reported speech imperative

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Direct & Indirect Speech

Reported Speech Imperatives

Reported speech imperatives differ in structure to other reported speech sentences.

Imperatives are:

Commands: Keep quiet!
Requests: Please close the window
Advice: Go and lie down
Suggestions: Take the test next year instead

This is the structure that we use:

Structure: reporting verb (e.g. ask, tell) + noun/pronoun + to infinitive

Example: She asked me to come later

Here are some further examples using the imperative sentences above, showing them in direct speech and indirect speech.

Direct Speech:

She said, "Keep quiet!"
"Please close the window", the teacher said
He told her, "Go and lie down"
She said, "Take the test next year instead"

Reported Speech:

She instructed me to keep quiet
The teacher asked me to close the window
He told her to go and lie down
She advised them to take the test next year instead

Reporting Verbs for Imperatives

In normal reported speech, the common reporting verbs are said and told . For instance:

She said she was tired
He told me I should come tomorrow

There are many more, however, that are used with reported speech imperatives. Some are for orders while others are for polite requests.

Polite Request

Here are some more examples of reported speech imperatives using these verbs:

Polite Requests

My doctor advised me to sleep more
The government urged the people to use less water
She asked me to join her on holiday
They reminded us to put our seat belts on
He requested the guests to vacate their rooms
He begs her to stay
John told his brother to change direction
My boss orders me to work harder
She instructed them to learn the alphabet
The general commanded his soldiers to obey
The sign forbade them to enter

Suggest / demand / insist as Reported Verbs

Suggest / demand / insist can be used as reported verb for imperatives; however, they do not follow the same pattern as above. That is because the structure for using them is as follows:

Suggest / demand / insis t + that + someone

So this is how reported speech with these verbs will look:

Direct Speech: She said, "Study harder to pass your test"
Reported Speech: She suggested that I study harder to pass my test
Direct Speech: He said, "Take a taxi home"
Reported Speech: He insisted that we take a taxi home

You can't say:

She suggested me to study harder X
He insisted us to take a taxi home X

Negative Imperatives in Reported Speech

When we want to make an imperative reported speech sentence negative, we simply add in not before the ' to infinitive ':

Negative Imperatives in Reported Speech

Structure: reporting verb + noun/pronoun + not + to infinitive

Example: She advised me not to come late

Here are some examples of direct speech changed into indirect speech using negative imperatives.

She said, "Don't keep talking!"
"Please don't study too hard", the teacher said
He told her, "Don't wait up for me"
The doctor said, "Don't over eat"
She instructed us not to keep keep talking
The teacher asked them not to study to hard
He urged me not to wait up for him
The doctor advised me not to over eat

More on Reported Speech:

Direct and Indirect Speech: The differences explained

Direct and indirect speech are different because in direct speech the exact words said are spoken, but in indirect or reported speech, we are reporting what was said, usually using the past tense.

Reported Speech Quiz - Practice forming indirect speech

This reported speech quiz gives you the chance to practice converting direct speech to reported speech, also known as indirect speech. This involves backshifting with the tenses.

Reported Speech Tenses Chart: How to convert tenses

Reported speech tenses may differ from the tense of the direct speech. The general rule for tenses in reported speech is that it changes to the past tense. This is called backshifting.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

In these examples of direct and indirect speech you are given a sentence in direct speech which is then connected to indirect speech.

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Reported Speech: Imperatives

Imperatives in reported speech are a little different than sentences. Imperatives can be used when we give orders and we can also use them to make requests.

For imperatives, we use “ask/tell somebody to do something”.

Compare these two sentences and how they are used in reported speech.

Statement: “It is good.”

Reported Speech: He said that it is good.

Imperative: “Come here.”

Reported Speech: She told me to come here.

So, we use “ask/tell + to + verb” to report a command or imperative.

“Be quiet.” The teacher told the students to be quiet.
“Sit down.” My boss told me to sit down.
“Wake up early.” She told me to wake up early.
“Please stop it.” He asked her to please stop it.
“Bring it, please.” He asked her to bring it, please.

Note: Use “tell” for orders and use “ask” for polite requests.

For negative imperatives, we use “not to + verb”. However, you will often hear native speakers say “to + not + verb”.

“Don’t do that.” She told me not to do that.
“Do not talk.” She told us not to talk.
“Please do not be late.” She asked me not to be late.
“Don’t be noisy.” I told her not to be noisy.

Note: Did you see the difference with negative imperatives with adjectives? Look at the last two examples. We leave out the verb “do”.

Make sure that you understand this English grammar well. It is important to know if you want to speak English fluently.

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Reported Speech /

Imperative Reported Speech with Examples & Practise Exercises

Updated on
Jan 9, 2024

Imperative Reported Speech: When studying English grammar , the candidate needs to have all the knowledge about imperative reported speech. By doing so, they will be able to construct sentences in a much better way. Imperative sentences in reported speech are used to give commands. In this blog, you will read about imperative reported speech which will help you learn about this concept.

This Blog Includes:

What is an imperative sentence, what is imperative reported speech, imperative reported speech with verb from direct to indirect speech, imperative reported speech exercise 1, imperative reported speech exercise 2.

An imperative sentence is a type of sentence that gives commands or makes requests. These sentences usually take the form of the subjectless verb. The tone is often forceful, commanding and direct.

Also Read: Imperative Sentence Passive Voice

Imperative in reported speech is a little bit different from regular sentences. They are generally used when one gives orders and we can also use them to make requests.

In imperatives, we use “ask/tell somebody to do something.”

Reported speech imperatives differ in structure from other reported speech sentences. Some imperatives including examples are given here:

Commands : Keep low!

Requests : Please close the gate

Advice : Move and lie down

Suggestions : Take the pill the next day instead

Below given examples below show how imperative is used in reported speech.

Imperative: “Come here.”

Reported Speech: She told me to come here.

Also Read: Active and Passive Voice: Rules, Examples & Exercise

An imperative sentence always indicates a command, advice or a request. Therefore, we must use appropriate verbs according to advice, command or request. Here is a list of verbs used to change direct speech into indirect speech as provided in the table below:

Another main key point in ‘tell’ is often used to express a ‘command’, ‘order’ or ‘request’. Therefore, it is safe to use ‘tell’ in the indirect form when there is doubt about a proper word to introduce a reported speech.

Change the following sentences into indirect speech.

My brother said, “Would you like to have tea with me?”
He said to his teacher, “Please explain this poem to me.”
“Come quickly”, he shouted, “and help me as I am in grave danger.”
The saint said to the pupils, “Be quiet and listen to me carefully.”
“Be punctual from tomorrow,” my teacher said, “otherwise I will complain to the Principal.”

Also Read: Tenses Rules: Charts, Examples, Types [PDF Available]

Rewrite each sentence into reported speech.

Grandma said to me, “Please fetch my glasses.”
The librarian said to us, “Return the books in a month.”
I said to the agent, ”Please book two tickets for America.”
Andrew said, ”I’ll have a chicken sandwich and some coffee.”
He said, ”Fasten your seat belts.”

Check Your Answers:

Grandma asked me to kindly fetch her glasses.
The librarian told us to return the books in a month.
I requested the agent to book two tickets for America.
Andrew asked for a chicken sandwich and some coffee.
He asked us to fasten our seat belts.

Also Read: Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises For Class 8

More Blogs on Reported Speech!

An example of an imperative in a reported speech are: He instructed me to keep quiet. The driver asked me to close the window of the bus.

To report an imperative, one can do so by using an infinitive along with a reporting verb. These will include tell, order instruct, win or direct.

In imperative speech, the sentence that expresses an advice, request or order is called an imperative speech.

To advance your grammar knowledge and read more informative blogs, check out our Learn English page and don’t forget to follow Leverage Edu .

Malvika Chawla

Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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Reporting imperatives

reporting verb + somebody + to-infinitive

When we report an imperative sentence or a request, we usually use a to -infinitive structure:

Mother: Put away your toys, Johnny . Johnny's mother told him to put away his toys .

Teacher: Everybody, please stand up. The teacher asked the class to stand up .

Examiner: Could you speak a bit louder? The examiner asked me to speak louder .

Examples of reporting verbs used to report imperatives and requests:

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B1-B2 grammar

Reported speech

Daisy has just had an interview for a summer job.

Instructions

As you watch the video, look at the examples of reported speech. They are in red in the subtitles. Then read the conversation below to learn more. Finally, do the grammar exercises to check you understand, and can use, reported speech correctly.

Sophie: Mmm, it’s so nice to be chilling out at home after all that running around.

Ollie: Oh, yeah, travelling to glamorous places for a living must be such a drag!

Ollie: Mum, you can be so childish sometimes. Hey, I wonder how Daisy’s getting on in her job interview.

Sophie: Oh, yes, she said she was having it at four o’clock, so it’ll have finished by now. That’ll be her ... yes. Hi, love. How did it go?

Daisy: Well, good I think, but I don’t really know. They said they’d phone later and let me know.

Sophie: What kind of thing did they ask you?

Daisy: They asked if I had any experience with people, so I told them about helping at the school fair and visiting old people at the home, that sort of stuff. But I think they meant work experience.

Sophie: I’m sure what you said was impressive. They can’t expect you to have had much work experience at your age.

Daisy: And then they asked me what acting I had done, so I told them that I’d had a main part in the school play, and I showed them a bit of the video, so that was cool.

Sophie: Great!

Daisy: Oh, and they also asked if I spoke any foreign languages.

Sophie: Languages?

Daisy: Yeah, because I might have to talk to tourists, you know.

Sophie: Oh, right, of course.

Daisy: So that was it really. They showed me the costume I’ll be wearing if I get the job. Sending it over ...

Ollie: Hey, sis, I heard that Brad Pitt started out as a giant chicken too! This could be your big break!

Daisy: Ha, ha, very funny.

Sophie: Take no notice, darling. I’m sure you’ll be a marvellous chicken.

We use reported speech when we want to tell someone what someone said. We usually use a reporting verb (e.g. say, tell, ask, etc.) and then change the tense of what was actually said in direct speech.

So, direct speech is what someone actually says? Like 'I want to know about reported speech'?

Yes, and you report it with a reporting verb.

He said he wanted to know about reported speech.

I said, I want and you changed it to he wanted .

Exactly. Verbs in the present simple change to the past simple; the present continuous changes to the past continuous; the present perfect changes to the past perfect; can changes to could ; will changes to would ; etc.

She said she was having the interview at four o’clock. (Direct speech: ' I’m having the interview at four o’clock.') They said they’d phone later and let me know. (Direct speech: ' We’ll phone later and let you know.')

OK, in that last example, you changed you to me too.

Yes, apart from changing the tense of the verb, you also have to think about changing other things, like pronouns and adverbs of time and place.

