引述或转述别人的话称为“引语”。直接引用别人的原话，两边用引号““标出，叫做直接引语；用自己的语言转述别人的话，不需要引号这叫做间接引语，实际上间接引语大都是宾语从句（其中由祈使句转换的间接引语除外，其转换后是不定式）。那么直接引语为陈述句、一般疑问句、特殊疑问句和祈使句，转换为间接引语时，句子的结构，人称、时态、时间状语和地点状语等都要有变化，如何变化呢?
1、人称的转变
1）直接引语中的第一人称，一般转换为第三人称，如：
Hesaid，“Iamverysorry.”——>Hesaidthathewasverysorry.
2）直接引语中的第二人称，如果原话是针对转述人说的，转换为第一人称，如：
“Youshouldbemorecarefulnexttime,”myfathertoldme.——>
MyfathertoldmethatIshouldbemorecarefulthenexttime.
3）直接引语中的第二人称，如果原话是针对第三人称说的，转换成第三人称。如：
Shesaidtoherson,“I'llcheckyourhomeworktonight.”——>
Shesaidtohersonthatshewouldcheckhishomeworkthatnight.
4）人称的转换包括人称代词、物主代词和名词性物主代词等，如：
Heaskedme,“Willyougotothestationwithmetomeetafriendofminethisafternoon?”——>
HeaskedmewhetherIwouldgotothestationwithhimtomeetafriendofhisthatafternoon.
总之，人称的转换不是固定的，具体情况，具体对待，要符合逻辑。
2、时态的转换
直接引语改为间接引语时，主句中的谓语动词如果是过去时，从句（即间接引语部分）的谓语动词在时态方面要作相应的变化，变成过去时范畴的各种时态（实际也是宾语从句的时态要求），变化如下：
直接引语间接引语直接引语间接引语
一般现在时一般过去时一般过去时过去完成时
现在进行时过去进行时过去完成时过去完成时
现在完成时过去完成时过去进行时过去进行时
一般将来时过去将来时
例如：
“Iamverygladtovisityourschool”,shesaid.——>
Shesaidshewasverygladtovisitourschool.
Tomsaid,“Wearelisteningtothepopmusic.”——>
Tomsaidthattheywerelisteningtothepopmusic.
Motherasked,“HaveyoufinishedyourhomeworkbeforeyouwatchTV?”——>
MotheraskedmewhetherIhadfinishedmyhomeworkbeforeIwatchedTV.
Heaskedtheconductor,“WhereshallIgetofftochangetoaNo.3bus?”——>
HeaskedtheconductorwherehewouldgetofftochangetoaNo.3bus.
“Whydidsherefusetogothere?”theteacherasked.——>
Theteacheraskedwhyshehadrefusedtogothere.
Motheraskedme,“HadyoufinishedyourhomeworkbeforeyouwatchedTV?”——>
MotheraskedmewhetherIhadfinishedmyhomeworkbeforeIwatchedTV.
Tomsaid,“Wewerehavingafootballmatchthistimeyesterday.”——>
Tomsaidthattheywerehavingafootballmatchthattimethedaybefore.
Hesaid，“Ihaven'theardfrommyparentsthesedays.”——>
Hesaidthathehadn'theardfromhisparentsthosedays.
3、直接引语变成间接引语时，从句时态无须改变的情况
1）当主句的谓语动词是一般现在时的时候，如：
Healwayssays,“Iamtiredout.”——>Healwayssaysthatheistiredout.
2）当主句的谓语动词是将来时的时候，如：
Hewillsay,“I’lltrymybesttohelpyou.”——>Hewillsaythathewilltryhisbesttohelpme.
3）当直接引语部分带有具体的过去时间状语时，如：
Hesaid,“Iwenttocollegein1994.”——>Hetoldusthathewenttocollegein1994.
4）当直接引语中有以when,while引导的从句，表示过去的时间时，如：
Hesaid，“WhenIwasachild,Iusuallyplayedfootballafterschool.”——>
Hesaidthatwhenhewasachild,heusuallyplayedfootballafterschool.
5）当直接引语是客观真理或自然现象时，如：
Ourteachersaidtous,“Lighttravelsfasterthansound.”——>
Ourteachertoldusthatlighttravelsfasterthansound.
6）当引语是谚语、格言时，如：
Hesaid，“Practicemakesperfect.”——>Hesaidthatpracticemakesperfect.
7）当直接引语中有情态动词should,would,could,hadbetter,wouldrather,might,must,oughtto,usedto,need时，如：
例如：
Thedoctorsaid,“You'dbetterdrinkplentyofwater.”——>
ThedoctorsaidI'dbetterdrinkplentyofwater.
Hesaid,“Shemustbeateacher.”——>Hesaidthatshemustbeateacher.
Hesaid,“Sheoughttohavearrivedherofficebynow.”——>
Hesaidthatsheoughttohavearrivedherofficebythen.
Theteachersaid,“Youneedn'thandinyourcompositionstoday.”——>
Theteachersaidweneedn't/didn'tneedto/didn'thavetohandinourcompositions.
Sheasked,“MustItakethemedicine?”——>Sheaskedifshehadtotakethemedicine.
