Explain the concept of reported speech in reported commands and requests.

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of reporting or paraphrasing someone's words or statements. It is used to convey what someone said without using their exact words. When it comes to reported commands and requests, the concept of reported speech is applied to relay instructions or appeals made by someone else.

Reported commands are used to report an order or a directive given by someone. When reporting a command, the verb used in the reported speech is changed to an infinitive form. Additionally, the reporting verb is often followed by an object pronoun or the word "to" before the verb. For example, if someone said, "Close the door," the reported command would be "He told me to close the door."

Reported requests, on the other hand, are used to report a polite or direct appeal made by someone. When reporting a request, the verb used in the reported speech is changed to an infinitive form as well. Similar to reported commands, the reporting verb is often followed by an object pronoun or the word "to" before the verb. For instance, if someone said, "Could you please pass me the salt?" the reported request would be "She asked me to pass her the salt."

It is important to note that when reporting commands and requests, the tense of the reporting verb is usually changed to match the time of the original statement. For example, if the original command or request was in the present tense, the reporting verb would also be in the present tense. However, if the original statement was in the past tense, the reporting verb would be changed accordingly.

In reported speech, it is common to introduce the reported command or request with reporting verbs such as "tell," "ask," "order," "advise," or "request." These verbs are followed by the indirect object pronoun or the person to whom the command or request was directed.

In summary, reported speech in reported commands and requests is a way of conveying someone's instructions or appeals indirectly. It involves changing the verb form and using reporting verbs to accurately report what was said while maintaining the intended meaning.