引述别人的话时，一般采用两种方式：一是引用别人的原话，把它放在引号内，称为直接引语；二是用自己的话加以转述，被转述的话不放在引号内，称为间接引语。间接引语在大多数情况下是一个宾语从语。直接引语变成间接引语时，要注意以下几点：人称变化、时态变化、宾语从句要用陈述句语序。
1.时态变化
直接引语变为间接引语时，若主句为过去时态，变为间接引语的宾语从句的时态如下表：
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
一般将来时 过去将来时
现在进行时 过去进行时
现在完成时 过去完成时
过去完成时 过去完成时（不变）
过去进行时 过去进行时（不变）
can could
may might
must must/ had to eg:
"l like English very much,"he said.
他说：“我很喜欢英语。”
→He said that he liked English very much.
He said, "It would rain soon."
他说：“很快就会下雨。”
→He said that it would rain soon.
注意：
[1] 若直接引语为客观真理，则变为间接引语时时态不变：
"The earth moves around the sun and the moon moves around the earth, the teacher told me. → The teacher told me the earth moves around the sun and the moon moves around the earth。
The teacher said to us,"Knowledge is power."老师对我们说：“知识就是力量”
→The teacher told us that knowledge is power.
[2]直接引语是过去进行时，时态不变。如：
Jack said. "John, where were you going when I met you in the street?"→Jack asked John where he was going when he met him in the street。
[3]直接引语中有具体的过去某年、某月、某日作状语，变为间接引语时，时态不变。如：
Xiao Wang said. "I was born on April 2l, 1980。" →Xiao Wang said he was born on April 20, 1980。
[4]直接引语如果是一般现在时。表示一种反复出现或习惯性的动作，变间接引语，时态不变。如：
He said, "I get up at six every morning。" →He said he gets up at six every morning。
[5]如果直接引语中的情态动词没有过去时的形式（例：ought to， had better, used to)和已经是过去时的形式时，（例：could, should, would, might）不再变。如：
Peter said. "You had better come have today。" →Peter said I had better go there that day。
(6)如果直接引语所述事实在当时和目前同样生效，变为间接宾语时，一般现在时不改为一般过去时。如：
He said, "I’m a boy, not a girl."
→He said that he is a boy ,not a girl.
(7)如果直接引语中含有since, when, while 引导的表示过去时间的状语从句，在变为间接引语时，只改变主句中的谓语动词，从句的一般过去时则不变。如：
He said to me, "I have taught English since he came here ."
→He told me that he had taught English since he came here.
2.时间状语的变化
直接引语变为间接引语时，有些时间状语也要作相应的变动。
直接引语 间接引语
now 现在 then 那时；当时
today 今天 that day 那天
tonight 今晚 that night 那天晚上
this week 本周 that week 上周
yesterday 昨天 the day before前一天
the day before yesterday 前天 two days before 前两天
two days ago 两天前 three days before 三天前
last week 上周 the last week 前一周
tomorrow 明天 the next day 第二天
next week 下周 the next week 第二个星期
eg:
He said,"l'm sleeping now ."他说：“我现在在睡觉。”
→He said that he was sleeping then.
3、如何变人称：
下面有一句顺口溜“一随主。二随宾，第三人称不更新”。“一随主”是指在直接引语变间接引语时，如果从句中的主语是第一人称或被第一人称所修饰。从句中的人称要按照主句中主语的人称变化如：
She said. "My brother wants to go with me. "→She said her brother wanted to go with her.
“二随宾”是指直接引语变间接引语时，若从句中的主语及宾语是第二人称。或被第二人你所修饰。从句中的人称要跟引号外的主句的宾语一致。如果引号外的主句没有宾语。也可以用第一人称，如：
He said to Kate. "How is your sister now?"→He asked Kate how her sister was then。
“第三人称不更新”是指直接引语变间接引语时。如果从句中的主语及宾语是第三人称或被第三人称所修饰从句中的人称一般不需要变化如：
Mr Smith said。 "Jack is a good worker。"→Mr Smith said Jack was a good worker。
4.代词等一般地应作用相应的变化。
指示代词 this ---that these--- those
表地点的词 here --there
动词 bring -- take come –go
5.语序变化
疑问句一律使用陈述句语序，不能使用疑问句语序。
6.各类句子由直接引语变间接引语的方法
1).当直接引语为陈述句时，变为间接引语的方法是：将直接引语变为由that引导的宾语从句，跟在引述的动词之后（that也可以省略）。eg:
She said :"My sister doesn't want to come here."她说：“我妹妹不愿意来这。”
→She said that her sister didn't want to go there .