'We went yesterday.' > She said they had been the day before. 'I’ll come tomorrow.' > He said he’d come the next day.

I see, but what if you’re reporting something on the same day, like 'We went yesterday'?

Well, then you would leave the time reference as 'yesterday'. You have to use your common sense. For example, if someone is saying something which is true now or always, you wouldn’t change the tense.

'Dogs can’t eat chocolate.' > She said that dogs can’t eat chocolate. 'My hair grows really slowly.' > He told me that his hair grows really slowly.

What about reporting questions?

We often use ask + if/whether , then change the tenses as with statements. In reported questions we don’t use question forms after the reporting verb.

'Do you have any experience working with people?' They asked if I had any experience working with people. 'What acting have you done?' They asked me what acting I had done .

Is there anything else I need to know about reported speech?

One thing that sometimes causes problems is imperative sentences.

You mean like 'Sit down, please' or 'Don’t go!'?

Exactly. Sentences that start with a verb in direct speech need a to + infinitive in reported speech.

She told him to be good. (Direct speech: 'Be good!') He told them not to forget. (Direct speech: 'Please don’t forget.')

OK. Can I also say 'He asked me to sit down'?

Yes. You could say 'He told me to …' or 'He asked me to …' depending on how it was said.

OK, I see. Are there any more reporting verbs?

Yes, there are lots of other reporting verbs like promise , remind , warn , advise , recommend , encourage which you can choose, depending on the situation. But say , tell and ask are the most common.

Great. I understand! My teacher said reported speech was difficult.

And I told you not to worry!

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Reported speech - 1

Reported speech - 2

Reported speech - 3

Worksheets - handouts

Reported speech

Exercises: imperatives.

Direct and Indirect Speech of Imperative Sentences

Discover how to change Direct and Indirect speech of Imperative sentences into statements, maintaining proper punctuation. In addition, get the use of reporting verbs , change word orde r, and at the same time use appropriate tone to convey the meaning of the original sentence for the direct and indirect speech of Imperative sentences.

Imperative Sentence

An imperative sentence is a type of sentence that gives a command or makes a request. It typically takes the

form of a subjectless verb , and the tone is often forceful, direct, and commanding. For examples,

“Close the door.”
“Please pass the salt.”

Identify Imperative Sentences to Change Direct Speech to Indirect Speech.

(a) Basically, the subject will be “you” and it is not written in the sentence, but it remains in understood condition.

(b) On the other hand, such sentences imply someone to advise, to order, or to request.

Direct: Mother said to me, “(You) Don’t run in the sun.”
Indirect: Mother advised me not to run in the sun.
Direct : Bina said to me, “Bina said to me go and fetch a glass of water.”
Indirect: Bina told (asked/ordered/requested) me to go and fetch a glass of water.

Verbs with Imperative Sentences from Direct to Indirect Speech.

An imperative sentence always indicates a command, request, or advise. In order that we have to use appropriate Verbs according to command, request, or advise. A list of verbs used to change direct speech into indirect speech provides in the table below:

Another key point is that ‘Tell ’ may often be used to express a ‘request’, ‘order, or ‘command’. As a result, it is often safer to use ‘ tell ’ in the indirect form when there is doubt about the proper word to introduce the Reported Speech.

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Rules: Direct and Indirect Speech of Imperative Sentences.

In indirect narration imperative sentence rules , the introductory or the Reporting Verb of an Imperative sentence expressing command, request, or desire transforms into an appropriate verb that expresses the intended meaning – tell, ask, request, order, command, beg, entreat, advise, implore.

First, look at the sentence given in the reported speech under Direct Narration.

Direct and Indirect Speech of Imperative Sentences

In Indirect Narration, the Verb of the Reported Speech in an Imperative Sentence is changed into the Infinitive [ to + V( Base Form ) ]

Changes of verbs for Direct and Indirect Speech of Imperative Sentences

If the Reported Speech is Negative, the word “ not ” is used in Indirect Narration before the Infinitive ( not + to )

Direct and Indirect Speech of negative imperative Sentences

Expressions like ‘Please, Sir, Madam, etc are omitted in Indirect Narration, and their sense is expressed by adding adverbs like ‘politely’, ‘kindly’, ‘respectfully’, etc.

Direct and Indirect Speech of Imperative Sentences with 'please', 'sir', 'madam'

A Nominative of Address or a Vocative is omitted in indirect narration. The verb is followed by the person addressed and the Infinitive.

Imperative sentences Nominative or Vocative case

When “Let” in the Direct Speech expresses a Proposal or Suggestion we may use “Should” or “Let” and change the Reporting Verb into proposing or suggest. [ It indicates Proposal or Suggestion]

When the Plural Form of Pronouns ( us etc ) is used after “Let”, [ Infinitive ( to + V)] is not used in Imperative Sentences beginning with “ Let.”

But when “ Let ” does not express a proposal, it should be changed into might or might be allowed to or into some other form and the Reporting Verb in Indirect Speech might be a wish, request, told, ordered, say, etc. according to the meaning or sense of the sentence.

[ It does not indicate Proposal or Suggestion When Singular Form of Pronoun ( me, him, etc ) is used after “Let” ] [ Infinitive ( to + V) is not used in Imperative Sentence beginning with “ Let.”

Changes of Persons in indirect narration have already been discussed on the previous page. Should be carefully studied.

Changes in Reporting Verb in Indirect Narration and the Verb of the reported speech in indirect narration also have been discussed in the General Rules section on the previous page. Should be carefully studied.

Direct and Indirect Speech Imperative Sentences Examples 2024

Note carefully the Changes in Imperative Sentences from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech.

Direct: Father said to me, “Go home at once.”

Indirect: Father ordered me to go home at once.

Direct: The teacher said to me, “Don’t come here.”

Indirect: The teacher ordered me not to go there. Or, The teacher forbade me to go there.

Direct: He said to me, ‘Please open the door.”

Indirect: He requested me to open the door. Or, He told me politely to open the door.

Direct: He said to me, ‘Please wait here till I return.”

Indirect: He requested me to wait there till he returned.

Direct: I said to him, “Please explain the passage.”

Indirect: I requested him to explain the passage.

Direct: mother said to him, “Don’t run in the sun.”

Indirect: The mother advised him not to run in the sun. Or. Mother forbade him to run in the sun.

Direct: He said, “Ram, go there.”

Indirect: He told Ram to go there.

Direct: He said, “Friends, lend me your ears.”

Indirect: Addressing them as friends, he requested them to lend him their ears.

Direct: He shouted, “Stop, you villain !”

Indirect : He shouted to the villain to stop. Or, He ordered the villain to stop. Or, Calling the man a villain, he ordered him to stop.

Narration of imperative sentences exercise and Answers

Change the narration from direct to indirect speech.

Direct: “Shut the window,” she commanded. Indirect: She commanded to shut the window.

Direct: “Please bring me a glass of water,” he requested. Indirect: He requested to bring him a glass of water.

Direct: “Don’t touch that,” she warned. Indirect: She warned not to touch that.

Direct: “Help me with this assignment,” he asked. Indirect: He asked for help with that assignment.

Direct: “Pass me the salt,” she said. Indirect: She asked to pass her the salt.

Direct: “Please don’t disturb him,” she requested. Indirect: She requested not to disturb him.

Direct: “Open the door,” he ordered. Indirect: He ordered to open the door.

Direct: “Don’t be late for the meeting,” she advised. Indirect: She advised not to be late for the meeting.

Direct: “Pass me the book,” he requested. Indirect: He requested to pass him the book.

Direct: “Don’t forget to call me tomorrow,” she reminded. Indirect: She reminded not to forget to call her the next day.

Imperative Sentences Narration Change Examples with ‘Let’

Direct: “Let’s go to the park,” he suggested. Indirect: He suggested going to the park.

Direct: “Let her finish the presentation,” she proposed. Indirect: She proposed that she finish the presentation.

Direct: “Let’s not waste any more time,” he insisted. Indirect: He insisted on not wasting any more time.

Direct: “Let me help you with that,” she offered. Indirect: She offered to help with that.

Direct: “Let’s have dinner together,” he suggested. Indirect: He suggested having dinner together.

Direct: “Let’s not forget to send the email,” she reminded. Indirect: She reminded not to forget to send the email.

Direct: “Let him borrow your book,” he suggested. Indirect: He suggested allowing him to borrow your book.

Direct: “Let’s finish the project by Friday,” she urged. Indirect: She urged to finish the project by Friday.

Direct: “Let’s try a different approach,” he proposed. Indirect: He proposed trying a different approach.

Direct: “Let’s take a break,” she suggested. Indirect: She suggested taking a break.

Workout Examples of Imperative Sentences

Direct: I said to him, “Excuse me, sir.”

Indirect: I begged him to excuse me.

Direct: I said to him, “Let us have some music.”

Indirect: I proposed or suggested to him that we should have some music.

Direct: He said to his companions, “Let us not miss this chance.”

Indirect: He proposed (suggested) to his companions that they should not miss that chance.

Direct: We said, “Let him tell the story.”

Indirect: We said that he might (or might be allowed to) tell the story.

Direct: She said, Let him eat whatever he likes.”

Indirect: She said that he might (or might be allowed to) eat whatever he liked.

Direct: He said, “Let me come in.”

Indirect: He requested that he might be allowed to come in.

Exercises : Direct and Indirect Speech of Imperative Sentences

Change the following from Direct to Indirect Speech of Imperative Sentence

1. He said to me. “Put out the light.”

2. Mother said, “Don’t idle away your time.”

3. The beggar said to the man, “Please help me with money.”

4. The teacher said, “Boys, don’t make noise in the class.”

5. “Be not afraid, noble prince”, said the philosopher.

6. The old man said, “Take care of yourself, little girl.”

7. He said to me, “Let me do my work.”

8. He said, “Lie down, Tom.”

9. He said, “Oil your own machine.”

10. The general said to his troops, “Capture the fort.”

11. The teacher said to me, “Don’t read so fast.”

12. The girl said to the woman, “Please excuse me, madam.”

13. Kaberi said to Raman, “Let me live in peace.”

14. He said, “Let me have my own way.”

15. The thirsty man said to the woman, “Bring me a glass of water.”

16. Mother said to the boy, “Come here soon.”

17. You said to me, “Follow me cautiously.”

18. He said to you, “Don’t look behind.”

19. Madam said to Della, “Take off your hat.”

20. Father said to Casabianca, “Do not leave the deck till I come back,”

Worksheet Imperative Sentence

Turn the following sentences into Indirect Speech :

(1) Father said, My son, “Don’t give up hope.”

(2) Mother said to the daughter, “Get ready to receive the guests.”

(3) The sergeant said to the constables, “Run after the miscreants.”

