引述某人的話一般采用兩種形式：
一種是直接引語(Direct Speech)，即原封不動地引用原話，把它放在引號內；
另一種是間接引語(Indirect Speech)，即用自己的話加以轉述，被轉述的內容不放在引號內。間接引語在大多數(shù)情況下構成賓語從句。
學習直接引語變間接引語時，我們需要注意四點變化：
直接引語轉換為間接引語時，代詞要根據(jù)說話人所處的立場而進行適當?shù)母淖儭?/p>
人稱代詞的變化
①當主句的主語是第一人稱時，引語中的人稱代詞不變。如：
I said, “You are the first to reach here today.”
→I said that you were the first to reach there that day.
②當直接引語中主語是第一人稱時，改寫后的間接引語的主語人稱與主句中的主語人稱一致。如：
Linda said to Tim, “I’ll go there with you.”
→Linda told Tim that she would go there with him.
③當直接引語中主語是第二人稱時，改寫后的間接引語的主語人稱和主句賓語一致。如：
Her husband said to her, “Where did you put my coat?”
→Her husband asked her where she had put his coat.
提示：
如果主句中無賓語，改寫時應根據(jù)語境或想象，自行添加適當?shù)馁e語；如果直接引語中有呼語，則在改寫間接引語時變?yōu)橹骶涞馁e語。如：
“Why do you cry again, Carol?” asked the teacher.
→The teacher asked Carol why she cried again.
④當直接引語中主語是第三人稱時，改寫時不發(fā)生變化。如：
He said to Tom, “She can help them.”
→He told Tom that she could help them.
物主代詞的變化
改寫時，句中的物主代詞也要隨句子的具體情況而發(fā)生改變。如：
“Have you found your handbag?” Father said to me.
→Father asked me whether I had found my handbag.
指示代詞的變化
一般情況下，指示代詞this改成that，these改為those。如：
He said to me, “I don’t like these coats.”
→He told me that he didn’t like those coats.
直接引語轉換為間接引語時，賓語從句中的謂語一般要轉換成與直接引語相對應的過去的時態(tài)。
當然，若直接引語使用了過去完成時，轉換時就不需要再作改變了。
但在下列情況下，間接引語中的謂語動詞時態(tài)可以保持不變。
1. 主句為現(xiàn)在時或將來時。如：
He says, “I have won the competition held in my school.”
→He says he has won the competition held in his school.
2. 間接引語表示的是現(xiàn)在的習慣動作、科學真理、客觀事實、格言等。如：
The professor said to the students, “The sun always rises in the east.”
→The professor told the students that the sun always rises in the east.
3. 間接引語中動詞表示的動作說話時仍在進行或狀態(tài)仍然存在。如：
Just now Mrs Smith said, “My husband is in Beijing today.”
→Mrs Smith told me just now that her husband is in Beijing today.
4. 間接引語中有明確的過去時間狀語，仍可用一般過去時，不必改為過去完成時。如：
The lady said, “I first met the man in 2015.”
→The lady said that she first met the man in 2015.
直接引語轉換間接引語，狀語變化有其內在規(guī)律。
時間狀語由“現(xiàn)在”改為“原來”，如now改為then，today改為that day，yesterday改為the day before，tomorrow改為the next day等；
地點狀語(尤其表示方向性的或用指示代詞修飾的狀語)由“此”改為“彼”，如this 改為that, these改為those，here改為there等。如：
He said, “I bought these books here yesterday.”
→He said he had bought those books there the day before.
間接引語一般構成賓語從句。直接引語改寫為間接引語時，賓語從句的引導詞可以分為幾種情況。
陳述句
直接賓語為陳述句，改寫為間接引語時要用that(that可省略)來引導。如：
Tom said, “My boss offered me a prize.”
→ Tom said (that) his boss had offered him a prize.
疑問句
直接引語為疑問句，改寫為間接引語時要注意賓語從句部分應為陳述語序，同時引導賓語從句的連接詞要視情況而定。
①一般疑問句或反意疑問句。
直接引語為一般疑問句或反意疑問句時，要用if/whether來引導，原主句的謂語為say時要改為ask。如：
He said, “Are you interested in English?”
→He asked (me) if/whether I was interested in English.
②選擇疑問句。
直接引語是選擇疑問句時，間接引語的主句謂語動詞可以選擇wonder, ask等詞，賓語從句由whether... or (not)...來引導。如：
My brother said, “Will you do it today or tomorrow?”
→My brother asked (me) whether I would do it that day or the next day.
③特殊疑問句。
直接引語為特殊疑問句時，引導詞為原句的特殊疑問詞，如：
He asked, “Where are you to get off, Alice?”
→He asked Alice where she was to get off.
④表示請求、提議、建議或勸告等意義的疑問句。
直接引語如果是此類疑問句，變?yōu)殚g接引語時，可以變?yōu)閯釉~不定式、動名詞形式或含虛擬語氣的賓語從句。如：
“Could you please send a car to the airport to pick me up?” Robert said to his brother.
→Robert asked his brother to send a car to the airport to pick him up.
祈使句
直接引語如果是祈使句，變?yōu)殚g接引語時，通常把動詞原形變?yōu)閯釉~不定式，并在動詞不定式之前加上ask, order, tell, command, invite, remind, advise, request, warn等轉述動詞，原句中please去掉。如：
“Leave the room in five minutes,” Lily said to me.
→Lily told/ordered/asked me to leave the room in five minutes.
①祈使句中有呼語的，把呼語改成轉述動詞的賓語。若祈使句中沒有呼語，應根據(jù)句意給轉述動詞補上適當?shù)馁e語。如：
“Jim, keep silent!” said the teacher.
→The teacher ordered Jim to keep silent.
②若祈使句為否定式，在動詞不定式之前加not。如：
“Don’t make any noise,” said the boss.
→The boss ordered/warned/requested us not to make any noise.
③祈使句表示“請求”、“命令”等口氣，因而祈使句直接引語變?yōu)殚g接引語時不存在時態(tài)的變化。但是人稱、指示代詞、時間、地點狀語等的變化還應根據(jù)陳述句直接引語變間接引語的方法進行相應的改變。如：
“Please turn off the lights when you leave my office this afternoon,” Mr Black said to her.
→Mr Black asked her to turn off the lights when she left his office that afternoon.
④帶有l(wèi)et的祈使句(表示請求、建議或命令)，可用suggest/advise句型。如：
“Let’s have a picnic this weekend!” said the boy.
→The boy suggested having a picnic that weekend.
→The boy suggested that they (should) have a picnic that weekend.
感嘆句
①直接引語是感嘆句，其變?yōu)殚g接引語時，多采用賓語從句結構，既可用what或how引導，也可用that引導。如：
“What a handsome young man you are!” the old man said to him.
→The old man told him what a handsome young man he was.
→The old man told him that he was a handsome young man.
②有些感嘆句可以根據(jù)原句的意思，采用適當?shù)膭釉~變?yōu)殛愂鼍洌恍栌瞄g接賓語來轉述。如：
“What a terrible accident it is!” he said.
→He complained about the terrible accident.
“Happy New Year!” she said.
→She wished me a happy New Year.
