7.36 reporting requests made to the hearer

If someone orders, requests, or advises someone else to do something, this can be reported by using a 'to'-infinitive clause after a reporting verb such as 'tell'. The person being addressed, who is to perform the action, is mentioned as the object of the reporting verb.

• Johnson told her to wake him up.
• He commanded me to stay there.
• He ordered me to fetch the books.
• My doctor advised me to see a neurologist.

This is a type of phase structure (see paragraphs 3.203 and 3.207).

Here is a list of reporting verbs which can be used with a person as object followed by a 'to'-infinitive clause:

• advise, ask, beg, command, forbid, instruct, invite, order, persuade, remind, teach, tell, urge, warn