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Negative Instructions 
Direct: “Don’t eat just before going to bed,” the doctor told her.
Reported: The doctor told her not to eat just before going to bed.

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PP6 Negatives Continued 
 
Negative Commands 
Direct: “Don’t climb the fence,” said the security guard. 
Reported: The security guard told us not to climb the fence. 
 
Negative Requests 
Direct: “Please don’t eat all the pizza. We need to save some for Jon.” 
Reported: He asked me not to eat all the pizza because we needed to save some for Jon. 
 
 
PP7 
 
Although say, tell, and ask are the most common reporting verbs, the following verbs are also 
possible when using an infinitive.
 
Common Reporting verbs for Requests, Commands, Invitations and Instructions 
Say Command 
Tell Urge 
Ask Warn 
Advise Instruct 
Order Invite 
Caution  
 
Practice Exercises 1 and 2 
Have the students do the practice exercises and correct together as a class. 
Practice Exercise 3 
Have the students do part A in pairs. When they finish, they should each do part B. You could 
call on different students to read their sentences or to put them on the board. 
Homework 
Distribute the homework, go over the assignments and ask if there are any questions. 

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Practice Exercise 1 
 
Read the following paragraphs. Underline the indirect instructions, commands, requests and 
invitations. Circle the reporting verbs. 
Last week I had an accident while on a city tour of Dubai. I slipped down some stairs and injured 
my leg. The next evening I was in a lot of pain so I went to the hospital. Here is what happened.
I registered at the Orthopedic Department and the clerk asked me to take a seat. After just 10 
minutes, a nurse called me into the doctor’s office. She told me to sit on the examining bed 
where the doctor examined my leg. He advised me to stay off my feet for the next few days and 
to elevate my leg often. Then he wrapped my leg in a gauze bandage. He wrote a prescription for 
some medication and told me to take the prescription to the pharmacy in the hospital. The doctor 
gave me his card and told me to call him if I had any problems. I paid for my bill at the counter, 
went to the pharmacy, and then returned to my hotel by cab.