(4) The boy said to the pedestrian, “Please help me to get out of the trap.”

(5) The teacher said to the boys, “Read silently.”

(6) The secretary of the club said to the members, “Let us raise a fund to help flood victims.”

(7) The students said, “Let us play a friendly football match.”

(8) The grandmother said to the grandchildren, “Let me tell you a folk tale.”

(9) He said, “Let me do this sum.”

(10) You said to me, “Let me go with you.”

(11) She said, “Let me try it again.”

(12) They said, “Let us pray for Mother Teresa.”

(13) The monk said to us, “Give up bad habits.”

(14) Father said to me, “Do not tell a lie.”

(15) The master said to the servant, “Pack up the things in the bag.”

(16) The girl said to her mother, “Please forgive me for my misbehavior.”

(17) You said to me, “Let us take a holy dip in the Ganges.”

Direct and Indirect Speech of Assertive Sentences

B1-B2 grammar

Reported speech: statements

Do you know how to report what somebody else said? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

Look at these examples to see how we can tell someone what another person said.

direct speech: 'I love the Toy Story films,' she said. indirect speech: She said she loved the Toy Story films. direct speech: 'I worked as a waiter before becoming a chef,' he said. indirect speech: He said he'd worked as a waiter before becoming a chef. direct speech: 'I'll phone you tomorrow,' he said. indirect speech: He said he'd phone me the next day.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 1: 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

Reported speech is when we tell someone what another person said. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.

direct speech: 'I work in a bank,' said Daniel. indirect speech: Daniel said that he worked in a bank.

In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past (e.g. worked ) than the tense originally used (e.g. work ). This is called 'backshift'. We also may need to change other words that were used, for example pronouns.

Present simple, present continuous and present perfect

When we backshift, present simple changes to past simple, present continuous changes to past continuous and present perfect changes to past perfect.

'I travel a lot in my job.' Jamila said that she travelled a lot in her job. 'The baby's sleeping!' He told me the baby was sleeping. 'I've hurt my leg.' She said she'd hurt her leg.

Past simple and past continuous

When we backshift, past simple usually changes to past perfect simple, and past continuous usually changes to past perfect continuous.

'We lived in China for five years.' She told me they'd lived in China for five years. 'It was raining all day.' He told me it had been raining all day.

Past perfect

The past perfect doesn't change.

'I'd tried everything without success, but this new medicine is great.' He said he'd tried everything without success, but the new medicine was great.

No backshift

If what the speaker has said is still true or relevant, it's not always necessary to change the tense. This might happen when the speaker has used a present tense.

'I go to the gym next to your house.' Jenny told me that she goes to the gym next to my house. I'm thinking about going with her. 'I'm working in Italy for the next six months.' He told me he's working in Italy for the next six months. Maybe I should visit him! 'I've broken my arm!' She said she's broken her arm, so she won't be at work this week.

Pronouns, demonstratives and adverbs of time and place

Pronouns also usually change in indirect speech.

'I enjoy working in my garden,' said Bob. Bob said that he enjoyed working in his garden. 'We played tennis for our school,' said Alina. Alina told me they'd played tennis for their school.

However, if you are the person or one of the people who spoke, then the pronouns don't change.

'I'm working on my thesis,' I said. I told her that I was working on my thesis. 'We want our jobs back!' we said. We said that we wanted our jobs back.

We also change demonstratives and adverbs of time and place if they are no longer accurate.

'This is my house.' He said this was his house. [You are currently in front of the house.] He said that was his house. [You are not currently in front of the house.] 'We like it here.' She told me they like it here. [You are currently in the place they like.] She told me they like it there. [You are not in the place they like.] 'I'm planning to do it today.' She told me she's planning to do it today. [It is currently still the same day.] She told me she was planning to do it that day. [It is not the same day any more.]

In the same way, these changes to those , now changes to then , yesterday changes to the day before , tomorrow changes to the next/following day and ago changes to before .

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 1: 2

Language level

Hello Team. If the reporting verb is in the present perfect, do we have to backshift the tenses of the direct speech or not? For example: He has said, "I bought a car yesterday."

1- He has said that he bought a car yesterday.

2- He has said that he had bought a car the previous day.

Hello Ahmed Imam,

It's not necessary to backshift the verb form if the situation being reported is still true. For example:

"I'm a doctor"

She told me she is a doctor. [she was a doctor when she said it and she is still doctor now]

She told me she was a doctor. [she was a doctor when she said it and may or may not still be a doctor now]

The reporting verb in your example would be 'said' rather than 'has said' as we are talking about a particular moment in the past. For the other verb both 'bought' and 'had bought' are possible without any change in meaning. In fact, when the verb is past in the original sentence we usually do not shift the verb form back.

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello again. Which one is correct? Why?

- He has said that he (will - would) travel to Cairo with his father.

The present perfect is a present form, so generally 'will' is the correct form.

In this case, assuming that the man said 'I will travel to Cairo', then 'will' is the correct form. But if the man said 'I would travel to Cairo if I had time to do it', then 'would' would be the correct form since it is part of a conditional statement.

I think you were asking about the first situation (the general one), though. Does that make sense?

Best wishes, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Thank you for the information. It states that If what the speaker has said is still true or relevant, it's not always necessary to change the tense. I wonder if it is still correct to change the tense in this example: 'London is in the UK', he said. to He said London was in the UK. Or it has to be the present tense.

Hello Wen1996,

Yes, your version of the sentence is also correct. In this case, the past tense refers to the time the speaker made this statement. But this doesn't mean the statement isn't also true now.

Good evening from Turkey.

Is the following example correct: Question: When did she watch the movie?

She asked me when she had watched the movie. or is it had she watched the movie.

Do Subjects come before the verbs? Thank you.

Hello muratt,

This is a reported question, not an actual question, as you can see from the fact that it has no question mark at the end. Therefore no inversion is needed and the normal subject-verb word order is maintained: ...she had watched... is correct.

You can read more about this here:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/reported-speech-questions

Thank you for your response.

Hello Sir, kindly help with the following sentence-

She said, "When I was a child I wasn't afraid of ghosts."

Please tell me how to write this sentence in reported/ indirect speech.

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Reported Speech Imperatives Exercise

See the Video Exercise

English Grammar
Reported Speech

Reported Speech - Definition, Rules and Usage with Examples

Reported speech or indirect speech is the form of speech used to convey what was said by someone at some point of time. This article will help you with all that you need to know about reported speech, its meaning, definition, how and when to use them along with examples. Furthermore, try out the practice questions given to check how far you have understood the topic.

Definition of reported speech, rules to be followed when using reported speech, table 1 – change of pronouns, table 2 – change of adverbs of place and adverbs of time, table 3 – change of tense, table 4 – change of modal verbs, tips to practise reported speech, examples of reported speech, check your understanding of reported speech, frequently asked questions on reported speech in english, what is reported speech.

Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message.

Now, take a look at the following dictionary definitions for a clearer idea of what it is.

Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

Reported speech is a little different from direct speech . As it has been discussed already, reported speech is used to tell what someone said and does not use the exact words of the speaker. Take a look at the following rules so that you can make use of reported speech effectively.

The first thing you have to keep in mind is that you need not use any quotation marks as you are not using the exact words of the speaker.
You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech.
You can use verbs like said, asked, requested, ordered, complained, exclaimed, screamed, told, etc. If you are just reporting a declarative sentence , you can use verbs like told, said, etc. followed by ‘that’ and end the sentence with a full stop . When you are reporting interrogative sentences, you can use the verbs – enquired, inquired, asked, etc. and remove the question mark . In case you are reporting imperative sentences , you can use verbs like requested, commanded, pleaded, ordered, etc. If you are reporting exclamatory sentences , you can use the verb exclaimed and remove the exclamation mark . Remember that the structure of the sentences also changes accordingly.
Furthermore, keep in mind that the sentence structure , tense , pronouns , modal verbs , some specific adverbs of place and adverbs of time change when a sentence is transformed into indirect/reported speech.

Transforming Direct Speech into Reported Speech

As discussed earlier, when transforming a sentence from direct speech into reported speech, you will have to change the pronouns, tense and adverbs of time and place used by the speaker. Let us look at the following tables to see how they work.

Here are some tips you can follow to become a pro in using reported speech.

Select a play, a drama or a short story with dialogues and try transforming the sentences in direct speech into reported speech.
Write about an incident or speak about a day in your life using reported speech.
Develop a story by following prompts or on your own using reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written. Check them out.

Santana said that she would be auditioning for the lead role in Funny Girl.
Blaine requested us to help him with the algebraic equations.
Karishma asked me if I knew where her car keys were.
The judges announced that the Warblers were the winners of the annual acapella competition.
Binsha assured that she would reach Bangalore by 8 p.m.
Kumar said that he had gone to the doctor the previous day.
Lakshmi asked Teena if she would accompany her to the railway station.
Jibin told me that he would help me out after lunch.
The police ordered everyone to leave from the bus stop immediately.
Rahul said that he was drawing a caricature.

Transform the following sentences into reported speech by making the necessary changes.

1. Rachel said, “I have an interview tomorrow.”

2. Mahesh said, “What is he doing?”

3. Sherly said, “My daughter is playing the lead role in the skit.”

4. Dinesh said, “It is a wonderful movie!”

5. Suresh said, “My son is getting married next month.”

6. Preetha said, “Can you please help me with the invitations?”

7. Anna said, “I look forward to meeting you.”

8. The teacher said, “Make sure you complete the homework before tomorrow.”

9. Sylvester said, “I am not going to cry anymore.”

10. Jade said, “My sister is moving to Los Angeles.”

Now, find out if you have answered all of them correctly.

1. Rachel said that she had an interview the next day.

2. Mahesh asked what he was doing.

3. Sherly said that her daughter was playing the lead role in the skit.

4. Dinesh exclaimed that it was a wonderful movie.

5. Suresh said that his son was getting married the following month.

6. Preetha asked if I could help her with the invitations.

7. Anna said that she looked forward to meeting me.

8. The teacher told us to make sure we completed the homework before the next day.

9. Sylvester said that he was not going to cry anymore.

10. Jade said that his sister was moving to Los Angeles.

What is reported speech?

What is the definition of reported speech.

What is the formula of reported speech?

You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech. Subject said that (report whatever the speaker said)

Give some examples of reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written.

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How do you write suggestions, advice, promises, etc. in reported speech in English? - Easy Learning Grammar

suggest, insist on + present participle
advise, invite, warn + direct object + not + to infinitive
refuse, threaten + to infinitive
offer, promise + to infinitive

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Reported imperatives exercises

Practise how to report orders, commands, polite requests in online exercises.

Intermediate level

Sentence & word composition

Reporting imperative sentences

Try our “total recall” course.

