direct     : He said, “Let us move out of our hiding place.”

     Indirect  : He proposed that we should move out of our hiding place.

d.  Direct     : He said to his mother, “Let us go out for shopping.”

     Indirect  : He suggested to his mother that they should go out for shopping.

e.  Direct     : Surinder said, ‘Let us live like friends.”

     Indirect  : Surinder suggested that they should live like friends.

f.   Direct     : I said to them, “Let her read the book.”

     Indirect  : I advised them to let her read the book.

g.  Direct     : The Headmaster said to the peon, “Let the boy come in.”

     Indirect  : The Headmaster ordered the peon to let the boy come in.

h.  Direct     : Mohan said to her, “Let me finish my work.”

     Indirect  : Mohan requested her that he might be allowed to finish his work.

i.   Direct     : He said to me, “Let me do my work, please.”

     Indirect  : He requested me that he might be allowed to do his work.

j.   Direct     : She said, “Let me leave now.”

     Indirect  : She pleaded that she might be allowed to leave then.