58 Indirect Orders
Clauses
In some contexts the speaker may need to make requests or orders in a more polite way, to be more kind or gentle. One way to do this is to avoid direct orders. For this reason, we use Indirect Orders.
Below is a list of the most common Indirect Order Clauses:
- Want;
- Would like;
- Would love.
Sentences containing Indirect Orders usually have this structure:
Subject + indirect order clause + object + to + verb (infinitive).
- I want you to use cycle lane.
- She would love her husband to fix the car.
- We would like them to cancel the tickets.
When we want to make a request in a more polite way we use Indirect Orders.
There are certain situations where we may make requests or orders in a more polite way. One way of doing this is by using Indirect Orders. The most common Indirect Order clauses are want, would like and would love.
The sentences which feature Indirect Orders usually follow this structure:
Subject + indirect order clause + object + to + verb (e.g. I want you to start working.).
For example:
— “I want you to start working.” = We want the person to start working, but we give the order in a polite way.
Let’s revise this content within the [Form] section. Take a look at the [Example] section that shows its use within a context.