How can we report imperative mood? To transfer somebody’s order or request form direct to indirect speech, we use the expression “tell somebody to do something” or “ask somebody to do something” depending on the context. The exercises on this page will help you practise reported imperative. If you are only starting to study reported speech, we recommend to cover reported statements and questions first. The links are in the related topics block below.

Reported speech: indirect speech

Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech , the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.

Indirect speech: reporting statements

Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a that -clause. We often omit that , especially in informal situations:

The pilot commented that the weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land. (The pilot’s words were: ‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’ )

I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday. ( that -clause without that ) (or I told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday .)

Indirect speech: reporting questions

Reporting yes-no questions and alternative questions.

Indirect reports of yes-no questions and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether . If is more common than whether . The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She asked if [S] [V] I was Scottish. (original yes-no question: ‘Are you Scottish?’ )

The waiter asked whether [S] we [V] wanted a table near the window. (original yes-no question: ‘Do you want a table near the window? )

He asked me if [S] [V] I had come by train or by bus. (original alternative question: ‘Did you come by train or by bus?’ )

Questions: yes-no questions ( Are you feeling cold? )

Reporting wh -questions

Indirect reports of wh -questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a wh -word ( who, what, when, where, why, how ). We don’t use a question mark:

He asked me what I wanted.

Not: He asked me what I wanted?

The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She wanted to know who [S] we [V] had invited to the party.

Not: … who had we invited …

Who , whom and what

In indirect questions with who, whom and what , the wh- word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:

I asked them who came to meet them at the airport. ( who is the subject of came ; original question: ‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’ )

He wondered what the repairs would cost. ( what is the object of cost ; original question: ‘What will the repairs cost?’ )

She asked us what [S] we [V] were doing . (original question: ‘What are you doing?’ )

Not: She asked us what were we doing?

When , where , why and how

We also use statement word order (subject + verb) with when , where, why and how :

I asked her when [S] it [V] had happened (original question: ‘When did it happen?’ ).

Not: I asked her when had it happened?

I asked her where [S] the bus station [V] was . (original question: ‘Where is the bus station?’ )

Not: I asked her where was the bus station?

The teacher asked them how [S] they [V] wanted to do the activity . (original question: ‘How do you want to do the activity?’ )

Not: The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?

Questions: wh- questions

Indirect speech: reporting commands

Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a to -infinitive:

The General ordered the troops to advance . (original command: ‘Advance!’ )

The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting . (original command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’ )

We also use a to -infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example, advise, encourage, warn :

They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should wait till the following day.’ )

The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not enter the area.’ )

Verbs followed by a to -infinitive

Indirect speech: present simple reporting verb

We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:

Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.

Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.

Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach. (Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)

Newspaper headlines

We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:

JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM

PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM

Present simple ( I work )

Reported speech

Reported speech: direct speech

Indirect speech: past continuous reporting verb

In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usually say or tell ). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:

Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?

Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.

‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.

In these examples, the present ( am ) has become the past ( was ), the future ( will ) has become the future-in-the-past ( would ) and the past ( happened ) has become the past perfect ( had happened ). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.

The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:

Modal verbs

Some, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.

We can use a perfect form with have + - ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:

He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ )

He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’ )

Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech:

She said she used to live in Oxford. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’ )

The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.’ )

No backshift

We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:

He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)

She said she ’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)

He said he ’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)

She promised she ’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)

Indirect speech: changes to pronouns

Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.

Indirect speech: changes to adverbs and demonstratives

We often change demonstratives ( this, that ) and adverbs of time and place ( now, here, today , etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.

Typical changes to demonstratives, adverbs and adverbial expressions

Indirect speech: typical errors.

The word order in indirect reports of wh- questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:

She always asks me where [S] [V] I am going .

Not: She always asks me where am I going .

We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh- questions:

I asked him what he was doing.

Not: I asked him what he was doing?

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Online resources for English teachers and students

Reported Speech (Imperatives) Quiz

Try this quiz to test your understanding of reported speech of imperative sentences.

Choose the best answers to complete the following sentences.

Download quiz with answers in printable PDF.

More resources on the Site:

Reported Speech (Statements) Quiz

Reported Speech (Questions) Quiz

Reported Speech

Grammar Explanations

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Reported Speech Exercises

Perfect english grammar.

Here's a list of all the reported speech exercises on this site:

( Click here to read the explanations about reported speech )

Reported Statements:

Present Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
Present Continuous Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
Past Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
Present Perfect Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
Future Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
Mixed Tense Reported Statement Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
'Say' and 'Tell' (quite easy) (in PDF here)

Reported Questions:

Present Simple Reported Yes/No Question Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
Present Simple Reported Wh Question Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
Mixed Tense Reported Question Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)

Reported Orders and Requests:

Reported Requests and Orders Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
Reported Speech Mixed Exercise 1 (difficult) (in PDF here)
Reported Speech Mixed Exercise 2 (difficult) (in PDF here)

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Update on protest on campus

May 2, 2024

Dear Johns Hopkins Community,

I am sharing with you the message I sent earlier today to the members of the Hopkins Justice Collective and student protesters who are encamped on our Homewood campus.

As I did earlier this week, I chose to speak directly to the protesters, who include members of our community and those unaffiliated with Hopkins, to share the reasons why we are calling for an immediate end to the encampment, which contravenes multiple university policies and codes.

As we head into the final weeks of the academic year and look forward to celebrating our newest graduates at Commencement later this month, we are committed to maintaining a campus environment that values free speech, but also where everyone feels safe and welcome.

Ron Daniels

Dear Hopkins Justice Collective members and student protesters,

I am writing at a critical juncture in the protest. I appreciated the opportunity to meet with several of you on Monday evening at the start of the encampment you initiated on the Beach and to speak together in an open and constructive way about the purposes of your protest, including your desire to conduct the protest and any programming in a way that would ensure no violence, injury, or anti-Semitic expression.

I am writing today to reiterate the reasons why the encampment is so problematic and why I am calling on you to end it.

First, we believe that the encampment creates conditions that are risky to the health and safety of you and others in the community. I recognize from our conversation that many of you do not intend to jeopardize campus safety. You indicated that you seek to use the encampment to increase attention to the plight of the Palestinian people and to persuade the university to accept your demands. But by walling off a significant portion of the Beach for a dense cluster of tents, you block visibility and increase the risk of violence and/or injury to you or others at the university. This risk is compounded by the broad calls you have made on social media and elsewhere for people not affiliated with the university to come to the Beach to lend support to your cause. Further, we are concerned with your call on social media for “tables, masks, chains, locks, sandbags, tents, pallets, goggles, gloves, tarps, sheets, zip ties, PVC piping, 2×4 nails, trash bags, hammers.” Because of your insistence that everyone in the encampment always remain masked, the identity of these people, their motivations, and their respect for our diverse community and the spaces in which we learn and dwell cannot be known to you or to the people with the responsibility to protect you.

We believe that the risks to personal safety from these conditions are real and will only increase with time. Over the past two weeks, at encampments at other institutions, we have seen altercations between protesters and counter-protesters and accusations of hateful slurs that have spiraled out of anyone’s control. Here at Hopkins we have already received reports of concerning incidents, including physical assault and vile hate speech.

We know from our own experience at Hopkins that encampments and occupations have the clear potential for unintended and even violent consequences. This happened at Johns Hopkins in the 1980s, when a student dwelling in a semipermanent shelter to protest South African Apartheid suffered serious burns when another student set the structure on fire. And it happened again during the 2019 occupation of Garland Hall, when student protesters reported incidents of assault, including one in which a faculty member and others broke into Garland Hall and had a dangerous physical altercation with protesters.

The second reason for our concern with the encampment goes to its inconsistency with the core values of the university. You well know my commitment to ensuring the broadest possible protection for free speech and inquiry at the university. This commitment has been as important as ever since October 7. We know that there is a range of sincerely held and different views in our community on the nature of the war in Gaza and the multidecades conflict between Israel, the Palestinians, and neighboring states. Because this issue for many is connected to their core religious identity, the issue is even more freighted. Many in our community have family members who dwell in the region and have been killed or injured. Inevitably, the broad protection accorded speech on our campus has meant that some members of our community will find the claims and slogans made by participants in the debate offensive and hurtful. Nevertheless, absent speech that directly calls for violence or injury against protected class groups, we have neither punished nor condemned anyone’s speech.

We recognize that the encampment is useful in seizing our attention. It forces us to confront different frames or narratives on the conflict. But that is as far as it goes. By physically demarcating a space and by gathering, studying, and chanting with only those people who subscribe to a similar worldview on an incredibly complex subject, you fail to honor the university’s foundational imperative for conversation across difference, for conversation that aims to test, evaluate, and understand competing claims. An encampment of this nature cannot help but reduce the capacity of those within it to see the common humanity of those who are outside its perimeter. Instead of recognizing and drawing strength from our diversity, we veer to a community of rigid solitudes, a community defined by suspicion, distrust, and, in the extreme, hatred. Along the way, our common humanity is lost.

I acknowledge that it is hard work to stage sustained protest. But I believe the much harder work is to now move beyond the shouting, the slogans, the call and response, and to engage in a rigorous and open-minded way with the university community on the agenda for change that you propose. Along the way, you will need to marshal facts and evidence. You will need to meet the arguments and ideas of others who disagree–perhaps vehemently–with some of your claims. That is the hard work of the university and, indeed, of liberal democratic society. That takes courage, determination, and decency. You have seized attention but created a stand-off in which the next step–as we have seen at other universities–often has consequences that are dangerous and damaging for everyone involved.

I am urging you to change course. To move toward a solution born of good-faith dialogue and mutual respect so that the Beach is fully restored to its place as a destination for the use of all our students. As I shared with your representatives in our long conversation on Monday night, I remain open to further meetings toward a peaceful resolution. In the meantime, we will take additional steps as necessary to protect the safety of the community, including moving forward with appropriate disciplinary and legal actions.

Sincerely,

Ron Daniels

Previous post: Safe resolution of encampment at Johns Hopkins

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PM Lee Hsien Loong at May Day Rally 2024

Transcript of speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at May Day Rally 2024 at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre on 1 May 2024.

President of NTUC, Sister Thanaletchimi Secretary-General Brother Ng Chee Meng Brothers and Sisters Comrades from the PAP My fellow Singaporeans

Introduction

A very good morning and a very happy May Day to everyone of you. I have spoken at almost every May Day Rally since I became PM in 2004. This will be my last major speech as PM, before I hand over to DPM Lawrence Wong on 15 May. I am very happy to be addressing you, my Brothers and Sisters in the NTUC. I would like to thank you, specifically our Secretary-General, for his very warm words and your very warm honours to me, and for the video which brings back so many touching moments from so many years of interaction, of engagement, of working together with brothers and sisters, with friends on the ground, and many companies and many unions taking Singapore forward together. You have made my job today of making this speech a little bit harder.

