Reported Speech – Using Imperative in Reported Speech

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I've been told that I should use simple past in reported speech when the direct speech is in simple present such as
I **am** the best ~> He said he **was** the best but what happens for imperative mood direct speech

"Mom said dont trust strangers"

"Mom said didn't trust strangers"

I think I should maintain the first form. But I'm not sure. And I'm not even sure this relates to the sentence mood.
I need the best choice and a further explaination for this 🙂

Best Answer

Mom said, "Don't trust strangers".

When you change an imperative sentence from direct to indirect (reported) speech, you don't change the tense in the reported speech; you keep the present tense. What you should do is that you change the reporting speech into should or to-infinitive clause as follows:

Mom told me that I shouldn't trust strangers or

Mom told me not to trust strangers.

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Modal Verbs – How to Use Modal Verbs in Reported Speech

The word you're looking for is shall; but you've got it backwards. Shall is the strong (more definite--this isn't about tense) form of should. So, it should be more like this:

"I will go to Europe." — He said he would go to Europe.

"I can play the guitar." — He said he could play the guitar.

"I **shall** go to college." — He said he [should] go to college.

Here's another way to phrase that:

I *think I should* go to college.

I'm not sure whether you're asking about American or British English, but in American English, shall is very uncommon. It's much more frequently used in the UK.

Americans would be more likely to use should for both forms; but we sometimes use ought to, must, or have got to instead.

Learn English – Changing reported speech into direct speech

I disagree with your books. The second, third, and forth could be the direct speech of

The boy pleaded that he had not stolen the book.

The second option is correct because past simple will be past perfect in reported speech.

The third option is also correct because present perfect will be past perfect in reported speech.

The forth option is also correct because past perfect stays past perfect in reported speech

Best Answer

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Modal Verbs – How to Use Modal Verbs in Reported Speech

Learn English – Changing reported speech into direct speech

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