〔注〕：此处用hadto代替must更好
8）此外转述中的变化要因实际情况而定，不能机械照搬，如果当地转述，here不必改为there,动词come不必改为go，如果当天转述yesterday,tomorrow,thisafternoon等均不必改变。如：
Teacher:Youmayhavetheballgamethisafternoon.
Student:Whatdidtheteachersay,Monitor?
Monitor:Hesaidwemighthavetheballgamethisafternoon.
4、时间状语、地点状语及某些对比性的指示代词和动词变化
1）时间状语：
直接引语间接引语直接引语间接引语
nowthentomorrowthenext（following）day
todaythatdaynextweekthenext（following）week（month,year）
yesterdaythedaybeforetwodaysagotwodaysbefore
lastweek（month,year）theweek（month,year）beforethisweekthatweek（month,year）
2）指示代词：these变成those
3）地点状语：here变成there
Shesaid,“Iwon'tcomehereanymore.”——>Shesaidthatshewouldn’tgothereanymore..
4）动词：come变成go，bring变成take
5、直接引语变成间接引语，句子结构的变化
1）陈述句。用连词that引导，that在口语中常省略。主句的谓语动词可直用接引语中的said,也可用told来代替，注意，可以说saidthat,saidtosb.that,toldsb.that，不可直接说toldthat,如：
Hesaid,“IhavebeentotheGreatWall.”——>HesaidtousthathehadbeentotheGreatWall.
Hesaid,“I'llgiveyouanexaminationnextMonday.”——>
HetoldusthathewouldgiveusanexaminationthenextMonday.（不可说toldthat）
此外主句中的谓语还常有：
repeat,whisper,answer,reply,explain,announce,declare,think等，又如：
Hesaid，“I'mlatebecauseoftheheavytraffic.”——>Heexplainedtousthathewaslatebecauseoftheheavytraffic.
如果间接引语是由that引导的两个或两个以上的并列从句，第一个连词可以省略，以后的连词一般不省略，以免混乱。
Thedoctorsaid,“Youarenotseriouslyill,Youwillbebettersoon.”——>
Thedoctorsaid（that）IwasnotseriouslyillandthatIwouldbebettersoon.
2）直接引语为一般疑问句，（也称是否疑问句，）间接引语用连词whether或if引导，原主句中谓语动词said要改为asked（me/him/us等），语序是陈述句的语序，这一点非常重要。
Hesaid,“Doyouhaveanydifficultywithpronunciation?”——>
Heasked（me）whether/ifIhadanydifficultywithmypronunciation.
Hesaid,“YouareinterestedinEnglish,aren'tyou?”——>
HeaskedwhetherIwasinterestedinEnglish.
3）直接引语为选择疑问句，间接引语用whether…or…表达，而不用if…or…，也不用either…or….如：
Heasked,“DoyouspeakEnglishorFrench?”——>
HeaskedmewhetherIspokeEnglishorFrench..
Iasked,“Willyoutakebusortaketrain?”——>
Iaskedhimwhetherhewouldtakebusortaketrain.
4）直接引语为特殊疑问句，改成间接引语时，原来的疑问词作为间接引语的连词，主句的谓语动词用ask（sb.）来表达，语序改为陈述句语序。如：
Heasked，“What'syourname?”——>Heasked（me）whatmynamewas.
Heaskedus,“Howmanycarfactorieshavebeenbuiltinyourcountry?”——>
Heaskedushowmanycarfactorieshadbeenbuiltinourcountry.
5）直接引语为祈使句时，改为间接引语，用带to的不定式表达，谓语动词常是ask,advise,tell,warn,order,request等。如asksb.todo，（由肯定祈使句变成）asksb.nottodo（由否定祈使句转变），并且在不定式短语中的时间状语、地点状语、人称及时态都作相应的变化。如：
Hesaid，“Beseated,please.”——>Heaskedustobeseated.
“Dobecarefulwithyourhandwriting.”Hesaid.——>
Hetoldmetobecarefulwithmyhandwriting.
“Nevercomehereagain!”saidtheofficernearby.——>
Theofficerorderedthevillagersnevertogothereagain.
“Don'ttouchanythinginthelabwithoutpermission,”theteachersaid.——>
Theteacherwarnedthestudentsnottotouchanythinginthelabwithoutpermission.
6）有些含有“建议”——>、“劝告”——>的祈使句，可用suggest,insist,offer等动词转述，如：
Hesaid,“Let'shavearest.”——>Hesuggestedourhavingarest.
Hesaid,“Letmehelpyou.”——>Heofferedtohelpme.
7）当直接引语形式上是疑问句，有表示请求，建议意义时，可用asksb.todosth./suggestdoing/advisesb.todosth.等形式转述。如：
“Wouldyoumindopeningthedoor?”heasked.——>Heaskedmetoopenthedoor.
“Whynotgoingoutforawalk?”heaskedus.——>
Headvisedustogooutforawalk.或Hesuggestedwegooutforawalk.
8）直接引语是感叹句时，变间接引语可用what或how引导，也可用that引导，如：
Shesaid,“Whatalovelydayitis!”——>Shesaidwhatalovelydayitwas.或Shesaidthatitwasalovelyday.