From the beginning, so much of what we have achieved has depended on the unions and workers. The tripartite partnership between the Labour Movement, Employers, and the Government, underpinned by the symbiotic relationship between the NTUC and the PAP, has been absolutely crucial to Singapore’s success. It has enabled us to grow our economy, weather economic storms, and improve the lives of workers, including in these last 20 years. So today I want to say a big personal thank you to the Labour Movement and to each and every one of you. Thank you very much!

Looking Back

We have come a long way since Independence in 1965.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his team overcame tremendous odds to take Singapore from Third World to First. With neither hinterland nor natural resources, they forged an improbable nation, and laid a strong foundation for future generations. They established multiracialism as the Singapore creed; they developed the economy, built up the SAF; and made home ownership, education, and healthcare available to all. They created a government with a reputation for integrity and competence; and secured our place in the world.

Mr Goh Chok Tong took over as our second Prime Minister. He showed that it was possible to come after Mr Lee and take Singapore further forward, with a different style for a different era, with a different generation of people. Chok Tong was a sincere and direct leader. His personal touch helped people to understand what was at stake, and persuaded them to accept tough decisions. He led us through difficult times and painful economic restructuring, including the Asian Financial Crisis and SARS. He launched national conversations on the sort of society we aspired to become, and strengthened our sense of community and national belonging. Under Chok Tong’s leadership, Singapore grew and matured. We became more vibrant and open, and also more resilient and cohesive.

As PM, I have sought to build on these strengths. Working closely with Singaporeans, we have improved everyone’s lives.

First, we grew the economy. Over two decades, we have become much better off. Our strategies to transform and upgrade the economy worked. Investments in promising sectors, such as biotech, IT, transportation, and financial services, they paid off. Our economic base diversified. We climbed the value chain, going from factories and production lines to R&D in pharmaceuticals and nanotechnology. Now we are keeping up with dramatic breakthroughs in AI (Artificial Intelligence). We expanded and deepened international trade partnerships, and enhanced our role as a regional hub and a global node. All these attracted MNCs to Singapore, and also helped Singapore companies to develop new markets overseas. From time to time, we encountered headwinds. Right now, the economy is growing, but everyone worries about inflation and the rising cost of living. The Government has expanded support measures, including CDC vouchers and many other forms of assistance and these have helped many households, and thankfully, inflation is gradually easing off. But despite these worries and occasional setbacks, taking a longer view, economic growth has consistently delivered better jobs and higher wages for Singapo-reans. Our quality of life has improved across the board, including for those with lower incomes.

We built new HDB towns and high-quality public housing, with green spaces, schools, polyclinics, and community amenities. For example, Punggol today is unrecognisable from the Punggol of 20 years ago. When I first became PM, most of the new town was yet to be built. It was bare land, prepared but not constructed. People thought of it as a desolate, ulu place – the older ones amongst you will remember exactly what I mean. At one early NDR, I painted our vision for “Punggol 21”, to set a new standard for urban living, where Singaporeans could live, work and play. Today, Punggol 21 is a reality. It is a vibrant, attractive town, full of young families, and the grandparents and parents, full of life. In a few months, SIT (Singapore Institute of Technology) will move in to its new campus, next to the Punggol Digital District. We have Punggol Waterway, we have Coney Island, and park connectors which offer lush greenery and welcome relief from the urban hustle and bustle. If you are looking for a beautiful place to take your wedding photos, or perhaps somewhere romantic to propose to your girlfriend or boyfriend, Punggol Waterway is a great choice!

The older towns have not been left behind. We have MUP, LUP, HIP, SERS, and so many other initials, alphabet soup, but each one a different upgrading programme. We rejuvenated older estates, kept them up to date and made them fit for a more elderly population. This is why, unlike public housing projects elsewhere in the world, our HDB estates never turn into slums or ghettoes. For example, in Ang Mo Kio, we have upgraded nearly all the flats, and spruced up the neighbourhoods. We introduced Silver Zones and Friendly Streets to slow traffic down, and put up colourful block signs to help older residents remember their way home. We created convenient access to a library, the Ang Mo Kio Hub, nursing homes, and town gardens. We revitalised Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. It is across the road but we count it as ours. The old concrete storm canal was restored to a natural state. It is now a beautiful meandering river with wildflowers along its banks, and sometimes otter families too. The park is for old folks and young people alike, for both pets and human beings, for lantern festivals as well as National Day celebrations. Occasionally, our housing programme got disrupted, and we experienced shortages and long wait times, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed construction. But HDB has worked hard to catch up, and I am glad that things are now getting back on track.

Public transport has improved too. The MRT map used to be very simple. It is just two lines, two colours: Red (North-South) and green (East-West) lines. Later we added purple – the North-East line. Today, the map is much more colourful, with yellow (The Circle Line), blue (The Downtown Line), and brown (The Thomson-East Coast line). Our public transport system is convenient, reliable, and affordable. We did once have an issue with rail reliability. The trains were breaking down too often. But SMRT and LTA engineers worked together, hard on it, day and night, including our brothers and sisters from the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU). Thank you! So today the train performance has improved significantly. In Singapore, we measure everything including the frequency of breakdowns, reliability of service. We know that nowadays our trains are as reliable as, or better than, most other MRT systems in the world. Surveys rank it amongst the best. Of course, Singaporeans have high expectations. If you ask them, they will tell you, you can still do better; and we will keep on making it better. We are growing the MRT network, and there are two new lines to come, akan datang but starting work already: the Cross Island Line (light green) which will pass through Ang Mo Kio, amongst other places and the Jurong Region Line (light blue). By 2030, eight in ten households will be within a 10-minute walk of a train station. So while it is not possible for every household to own a car, we will make sure everyone can get around conveniently on world-class public transport.

We also invested heavily in a first-class healthcare system, accessible and affordable to all. If you need a cataract operation, especially the older folks, you can get it at a subsidised and affordable fee, and within a reasonable time. Everybody. If you have suffered a heart attack, that you cannot wait for a reasonable time, every second counts. Once you arrive at the A&E you will be triaged, diagnosed, rushed into the operating theatre and a surgeon will insert a tiny balloon into your heart artery, inflate it, open the blockage, restore blood flow, and save your life. In Singapore, all these takes on average about 50 minutes. This is what they call the “door to balloon time”. Door – you enter the A&E. Balloon - the little balloon inflates, your heart muscle is saved, your life is saved. Fifty minutes on average in Singapore. The international standard for this door to balloon time is 90 minutes. It means that in Singapore, if you have a heart attack, which unfortunately many people do, you have a much better chance of being treated in time and staying alive. So if you have an emergency, the system is there to take care of you. If the country has an emergency, we will make sure that the system is there to take care of it too because we have kept our healthcare system up to scratch, we tuned it up after COVID-19 and we want to make sure that if another pandemic like COVID-19 hits us, we can be more assured that we will be ready to take the load and see us through safely.

Besides improving everyone’s lives, we are creating brighter prospects and wider opportunities for the next generation, for our young. We transformed our education system, we took a broader and more holistic approach, and promoted lifelong learning. We made sure that every child can benefit fully from our school system, whatever their family circumstances. No one drops out today because he or she cannot afford the fees, or needs to work to support the family. We poured a lot more resources into pre-schools and infant care. We upgraded the preschool profession, created many more places, and increased government subsidies to make the fees very affordable to every family. In fact, for a lower-income family, if you go to an Anchor-Operated Kindergarten, it can cost you $5 a month, thereabouts. We are determined to give all our kids, regardless of their social backgrounds, the best start in life, beginning as early as we can. And we are starting to see results – preschool attendance has improved; kids now arrive at Primary 1 better prepared to learn.

In school, students have multiple options and diverse pathways, which cater to a wide range of talents and interests. They are not limited to just traditional arts and science courses. Many schools offer specialised programmes – music, dance, sports, robotics – including neighbourhood schools all over Singapore. So when we say that “every school is a good school”, that is a good slogan. Not every slogan is a good slogan, but in Singapore every school is a good school. It is a good slogan because it contains a lot of truth. In Singapore, unlike in some other countries, your postal code does not determine your destiny. What do I mean? Where you live, which corner of Singapore it may be, government or opposition, HDB or private property, it does not matter. The schools there are good, the schools all over the island are good. If you have talent, you can rise. Whatever your talents, you have opportunities. We make sure that there are full opportunities for everyone. The results show it. Today, nearly half of each cohort graduates from one of our autonomous universities, equipped with marketable skills, ready to join the workforce. They find jobs readily, often even before they graduate. Unlike many other countries, we have no youth unemployment problem, we have no graduate unemployment problem. Young people take up jobs that did not even exist in their parents’ generation. They become data scientists, machine learning engineers, carbon traders, novel food biotechnologists – that means you take a plant and you make it look like wagyu beef – UX designers, social counsellors, even e-sports coaches. You sit down, you become good at playing computer games, you can make a living. Not everybody but some will, and there are many different paths, and many different avenues for success. These are just some of the new opportunities and choices that young Singaporeans have to realise their dreams – whatever they may aspire to be.

Even as the country progressed, we made every effort to leave no one behind. When I was sworn-in as PM, I promised to build a more inclusive Singapore: one where it is not every man for himself, but everyone working together to make things better for all of us. We innovated boldly in social policies, just as we did in education and healthcare. One of my earliest moves was to create Comcare, to bring together our many social programmes, enhance them further, and channel more resources to help the needy amongst us. We then launched Workfare to supplement the incomes of lower-wage workers, and later the Progressive Wage Model to level-up wages and skills in a sustainable way. KidStart now gives an extra boost to kids from disadvantaged homes. ComLink+ works with vulnerable families in rental flats, to uplift them and get them back on their feet. We strengthened other components of our social safety nets too: MediShield Life – to protect all Singaporeans against large hospital bills for life regardless of your health condition; CareShield Life – to provide basic financial support if you become disabled, and need long-term care; CPF Life – to improve retirement adequacy, and make sure that workers and their families will be provided for in old age; Silver Support – to help seniors who had lower incomes during their working lives, or perhaps they were homemakers; the Majulah Package – for 1.6 million Young Seniors who carry heavy family burdens; and we have taken care of the Pioneer and Merdeka Generations too, to whom we owe so much.

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Equally important, we empowered and mobilised activists and volunteers who care very much about building an inclusive society. Not just to feedback and demand services, but also to step forward and do their part; people like Mayor Denise Phua. The PAP fielded Denise as a candidate in 2006, at the General Election. When she came before the Secretary General’s Committee and we interviewed her, she told us the Government needed to do more to help kids with special needs. She spoke passionately about Pathlight School, the first autism-focussed school in Singapore, which she had recently helped to set up. We told her, if you take the lead, the Government will support you. She took up the challenge. She built up Pathlight into a well-known, well-run, popular choice for kids on the autism spectrum. Later, together with other activists and volunteers, Denise co-founded The Purple Parade movement. If you see me wearing purple on Instagram, you know why. Thousands of Singaporeans come together each year to support inclusion, and to celebrate the abilities of people with disabilities. They have a very good orchestra – if you listen to them, they are equal to many other orchestras in Singapore.

