直接引用别人所讲的话叫“直接引语（The Direct Speech）”,通常放在引号内.用自己的话转述别人所讲的话叫“
间接引语（The Indirect Speech）”.间接引语在大多数情况下构成
宾语从句.
直接引语与间接引语之间可以相互转换,转换时通常要注意人称、句式、时态及状语等各方面的变化.
一、人称变化.
直接引语转换为间接引语时,
人称代词要根据说话人所处的立场而进行适当的改变.如：
Uncle Li said:“I will pick you up after wook this evening.” → Uncle Li said he would pick me up after wook that evening.
二、句式变化.
前面讲过间接引语一般构成宾语从句.直接引语转换为间接引语时,宾语从句的引导词可以分为几种情况.
1.直接宾语为
陈述句时,转化为间接引语要用that（有时可省略）来引导.如：
Tom said,“My father got home from the park.”→ Tom said (that) his father had got home from the park.
2.直接引语为疑问句时,转化时要注意将间接引语中的宾语从句部分改为陈述语序,同时引导宾语从句的连接词要视情况而定.
1）直接引语为
一般疑问句时,要用whether/if 来引导,同时要注意如果原句的谓语为say时要改为ask.必要时还可加上一个间接宾语(me,him,us 等),如：
“Have you seen her somewhere?” Anderson said.→Anderson asked(me) whether/if I had seen her somewhere.
2）直接引语为
特殊疑问句时,引导词为原句的
特殊疑问词,如：
“What are you doing?” she shouted at me agrily.→She asked me what I was doing angrily.
3）直接引语是选择疑问句时,转化时间接引语的
谓语动词可以选择wonder,ask等词,宾语从句由whether...or(not)...来引导.例如：
My grandma said sorrowly,“Are you leaving today or tomorrow?”→My grandma asked sorrowly whether I was leaving that day or the next day.
3.直接引语是
祈使句时,转化时多使用一个
不定式,谓语可根据语气来定.如：用ask sb.(not) to do来表示“请求”；用tell / order sb.(not) to do来表示“命令”； 用encourage sb.(not) to do来表示“鼓励”； 用forbid / don’t allow sb.to do来表示“禁止；不许可”； 用advise sb.(not) to do；或suggest doing sth.来表示“建议”；用wish/ expect sb.(not) to do来表示“希望”； 用let / have / make sb.do sth.或get sb.(not) to do来表示“使（让／请）某人做某事”.
4.
感叹句一般不宜改为间接引语,因为这样不益于感情的表达.但偶尔也可改为间接引语,谓语可选择exclaim/give an exclamation of,wish,remark等词,如：
“What a lovely garden!” he said.→ He remarked with admiration that it was such a lovely garden.
三、时态变化.
直接引语转化为间接引语时,宾语从句中的谓语一般要转化成与直接引语相对应的过去的时态.当然,若直接引语使用了
过去完成时,转化时就不需要再作改变了.
四、状语等其他变化.
直接引语改为间接引语时,除以上的人称变化、句式变化、时态变化外,还要注意状语等其他变化.主要有：
1.时间状语变化,如：now→then；today→that day；tonight→that night； yesterday→the day before； last week→the week before；tomorrow→the next day等；
2.地点状语变化,如：here→there等；
3.
指示代词变化,如：this→that；these→those等；
4.谓语动词变化,如：come→go等.
五、其它需要注意的地方.
1.直接引语如果是客观真理或客观事实时,变为间接引语时,时态不变.如：
The teacher said,“The earth goes round the sun.”→The teacher said that the earth goes round the sun.
2.直接引语是
一般过去时并且和具体时间状语连用时,改为间接引语时,时态一般不变.如：
“The teaching-building was set up in 2004.” he said.→ He said that the teaching-building was set up in 2004.
3.如果在当地转述,那么here不必改为there,come不必改为go.如果在当天转述,yesterday,tomorrow等时间状语也不必改变.如：
“Come here at 8:00 tommorrow.” I said.→ I asked him to come here at 8:00 today,but he hasn’t appeared until now.