直接引语和间接引语的概述
在直接引用别人的原话时，被引用的句子称为直接引语。在用直接引语时，引语前后都要加引号。引导引语的动词称为引用动词，如：say, ask, answer, reply等。引用动词多数放在后面，有时放在前面，间或插在引语中间。在把引用动词放在后面时，有时主语和动词位置可以颠倒(特别是主语较长时)。
例如：
Who is it? Ann shouted.
I never eat meat, she explained.
Sit up, he commanded, and hold out your hands.
当用自己的话转述别人的话时，被转述的部分称为间接引语。这时被引语部分常常是引用动词的宾语。在多数情况下，引语都由连词that引导，但在say, tell等词后可以省略。
例如：He said (that) he had lost the bag.
Tell her I am out.
把直接引语变成间接引语时，要改变的内容
1. 要根据意思改变人称。
2. 要根据时态呼应的原则把时态加以调整。
3. 指示代词、时间状语、地点状语和动词也需要作必要的变动。
各种句式变间接引语时要发生的变化
1. 陈述句
直接引语如果是陈述句，变为间接引语时，用连词that引导 (that可省略)。例如：
Tony said to me, I will leave this book in your desk.
→Tony told me (that) he would leave that book in my desk.
如果直接引语是表示建议、要求、推测、判断的陈述句，变为间接引语时，可以变为动词不定式、V-ing形式或含虚拟语气的宾语从句。
例如：
Jane said to Tony, You’d better ask your friends for some advice.
→Jane advised Tony to ask his friends for some advice.
→Jane suggested Tony asking his friends for some advice.
→Jane advised/suggested that Tony (should) ask his friends for some advice.
2. 一般疑问句、选择疑问句和反意疑问句
直接引语是一般疑问句，变为间接引语时，要用连词whether或if引导，同时把原来的疑问句语序变为陈述句语序。
例如：
The woman asked me, Can you show me the way to the nearest bookstore?
→The woman asked me whether/if I could show her the way to the nearest bookstore.
直接引语是选择疑问句，变为间接引语时，通常用连词whether引导，同时把原来的疑问句语序变为陈述句语序。例如：
My friend asked, Will you come here by bus or by bike?
→My friend asked whether I would go there by bus or by bike.
直接引语是反意疑问句，变为间接引语时，常由连词whether或if引导，同时把原来的疑问句语序变为陈述句语序。
例如：
He asked, This math problem is very difficult, isn’t it?
→He asked whether/if that math problem was very difficult.
3. 特殊疑问句
直接引语是特殊疑问句，变为间接引语时，仍用原来的疑问词引导，同时把原来的疑问句语序变为陈述句语序。
例如：
She asked, Where do you come from, Tom?
→She asked Tom where he came from.
4. 表示请求、提议、建议或劝告等意义的疑问句
直接引语如果是此类疑问句，变为间接引语时，可以变为动词不定式、V-ing形式或含虚拟语气的宾语从句。
例如：
Could you please tell me something about the trip? David said to his sister.
→David asked his sister to tell him something about the trip.
Why don’t you buy one for yourself? she asked.
→She advised me to buy one for myself.
→She suggested me buying one for myself.
→She suggested/advised that I (should) buy one for myself.
5. 祈使句
直接引语是祈使句，变为间接引语时，要将祈使句的动词原形变为带to的不定式，并在不定式的前面根据句子的意思加上tell, ask, order等动词。如果祈使句为否定式，则在不定式的前面加not。
例如：
Mrs. Lee said to her, Please come here again tomorrow.
→Mrs. Lee asked her to go there again the next/following day.
She said, Don’t touch my book, Jack.
→She told Jack not to touch her book.
6. 感叹句
直接引语是感叹句，变为间接引语时，可以用what, how或that引导。
例如：
What a sunny day it is! she said.
→She said what a sunny day it was./She said that it was a sunny day.
She said, How aloud this student sings!
→She said how aloud that student sang./She said that student sang very aloud.
将直接引语变间接引语时，需要注意的问题
1. 直接引语是客观事实、科学真理、谚语、习语、格言或为了表示引述的状态和情况到现在仍然是事实，变间接引语时，时态不变。
例如：
Where there is no trust, there is no love, said our teacher.
→Our teacher said that where there is no trust, there is no love.
Her father said to them, She is a good girl.
→Her father told them she is a good girl.
2. 直接引语中有表示过去某年、某月或某日等具体的时间作状语，变间接引语时，时态一般不变。
例如：
William said, I was born in 1988.
→William said that he was born in 1988.
但当直接引语中有以since, while, when等引导的表示过去时间的状语从句，变间接引语时，状语从句中的一般过去时不变，但主句的谓语动词则要改为过去完成时。例如：
She said, I went there when I was ten years old.
→She said that she had gone there when she was ten years old.
3. 如果就在当地或当天转述，here不必变为there，动词come不必变为go；yesterday, tomorrow等时间状语也不必改变。
例如：
Just come here to wait for me after school, said my mother.
→My mother asked me to just come here to wait for her after school.
I am now a Chinese citizen, Henry said proudly.
→Henry said proudly that he is now a Chinese citizen.