Actual spoken words reported version

'Keep a record of your expenses ' I told him to keep a record of his expenses

'Don't make a mess in the kitchen I told him not to make a mess in the kitchen

'How do I prepare the sauce? He wanted to know how to prepare the sauce

I want to speak to the manager She asked to speak to the manager

Form and use of the infinitive in indirect speech

The imperative: affirmative and negative

Imperatives (usually orders, requests, advice, etc.) are reported with appropriate verbs followed by a to-infinitive. Commonly-used verbs (always followed by a personal object in indirect speech) are: advise ask instruct remind tell warn, etc. [> App 45.3]. In each case the reporting verb must match the function of the imperative (asking, telling, advising, etc.) [compare > 16.20-21]:

Keep a record of your expenses I said
tell: I told him to keep a record of his expenses

Remember to switch off all the lights ' she said remind: She reminded me to switch off all the lights

When a negative imperative (e.g. Don t make a mess!) is reported, no' always goes before the to-infinitive [but compare > 16.14]:

She told 'asked'warned him not to make a mess in the kitchen Direct orders can also be reported with be to:

'Wait for me He says I am to wait for him He said I was to

When we use indirect speech

Or we can use the passive with verbs other than say:

I have been told/was told to wait for him Note the informal use of say in: He said (not) to wait for him

Ask, when a speaker is asking permission or making a request, may be followed by the infinitive:

/ asked to speak to the manager and by the passive infinitive [> 12.2]:

He asked to be kept informed about developments

I asked for two items to be added to the list

15.24.2 The infinitive after question-words [compare > 16.24]

Direct suggestions and requests for advice and information with Shall

I? Should I?, Do you want me to? etc. (expecting Yes/No

answers) can be reported in two ways:

direct request: Shall/Should I phone her?'

indirect request: He wanted to know if/whether he should

phone her whether + infinitive: He wanted to know whether to phone her

Requests, etc. with question-words can also be reported in two ways:
direct request: How shall I prepare the sauce?'

indirect request: He wanted to know how he should

prepare it question-word + infinitive: He wanted to know how to prepare it

Other examples: when she should be/to be at the station

where she should park/to park She wanted to know which she should choose/to choose who(m) she should ask/to ask what she should do/to do

Note that why or if cannot be followed by a to-infinitive.

When we use indirect speech