She said, "I am very happy to help you."→
She said that she was very happy to help you.
She said, “I am very happy to be with you.” →She said (that) she was very happy to be with me.
He said,“I will choose a book for my students.” →He said(that)he would choose a book for his students.
2). 直接引语是一般(选择/反意)疑问句，变成间接引语时，由连词whether或if 引导。例如：
He asked me, "Do you like playing football?"→
He asked me if/whether I liked playing football.
He asked, “Are you sure your mother will come?”→He asked me whether / if I was sure my mother would come.
注意：大多数情况下，if和whether 可以互换，但后有or not,或在动词不定式前，或放在介词后作连接词时，一般只用whether。例如：
She asked me whether he could do it or not.
He hesitated about whether to drive or take the train.
She asked me whether or not he could do the work. / She asked me whether he could do the work or not.
3). 直接引语是特殊疑问句，变成间接引语时，由相应的疑问词who, whom, whose, how, when, why, where 等引导。例如：
My sister asked me, "How do you like the film?"→
My sister asked me how I liked the film.
My sister asked me, “How do you like the play?”→My sister asked me how I liked the play.
Tom asked me, “Who is the boy over there?”→Tom asked me, “Who was the boy over there?”
4).当直接引语为祈使句时，变为间接引语的方法是：使用ask / tell / order sb. to do sth. 这一结构进行转换，若祈使句为否定式则用ask / tell / order sb. not to do sth., 其中ask, tell, order 的选择要根据句子的语气而定。ask(委婉语气)，tell(一般语气)，order (命令语气)或warn, advise等+复合宾语(名/代词+动词不定式)构成. 例如：
The captain ordered, "Be quiet."→
The captain ordered us to be quiet.
He said, “Please come here again tomorrow.”→He asked me to go there again the next day.
“Be careful with the dog.”→He warned me to be careful with the dog.
"Get up early tomorrow , Bill,"he said. 他说：“比尔，明天早点起床。”
→He told Bill to get up early the next day.
注意：此种情况的否定句，在动词不定式前加not。
My teacher asked me, "Don't laugh."→
My teacher asked me not to laugh.
直接引语如果是以“Let‘s”开头的祈使句，变为间接引语时，通常用“suggest +动名词（或从句）。”如：
He said, "Let’s go to the film." →He suggested going to the film.或He suggested that they should go to see the film.
有些表示建议、提议、劝告或要求的祈使句，可以用suggest ,insist等动词 加以转述。例如：
He said, "Let’s go to the theatre."
→He suggested (our )going to the theatre.或He suggested that we(should) go to the theatre.
(2) "Would you mind opening the window?" he asked.
→He asked me to open the window.
"Why don’t you take a walk after supper?" he asked .
→he advised me to take a walk after supper.
"Shall we listen to the music?" he asked.
→He suggested listening to the music.
5).直接引语如果是感叹句，改为间接引语时，改成用疑问代词what或疑问副词how引导的宾语从句。也可以改为that引导的从句。e.g.
He said to me ,"What a beautiful park it is."
→ He told me what a beautiful park it was.
或 He told me that the park was quite beautiful.
（附加资料）.直接引语是疑问句时
间接引语为陈述语序：主句的谓语动词say 改为ask,或改为wonder, do not know, want to know, be not sure等。
（1） 一般疑问句或反意疑问句变为if (whether)引导的宾语从句。
She said, "Do you often come here to read newspapers?"
→She asked me if (或whether)I often went there to read newspapers.
She asked me , "You have seen the film, haven’t you?"
→She asked me whether(或if )I had seen the film.
（2） 选择疑问句变为whether….or 宾语从句。
I asked him, "Will you stay at home or go to a film tonight?"
→I asked him whether he would stay at home or go to a film that night.
(3)特殊疑问句变为由原来的疑问词引导的宾语从句。
He asked , "Where do you live?"
→He asked me where I lived.
把下列间接引语改为直接引语
1.He said he didn't like that book.
2.She asked if/whether I knew the teacher's name.
3.Tge teacher told/asked us not to play football in that room.
4.Mary asked me to lock the door when I left .
5.The teacher said the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949.
6.He asked how I had finished my job the day before.
7.Mother said (that) I ought to clean the room that day.
8.He said he had been there before I went.
9.She asked when my father would go fishing .
10.He asked me if /whether I wanted to join them.