直接引语是直接引述别人的原话,原话用有引号,而间接引语是引述别人的话,不用引号.间接引语在多数情况下构成宾语从句.直接引语改为间接引语时,引述动词是现在时,则间接引语中的动词、时间、时态的形式不变.
关键要掌握下列“三要素”.
要素一：陈述句的间接引语——连接词用that,在口语中可省略.引述动词用said,told,,等.例如：
1) He said:“I’ve left my book in my room.”→
He told me that he had left his book in his room.
2) She said:“He will be busy.”→
She said that he would be busy.
要素二：疑问句的间接引语.一般疑问句后连接词用if或whether,而引述选择疑问句时只能用whether,引述动词用asked,没有间接引语的可以加一个间接宾语me,him等,例如：
She said to Tom,“Can you help me?”→
She asked Tom if /whether he could help her.
1) She asked,“Is this book yours or his?”→
She asked me whether that book was mine or his.
2) 特殊疑问句用原句中的疑问词作连接词,改为陈述语序.例如：
The teacher asked,“how did you repair it?” →
The teacher asked me how I had repaired it.
要素三：祈使句的间接引语——采用“动词+宾语+不定式”结构.
told
即 asked sb.(not) to do sth.
ordered
warned
注意：引语中的呼语可改成宾语.引语中的please 去掉,动词改为 ask
1) The teacher said to the students,“Don’t waste your time.” →
The teacher told the students not to waste their time.
2) The mother said,“Tom,get up early,please.”→
The mother asked Tom to get up early.
“五不变”
在直接引语变间接引语时,还要注意以下五种不变的特殊情况.
1． 直接引语如果是客观真理,谚（习）语,变间接引语时时态不变.例如：
The teacher said,“The earth goes round the sun.”→
The teacher said that the earth goes round the sun.
My father said,“Practice makes perfect.”→
My father said practice makes perfect.
2.直接引语中被引述的部分是反复出现的,习惯性的动作或说话时情况仍然存在的,变间接引语时,时态保持不变,例如：
The boy said to us,“ I usually get up at six every day.”→
The boy told us he usually gets up at six every day.
He said,“We are still students.’→
He said they are still students.
3． 直接引语如果有明确的表示过去的时间状语,时态不变.例如：
He said to me,“I was born in 1978.”→
He told me that he was born in 1978.
The engineer said,“I was at college in 1967.”→
The engineer said he was at college in 1967.
4．直接引语中凡有When,since,while 引导的从句,在变为间接引语时,只改变主句时态,从句的时态不变.例如：
He said,“I have studied English since I was a boy.” →
He said he had studied English since he was a boy.
She said,“I read the book while I was waiting for a bus.→
She said she had read the book while she was waiting for a bus.
Mr.Green said to them,“Joe told me all about his story when he asked for a job.”→
Mr.Green told them Joe had told him all about his story when he asked for a job.
5．如果直接引语中引述部分含有insist,suggest,demand等引导的虚拟宾语从句,变间接引语时,引语中的主从句时态都不变.例如：
He said,“We insisted that she start immediately.→
He said they (had) insisted that she start immediately.
She said,“He demanded that the girl leave at once.”→
She said he demanded that the girl leave at once.
另外,如果说话人转述自己的话,人称则可不变.例如：
I said to him,“I have finished it.”→I told him I had finished it.
如果就在当地转述,here不必变为there,come不必改为go,如果就在当天转述,则today,yesterday,tomorrow等状语也不必变化.例如：
She said to us,I’ll come here tomorrow.”→
She told us she would come here tomorrow.