Such ground-up initiatives have raised the quality and standing of the special education sector, and shifted public mindsets. Singaporeans have become more ready to step up to help those in need. There is less stigma attached to people with disabilities. Parents are more willing to accept that their kid has special needs, and to seek and receive intervention early on. People with special needs have many more enabling opportunities. And this is a big part of leaving no Singaporean behind.

I am also proud of how Singaporeans take pride in our work and strive for excellence. Not everyone can be at the top of the totem pole, but whatever our role is in society, we take our responsibilities seriously, show mastery in our work, and try to do our jobs well. Whatever the role of the person is you are talking to, you talk to him as equals, you respect him, you engage him and 平起平坐. We are Singaporeans together. So often when talking to teachers, healthcare workers, public transport crew, Home Team and SAF personnel, private sector staff, employees, managers – I am struck by their pride and motivation to excel. They brief me knowledgeably and confidently. I ask them questions, they know how to answer. There is mutual respect and decorum; there is no bowing and scraping. All this, the trade unions helped us to establish. When teachers spend hours of their own time giving remedial lessons to students who need extra help, turning discipline cases into Edusave EAGLES Award winners – you cannot help but feel their commitment and passion. When policemen and SCDF personnel not only put their lives on the line at work, but also come forward as first responders even when off duty, and sometimes if they are on a date, their girlfriend comes forward to help too – that is not just training and discipline, but reflects a deep professionalism, self-motivation, and sense of duty. When healthcare teams go the extra mile for patients: not just the surgeon who operates on you, but also all the other healthcare professionals in the team – the Operating Theatre team, the nurses, the dietitians, the therapists – who look after you post-op, to ensure that you recover well and without complications. These are people who have not just a job, but a vocation, and a passion to serve. Ours is a society that takes pride in whatever we do, and makes a point of doing it well. A society that is egalitarian and meritocratic in its ethos; where those who have done well feel a sense of duty to give back to the society that nurtured them. This fundamental mindset permeates our whole society.

Because we got these fundamentals right, we were prepared and resilient when crises hit. In the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, we expected the worst. Nobody could tell what would happen to the global economy. We feared a prolonged deep recession, and mass unemployment. But with our strong reserves, we rolled out the Jobs Credit Scheme and Special Risk-Sharing Initiative, to help businesses and workers weather the storm. Unions worked with employers to cut costs, save jobs. These measures worked much better than we hoped, and our economy recovered faster than expected. As Lim Swee Say used to say, we upturned the downturn. More recently, COVID-19 gave us the fright of our lives. People were scared, because of all the unknowns: scared of the virus, scared to fall sick; worried about the economy, fearful for their jobs. We feared the worst, and it could easily have turned out that way. But Singaporeans worked together, and trusted and looked after one another. We drew deeply on our financial reserves, our social cohesion, and our shared determination to protect lives and livelihoods. The unions did their part again, so we not only pulled through but emerged stronger, faring much better than many other countries. We became a stronger people, a better society, and a more unified nation.

Our track record of keeping our own house in order has been key to building up our standing in the world. Wherever I go, whether to a big or small country, whether to an advanced country in the West, or a developing state in Africa or Latin America, people have a high regard for Singapore. They may not know a lot about us, but they have heard enough to be impressed, and to want to emulate us. It is always humbling when I meet other leaders at international conferences who ask me: “Where are you from?” and after I introduce myself, they say: “I wish my country could be like Singapore”.

But we must never let this get to our heads. On the contrary, we must zealously uphold our reputation, and work hard to build it up, through active, creative, and principled diplomacy. Hence, we have spoken up on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the Israel-Hamas war. We enhanced cooperation with our closest neighbours, and settled some longstanding issues with them – e.g. the Malayan Railways land deal with Malaysia, and the Expanded Framework Agreements with Indonesia. With big powers, we maintained good relations despite growing geopolitical tensions between them.

At international forums like the UN, WTO, or Climate Change Conferences, we do our part, and strive to be a constructive and reliable player and we have built up a reputation. Singaporean Ministers and officials, they know their stuff and they make a contribution. This is how a small country can make friends, advance our interests, and stand tall.

Singaporeans have every reason to be proud of our international standing, proud of what we have achieved together, and proud to call ourselves Singaporeans. Long may this little red dot shine brightly in the world!

What makes Singapore work

The next chapter of the Singapore Story is off to a strong start. I see a very challenging period ahead. There are many uncertainties in the world: rising tensions and rivalry between big powers; deglobalisation and protectionism; technological advances and climate change; questions of war and peace. In many countries, people are anxious and worried and Singaporeans are concerned too. In fact, I would be worried if Singaporeans took the future lightly, and blithely assumed that we could simply cruise along, and all would be well. If you were not worried, I will be worried. Because as a small and open country, we will inevitably be caught up by powerful external forces and geopolitical currents. Our diverse society makes us especially vulnerable to what happens around us, outside Singapore.

But thankfully, compared to most other countries, we are not at all badly off. Still, we have to continue to focus on nation building, and to make the most of our strengths. The world has changed, and we must come up with updated creative responses, but some hard truths have not changed. These imperatives will stay relevant in the years ahead. So, let me highlight three of them to you.

First imperative, social cohesion. What do I mean? Race, language, and religion – these are the traditional fault lines in our society. We have made huge efforts to build a shared Singaporean identity, to live and work together harmoniously as a multiracial and multireligious society based on meritocracy and equal opportunity. We have made great progress in this. But we will always be subject to external forces that pull different segments of our population in different directions. We cannot disavow our diverse ethnic roots and religious affinities, we want to keep them: Chinese Singaporeans have links with China, some way or other; Indian Singaporeans with their various ancestral homes in India; Malay Singaporeans with the rest of our region, and with the global Muslim Ummah, the community of Muslims worldwide. These are real, emotional, historical, cultural, deep ties. They can be vulnerabilities, yet we do not want to lose these rich cultural and historical heritages. We have inherited them from our forefathers, and they contribute much to our Singaporean identity, our sense of who we are in the world. Because we did not just descend from Mars – we have long histories, proud histories, ancestors, heritages, traditions, many of which we want to keep for ourselves and pass on to our children and grandchildren. Therefore for us, racial and religious harmony will always be a continuing work in progress. Never think that we have “solved the problem” and that we have left it behind. It will always be with us.

And we also have to be conscious of other potential divisions in our society: between the “haves” and the “have-nots”; the “Singaporean-born” and “naturalised” citizens; “conservatives” and “liberals”; “current” and “future” generations. All these differences can be exploited politically, to pit Singaporeans one against another, and divide and weaken us. Hence, we have got to continue to work hard to overcome social stresses and tensions, to enlarge our common space, and strengthen our shared Singaporean identity. It is not a static identity. It grows and evolves over time. We are not a specimen in the museum – like that 10 years ago, like that 20 years ago, like that 50 years from now. It will grow, it will evolve. The world changes, we adapt, we move forward. We have to guide that evolution, as best as we can, sensitively and thoughtfully. That is why we moved on the tudung issue, and repealed Section 377A of the Penal Code. These were controversial and difficult issues, but I decided to tackle them, and not to let them fester or to pass them along to my successors. So we prepared the ground carefully, worked out practical compromises, and moved to a more sustainable, long-term position, while fostering mutual understanding and acceptance. Always, when we are dealing with controversial issues, we accept that differences exist, but we will avoid accentuating them. Accept them, do not accentuate them. Instead we foster compromise, strive to enlarge a common space, establish the broadest consensus possible. We will always have fault lines to watch and mind. Never forget, whatever our differences, we are all Singaporeans, first and foremost. And only thus can we survive and thrive in a contested and fractured world.

Second, long term planning. It is the responsibility of every government in every country. Not just to deal with pressing, immediate problems, but also to have the vision and the sense of stewardship to peer beyond the horizon and plan far ahead. But most governments find it very hard to do. Many are consumed by immediate problems or political crises. They lack the support or the bandwidth to think further ahead. To put it in Singaporean language: Where got time? But the PAP Government has always planned and acted for the long term, deliberately and systematically. Look where we are gathered today for May Day – in an Integrated Resort (IR) at Marina Bay. When did this begin? The government started thinking about reclaiming land here in the 1960s, in the first years of our independence. The reclamation project began in 1971, more than 50 years ago. Then we had to let the reclaimed land settle, masterplan the new downtown, and build it phase by phase. 20 years ago (in 2004-2005), we started talking about IRs. This was one of my first major decisions as Prime Minister – whether or not to allow IRs in Singapore, which would introduce casino gambling to Singapore. After a full public debate, we decided to proceed, but with suitable safeguards in place. So, the IRs opened in 2010, just in time to catch the recovery from the Global Financial Crisis, and they took off. Today, we not only have the IRs, but also Gardens by the Bay, the Marina Barrage, Marina Reservoir, Marina South Downtown and an iconic skyline around the Bay. After half a century, today we have built a Marina Bay that we can all be proud of. But Marina Bay is not done – Singapore is not done. We will continue to grow and to develop Marina Bay – and Singapore – for decades to come.

What do we want to see in Singapore, 50 years from now? Here are some plans already in the pipeline. We are building a new megaport at Tuas and a new Terminal 5 at Changi, to strengthen our air and sea hubs. We will reclaim a Long Island along the east coast, to protect ourselves from rising sea levels, and create more land and another freshwater reservoir. We always try to hit several birds with one stone. We will redevelop Paya Lebar after relocating Paya Lebar Airbase, as well as the Greater Southern Waterfront after PSA moves to Tuas, to create new spaces for future generations to live, work and play and accommodate a new NTUC Downtown South. We will decarbonise our economy to reach net zero carbon emissions, and do our part to mitigate climate change. It is going to be a very difficult journey, this last one, but we have to do it. I have no doubt that the next team and their successors will conceive more creative and ambitious projects, which will challenge us, inspire us, and take our country to the next level. These projects will take decades to come to fruition. They are acts of faith in Singapore’s future. Mr Lee Kuan Yew memorably said, shortly after independence: “Over 100 years ago, this was a mudflat, swamp. Today, this is a modern city. Ten years from now, this will be a metropolis. Never fear.” This must forever be our mindset: thinking long term, working towards it with patience and determination, and building lasting strengths for Singapore, way beyond our own generation, for the next 50 years, for the next 100 years.

