Tenses Questions Medium
In reported speech, direct commands are statements that are directly quoted or reported as they were originally spoken, while indirect commands are statements that are reported indirectly, without using the exact words of the original speaker.
Direct commands are usually enclosed in quotation marks and are reported using the same tense and pronouns as the original speaker. For example, if someone says, "Close the door," in reported speech, it would be reported as, "He said, 'Close the door.'"
On the other hand, indirect commands are reported using reporting verbs such as "ask," "tell," or "order," followed by an infinitive verb. The tense and pronouns are usually changed to match the reporting verb. For example, if someone says, "Close the door," in reported speech, it would be reported as, "He asked me to close the door."
Overall, the main difference between direct and indirect commands in reported speech lies in the way the commands are reported, either by directly quoting the original speaker or by indirectly reporting the command using reporting verbs and infinitive verbs.