Reported Requests and Instructions

What you’ll learn

Report what someone asked or told another person to do.

រាយការណ៍សំណើ និងការណែនាំដោយ to-infinitive។

Meaning and use

Use ask or tell + person + to-infinitive for many requests and instructions. Place not before to for a negative instruction. Ask usually presents a request; tell often presents an instruction. Preserve the original meaning and avoid turning every suggestion into a command.

រាយការណ៍សំណើ ឬការណែនាំដោយ ask/tell + មនុស្ស + to-infinitive។ បើជាការហាមឃាត់ ដាក់ not មុន to។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Request / instruction	asked/told + person + to + base verb
Negative instruction	told + person + not to + base verb

Examples

1. She asked me to wait outside.

   នាងបានសុំឱ្យខ្ញុំរង់ចាំខាងក្រៅ។

2. The teacher told us to open our books.

   គ្រូបានប្រាប់យើងឱ្យបើកសៀវភៅ។

3. He asked them not to make noise.

   គាត់បានសុំឱ្យពួកគេកុំបង្កសំឡេងរំខាន។

4. My mother reminded me to take my keys.

   ម្ដាយខ្ញុំបានរំលឹកឱ្យខ្ញុំយកសោ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: What did the guard tell you?

Maly: He told me not to park near the entrance.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
She told me do not wait.	She told me not to wait.	Use object + not to + base verb.
He asked to me to help.	He asked me to help.	Ask takes the person object directly in this pattern.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Report: The teacher said to us, Please listen.
2. Report: Dara said to me, Do not touch that cable.
3. Correct: She reminded me bring my passport.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. The teacher asked us to listen.

   A polite request can be reported with asked + object + to.

2. Dara told me not to touch that cable.

   Use not to for the negative instruction.

3. She reminded me to bring my passport.

   Remind + person requires a to-infinitive here.

Quick recap

• Request / instruction: asked/told + person + to + base verb
• Negative instruction: told + person + not to + base verb