This brings me to the third fundamental principle, imperative – political stability and trust. We cannot sustain long-term planning and effort if our politics is fractured. The whole Singapore system is anchored on a strong base of trust between the people and their government. The people elected the PAP government. The PAP government works hard to maintain the people’s trust and support. It shows, through words and through deeds, that it has the nation’s best interests at heart, and is improving your lives. Therefore, at each election, 15 times in a row, the PAP has won a renewed mandate, fair and square, and continued to deliver results for Singaporeans.

Very few other countries work like this. You name me one. We were fortunate to start off on the right footing. Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Mr Goh Chok Tong and their teams established the fundamentals of good government. They were unshakeably committed to meritocracy and incorruptibility. They worked hard to build a system that would endure beyond their own terms as PM. My team and I have done our best to steward Singapore, and safeguard its future. Our successors must do the same.

Getting our politics right is absolutely crucial. Please understand: we have succeeded, and Singapore has made exceptional economic and social gains, because our system is exceptional. It is not because we are ordinary, we pass; it is because we are exceptional - distinction with star. Then only can you have performance that is a distinction with star. The system does not have to fail outright for Singapore to get into trouble. Even if we just become ordinary, average, we will already be in serious trouble. Because we have no natural resources, no hinterland; 700 square kilometres is nothing. If our politics becomes like other countries, we will end up worse than other countries. Not the same as them, but worse off. Graver still, if our system malfunctions – becomes beset by populism, tribalism, nativism, or obsessed by short term gains, like some other countries – then we will certainly be sunk. All our reserves will not last very long, nor will they count for much. There is no need to ask how much money is there in the bank, you can have a lot. But if you have gone that way, and the country has gone wrong, it would not save you. Therefore, it is crucial that all of us uphold this ethos of exceptionalism and excellence; it is crucial that we maintain political stability. The system will evolve with time. But it has to evolve in a way that continues to serve Singapore’s interests, serve your interests. That gives us the best shot at building a brighter future for Singapore.

The Labour Movement understands this well. You have been with the PAP since the very beginning, long before independence. Our symbiotic partnership was born in a crucible of fire. Mr Lee Kuan Yew started on his political journey by representing the postal workers’ union in the postmen’s strike in 1952. He championed their cause and won them fair terms from the colonial government. When Mr Lee and his comrades formed the PAP two years later in 1954 to contest the Legislative Assembly elections (in 1955), the postmen mobilised and helped him win his first election in Tanjong Pagar. You probably know this and you should know this. But you may not know that when the postmen’s union approached Mr Lee to act for them in 1952, when they first approached him, it was just around the time that I was being born. And so when my father visited my mother and me in KKH (Kandang Kerbau Hospital), instead of admiring his new baby he was telling my mother all about the postmen’s union and his plans! As a young boy, I met many union activists. They would visit our home at Oxley Road for meetings, especially during election campaigns. I knew that my father was the legal adviser to many trade unions. I was not quite sure what being a legal adviser meant, but I took great pride in this. To me, the unions were on the side of the good, supporting the PAP to fight for independence from the British. So they were the good guys. And indeed, without union support, the PAP could not have won the 1959 General Election to take power for the first time. After Separation, with the support of the non-Communist unions, the PAP led Singapore safely through the difficult first years of nation¬hood, and took Singapore from Third World to First.

Tripartism played a vital role in this journey. The crucial turning point was NTUC’s Modernisation Seminar in 1969, which was when we replaced the old adversarial approach, unions versus employers, with a cooperative, tripartite strategy, based on trust and confidence. We formed the National Wages Council (NWC), established a constructive process for tripartite annual wage negotiations, and assured workers of their fair share of economic growth. We built up the habit of cooperation and mutual trust between the tripartite partners. In 1985, Singapore ran into a sudden, severe recession. We had to slash business costs to restore competi¬tiveness, including by cutting employer CPF contributions. It was effectively a wage cut for everyone, and it was a most difficult and painful decision. I remember this vividly, because I chaired the Economic Committee which made this recommendation. I was grateful to have the full support of Mr Ong Teng Cheong, who was then the NTUC Secretary-General, and the union leaders. Together, we persuaded the workers that the CPF cut was unavoidable, and that it would help secure their jobs. Fortunately for the doctors the bitter medicine worked, and events proved us right – the economy revived within the year. No other country could have implemented such a draconian policy, gotten unions and workers to accept it, and made it work. But Singapore workers knew we had their backs. And we still do, we will always have your backs. In the following decades, we ran into even bigger crises. The Asian Financial Crisis (1997) was followed by the Global Financial Crisis (2008). Most recently, we endured the crisis of a generation – the COVID-19 pandemic. But by now the tripartite partners knew what to do, and each time we pulled through, with our workers safe, and our partner¬ship strengthened.

It is not only during crises that tripartism proves its worth. Singapore’s dramatic progress would have been impossible without tripartism. Neither would it have happened had the PAP government not done its part. The PAP has worked hard to provide Singapore with the good govern¬ment that you deserve. We have not only created prosperity and progress for our nation, but ensured that every Singaporean benefits from the fruits of growth. Through the symbiotic relationship with the PAP, the NTUC has done right by workers, and helped them and their families to enjoy a better life. As Mr Lee Kuan Yew said at the NTUC’s 50th anniversary in 2011, I quote him: “Growth is meaningless unless it is shared by the workers, shared not only directly in wage increases but indirectly in better homes, better schools, better hospitals, better playing fields and generally a healthier environment for families to bring up their children.” Today, in the 70th year of the PAP’s founding, and after 20 years as your PM, I can tell you, in all good conscience, that both the NTUC and the PAP have delivered on our promises to Singaporeans. Therefore, once again, thank you very much, NTUC!

In future, the unions will play an even more crucial role, as we deal with geopolitical and economic uncertainty. I am glad the unions are transforming yourselves to remain relevant. You reached beyond blue-collar workers, to look after graduates, professionals, platform workers, and the self-employed. As Sec-Gen said just now, 45% of your members are now PMEs. Well done! You formed Company Training Committees in hundreds of firms, to plan and execute training and upgrading programmes together with the employers. Your Sec-Gen did not brag about his negotiating skills apropos this item, but when he put it up he also asked for a budget and we also agreed within 30 seconds. You found ways to be with it, and be hip, in order to reach out to young workers, even while they are still in post-secondary institutions, through nEbO (nobody Enjoys being Ordinary), another Lim Swee Say coinage, and the Young NTUC.

You pushed for stronger support for families and caregiving, and greater gender equality, and showed by example – you elected three female NTUC Presidents, and you nurtured the first female President of the Republic of Singapore. Before every May Day Rally, I meet union leaders to hear their feedback and concerns. This year, they talked about getting workers to understand how fierce the competition is from other countries, and what we must do to stay in the game. How older workers worry about keeping up with technological progress, while younger ones want work-life balance. They also discussed the future of the tripartite partnership, and how it must carry on with the next generation of leaders. I have always found the unionists’ views pertinent and invaluable, and I am sure my successors will too.

Looking ahead, there are certainly dark clouds on the horizon, but also many opportunities. Even in a deglobalising, distrustful world, countries still have to find some way to work with one another. When rivals harbour doubts about one another, trust¬worthiness commands a premium, and Singapore can be a trusted partner. When countries find it hard to maintain a steady path, and decide every few months to change directions and switch leaders, Singapore’s stability and predictability is a tremendous advantage. One day after I have stepped down, I will tidy up all the letters of congratulations that I have written to foreign leaders in my 20 years as PM. We can compile a book. But it is not a joke. Because with the churn, there is no hope of consistent direction of strong leadership, of mobilising the population, of pressing ahead and making great progress. But we have done that.

We have built a strong foundation for our future generations: with adequate reserves to tide over extreme difficulties; with international respect that gives us a seat at the table; with a cohesive society that hangs together in the darkest hours; and a vibrant and inclusive economy that creates opportunities and hope for all Singaporeans.

Make the most of these advantages. Never throw them away. Stay united, think long term, and maintain our political stability. That is the way forward for Singapore.

Our Singapore Story: The Next Chapter

My fellow Singaporeans: this is my 40th year in politics. It has been my great honour to have served you, including as your PM. I have strived to lead you and to govern Singapore in the way you deserve, to mobilise Singaporeans to show what we can do together. I have also prepared a leadership team to succeed me that deserves your confidence and support. As I prepare to hand over Singapore in good order to my successor, I feel a sense of satisfaction and completeness. I have done my duty, and I am very happy I chose this path of public service all those many years ago.

But leading a country is never a one-man job. It is always the effort of a national team. Your unwavering support enabled us to get here, with the country in good shape and heading in the right direction.

I am deeply grateful: to the Ministers, MPs, and grassroots and union leaders, who stood with me throughout, more than one generation of them, some of whom have already passed on; to our outstanding Public Service, committed to improving Singaporeans’ lives; to the Labour Movement, working tirelessly to improve the everyday lives of workers and their families. Most of all, I am humbled by and grateful for Singaporeans’ trust, confidence, and support. To all of you, I say a very big thank you!

I will continue to support the new PM and his team, and to help Singapore to succeed in every way I can.

Lawrence Wong will be taking over from me in two weeks’ time, 15 May. I have every confidence in Lawrence and his team. The 4G will have their hands full dealing with issues which will arise, and realising their Forward SG agenda. I ask all Singaporeans to rally behind them, and work together to make Singapore succeed, for your sake. That is our path forward: for each generation to steward Singapore to the best of its ability; so that the next generation can take on a better Singapore, and in turn lead our nation onwards and upwards. Thank you very much!

Majulah Singapura!

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Pro-Palestinian Protesters Resist Order to Clear Encampment at M.I.T.

The police were an increasing presence around the edges of the protest as evening fell, including state troopers with tactical gear and zip ties.

By Matthew Eadie and Jenna Russell

Matthew Eadie reported from Cambridge, Mass.

May 6, 2024

Tensions escalated on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Monday, as pro-Palestinian student protesters resisted a 2:30 p.m. deadline set by the university to clear an encampment on the school’s grounds.

Brief shoving matches broke out between the police and protesters, whose numbers swelled when hundreds of high school students showed up to offer their support.

The protesters blocked a busy road past the Cambridge campus at rush hour on Monday, shutting it down for hours and snarling traffic, and tore down metal fencing that had been erected last week to separate pro-Palestinian protesters from a growing number of pro-Israel counterprotesters.

The police were an increasing presence around the edges of the protest as evening fell, including state troopers with tactical gear and zip ties, which are commonly used in place of handcuffs during mass arrests. By 7 p.m., about 200 students filled the lawn, linking arms and writing phone numbers on their arms in case they were arrested.

The uptick in activity followed a letter from the university’s president, Sally Kornbluth, on Monday warning students that they would face immediate academic suspension if they did not leave the encampment voluntarily.

Administrators at Harvard sent a similar message on Monday , calling the right to free speech “vital” but “not unlimited.”

“I must now take action to bring closure to a situation that has disrupted our campus for more than two weeks,” Dr. Kornbluth wrote at M.I.T. “My sense of urgency comes from an increasing concern for the safety of our community.”

Concerned parents of students at M.I.T. sent a letter to administrators on Friday objecting to the stress, trauma and “poisonous reality” they said their children faced from the protest, which began on April 21.

Campus police began restricting access to the encampment on Monday afternoon, allowing students to leave but not to re-enter. Some left voluntarily and stayed away. Others who remained said the university would only hurt itself by taking aggressive action to end the protest.

“Right now I’m not thinking about the police, I’m thinking about how bad this looks for M.I.T.,” said Hana Flores, 24, a doctoral student in biology.

At one point, Ms. Flores shared a moment with her husband, holding his hand through a fence as he urged her to stay safe and promised to tell her mother what was happening.

Dr. Kornbluth was one of three university presidents who faced harsh criticism last year for their testimony in a congressional hearing about campus antisemitism and discipline for hate speech. The other two leaders, Claudine Gay of Harvard and Elizabeth Magill of the University of Pennsylvania, both resigned in the fallout, and hundreds of M.I.T. alumni signed a letter calling for stronger actions to combat antisemitism.

About 200 high school students from a dozen schools in cities including Boston, Cambridge and Somerville also protested at M.I.T. on Monday afternoon; two 16-year-olds from Somerville High School, Olive Redd and Leyla Abarca, a co-founder of Massachusetts High Schools for Palestine, were among them. Ms. Redd said she had spent time at both the Columbia University and the M.I.T. encampments and found them to be very peaceful.

Campus protest organizers said they worked with the local high school students to help plan their visit. The younger students stayed at a distance from the encampment; some sat in the street writing messages like “Free Palestine” and “Defund and Divest” in colored chalk on the pavement.

“I think it’s just like so disappointing to see that this peaceful, beautiful community is being shut down,” Ms. Redd said. “That’s why we’re here, because even though we’re young, we know that our voices matter.”

In an echo of actions taken by students on some other campuses, a small group of protesters briefly set up tents and banners inside M.I.T.’s Building 7 earlier on Monday before the students were forced out onto the building’s front steps, across the street from the encampment.

Pro-Israel counterprotesters were also a presence during the day. Some yelled “Killers!” at the students from the encampment, who responded with their own chants, all while state police officers stood between the two groups.

Baltasar Dinis, 24, a first-year doctoral student in computer science, said he believed the counterprotesters had the right to express their views, but “asking for M.I.T. not to make weapons of genocide, I don’t see how that can be perceived as an aggression against the Israeli students.”

He criticized M.I.T.’s threat of disciplinary actions, and said the school had not negotiated in good faith with protesters.

“The oppression of free speech on campus is detrimental to the entire community,” Mr. Dinis said. “It’s abhorrent that we cannot even do the minimum as an institution to stand against genocide.”

Jenna Russell is the lead reporter covering New England for The Times. She is based near Boston. More about Jenna Russell

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IMAGES

3 REPORTED SPEECH
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Imperative sentences in English grammar। Let वाले वाक्य।
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COMMENTS

Reported Speech Imperatives
Suggest / demand / insist as Reported Verbs. Suggest / demand / insist can be used as reported verb for imperatives; however, they do not follow the same pattern as above. That is because the structure for using them is as follows:. Suggest / demand / insist + that + someone; So this is how reported speech with these verbs will look:
REPORTED SPEECH
Learn how to REPORT IMPERATIVES in REPORTED SPEECH - English grammar. Exercises ⬇️Can you report these imperative sentences?1) Go away!2) Put the books away ...
Reported Speech
For imperatives, we use "ask/tell somebody to do something". Compare these two sentences and how they are used in reported speech. Statement: "It is good.". Reported Speech: He said that it is good. Imperative: "Come here.". Reported Speech: She told me to come here. So, we use "ask/tell + to + verb" to report a command or ...
Reported Speech
To change an imperative sentence into a reported indirect sentence, use to for imperative and not to for negative sentences. Never use the word that in your indirect speech. Another rule is to remove the word please. Instead, say request or say. For example: "Please don't interrupt the event," said the host.
Imperative Reported Speech with Examples & Practise Exercises
Imperative Reported Speech Exercise 2. Rewrite each sentence into reported speech. Grandma said to me, "Please fetch my glasses.". The librarian said to us, "Return the books in a month.". I said to the agent, "Please book two tickets for America.". Andrew said, "I'll have a chicken sandwich and some coffee.".
Reporting imperatives
Reporting imperatives. reporting verb + somebody + to-infinitive. When we report an imperative sentence or a request, we usually use a to -infinitive structure: Mother: Put away your toys, Johnny. Johnny's mother told him to put away his toys. Teacher: Everybody, please stand up. The teacher asked the class to stand up.
Reported Speech Imperatives Exercise
Reported Speech In Imperatives / Commands Video Exercise with answers and detailed explanations for students and teachers-- First we review reported speech i...
Reported speech
Reported speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
Reported speech: reporting verbs
indirect speech: He denied finishing the coffee. Try this exercise to test your grammar. Grammar test 1. Reported speech 3 - reporting verbs: 1. ... We can also use an infinitive to report imperatives, with a reporting verb like tell, order, instruct, direct or warn. 'Please wait for me in reception.'
Reported speech
Reported speech. Daisy has just had an interview for a summer job. Instructions. Transcript. We use reported speech when we want to tell someone what someone said. We usually use a reporting verb (e.g. say, tell, ask, etc.) and then change the tense of what was actually said in direct speech. So, direct speech is what someone actually says?
Reported Speech
Watch my reported speech video: Here's how it works: We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence: Direct speech: I like ice cream. Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.
Reported speech
Reported speech exercises: reported commands and requests. Direct and indirect speech. Intermediate exercises esl.
Direct and Indirect Speech of Imperative Sentences
Rule 2: In Indirect Narration, the Verb of the Reported Speech in an Imperative Sentence is changed into the Infinitive [ to + V ( Base Form) ] Rule 3: If the Reported Speech is Negative, the word " not " is used in Indirect Narration before the Infinitive ( not + to ) Rule 4: Expressions like 'Please, Sir, Madam, etc are omitted in ...
Reported speech: statements
To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech. direct speech: 'I work in a bank,' said Daniel. indirect speech: Daniel said that he worked in a bank. In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past (e.g. worked) than the tense originally used (e.g. work). This is called 'backshift'.
Reported Speech Imperatives Exercise
Reported Speech Imperatives Exercise - Reported Mixed Exercise. See the Video Exercise. Convert the sentences below from direct to indirect speech (reported speech). 1. Mother to daughter: "Put on your shoes.". 2. The teacher to me: "Open your notebook.". 3. Merry to her uncle: "Don't be mad at me.". 4. Coach to Jack: "Get on your feet!"
Reported Speech
Reported Speech: In this article, you will be introduced to reported speech, its meaning and definition, how and when to use it. You can also check out the examples given for a much better understanding of reported speech. ... In case you are reporting imperative sentences, you can use verbs like requested, commanded, pleaded, ordered, etc.
How do you write suggestions, advice, promises, etc. in reported speech
Parts of speech. How do you form a sentence, a clause, and a phrase in English? What is the first person, the second person, and the third person in English?
Reported imperatives
To transfer somebody's order or request form direct to indirect speech, we use the expression "tell somebody to do something" or "ask somebody to do something" depending on the context. The exercises on this page will help you practise reported imperative. If you are only starting to study reported speech, we recommend to cover ...
Indirect speech
Questions and imperatives in indirect speech. Download full-size image from Pinterest. We use the normal order of words in reported questions: subject + verb. We don't use an auxiliary verb like do or did. When we report an order or instruction, we use the form ask or tell someone to do something. Pronoun changes in indirect speech
Reported speech: indirect speech
Reported speech: indirect speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
Reported Speech (Imperatives) Quiz
Try this quiz to test your understanding of reported speech of imperative sentences. Click here to review the lesson! Choose the best answers to complete the following sentences. Download quiz with answers in printable PDF. More resources on the Site:Reported Speech (Statements) QuizReported Speech (Questions) QuizReported SpeechGrammar ExplanationsQuizzes
Reported Speech Exercises
Perfect English Grammar. Here's a list of all the reported speech exercises on this site: ( Click here to read the explanations about reported speech ) Reported Statements: Present Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here) Present Continuous Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy)
Indirect speech
Indirect speech: She ordered me to stop talking. When we change a negative imperative from direct speech into indirect speech we must also use the verbs told, ordered or commanded and put the word not before the infinitive. For example: Direct speech: Don't close your books! Indirect speech: The teacher told the students not to close their books.
Update on protest on campus
Dear Hopkins Justice Collective members and student protesters, I am writing at a critical juncture in the protest. I appreciated the opportunity to meet with several of you on Monday evening at the start of the encampment you initiated on the Beach and to speak together in an open and constructive way about the purposes of your protest, including your desire to conduct the protest and any ...
PMO
Transcript of speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at May Day Rally 2024 at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre on 1 May 2024. ... This brings me to the third fundamental principle, imperative - political stability and trust. We cannot sustain long-term planning and effort if our politics is fractured. The whole Singapore system is ...
M.I.T. Orders Encampment Cleared, and Columbia Cancels Main
Here's what we're covering: Pro-Palestinian protesters resist an order to clear an encampment at M.I.T. More protesters are arrested at U.C.L.A.
Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities
Determining whether an entity is an indirect recipient requires a fact-specific inquiry. [ 49 ] Entities that receive Federal financial assistance from the Department for an EGWP or RDS plan would be subject to this rule, though we note that employers and other plan sponsors are not subject to this rule with regard to their employment practices ...

Reported Speech Imperatives

Direct Speech:

Reported Speech:

Reporting Verbs for Imperatives

Polite Request

Polite Requests

Suggest / demand / insist as Reported Verbs

Negative Imperatives in Reported Speech

Negative Imperatives in Reported Speech

More on Reported Speech:

Direct and Indirect Speech: The differences explained

Reported Speech Quiz - Practice forming indirect speech

Reported Speech Tenses Chart: How to convert tenses

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

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Reported speech

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Reported speech

Direct and Indirect Speech of Imperative Sentences

Imperative Sentence

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Direct and Indirect Speech Imperative Sentences Examples 2024

Narration of imperative sentences exercise and Answers

Imperative Sentences Narration Change Examples with ‘Let’

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Exercises : Direct and Indirect Speech of Imperative Sentences

Worksheet Imperative Sentence

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Reported speech: statements

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