引述别人的话语一般采用两种方式：一种是直接引用别人的原话把它放在引号内，这叫直接引语（ Direct speech），如： He said:" It is too late."；另一种是用自己的话转述别人的话，这叫间接引语（ Indirect speech）。间接引语相当于一个宾语从句，如： He said it was too late.
一、时态变化
1.当主句为现在时态时，直接引语变间接引语，时态不变化；
主句时态（引号外句子）是：
①一般现在时。如：
He says," I have finished my homework."
→ He says that he has finished his homework.
②一般将来时。如：
She will say," I'll do it tomorrow."
→ She will say that she'll do it the next day.
2.当主句为过去时态时，直接引语变间接引语，时态要发生变化。
①一般现在时变一般过去时：
The girl said,“ I'm sorry for being late for class.”
→ The girl said that she was sorry for being late for class.
②一般过去时变过去完成时：
He said to me," I met your father."
→ He told me that he had met my father.
③一般将来时变过去将来时：
She said," He will go to see his friend."
→ She said he would go to see his friend.
④现在完成时变过去完成时：
She said. " I have lost a pen."
→ She said that she had lost a pen.
⑤现在进行时变过去进行时：
She said to me," I'm studying Japanese these days."
→ She told me that she was studying Japanese those days.
3.当主句是过去时态时，时态也有不需要变化的情况。
直接引语中是：
①客观真理：
" The earth goes around the sun." said the teacher.
→ The teacher said the earth goes around the sun.
②有具体的过去年月日：
Xiao Wang said. " I was born on April 21, 1980."
→ Xiao Wang said he was born on April 20, 1980.
③过去完成时：
She said," They had left when I arrived there."
→ She said they had left when she arrived there.
④过去进行时：
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.
⑤情态动词没有过去时的形式（ ought to, had better, used to）或已经是过去时的形式时（ could, should, would, might）：
Peter said. " You had better come have today."
→ Peter said I had better go there that day.
⑥一般现在时（表示一种反复出现或习惯性的动作）：
He said," I get up at six every morning."
→ He said he gets up at six every morning.
⑦一般现在时（表示所述事实在当时和目前同样生效）：
He said," I'm a boy, not a girl."
→ He said that he is a boy, not a girl.
二、人称变化（一般遵循这句顺口溜 “一随主，二随宾，第三人称不更新”）
1.“一随主”是指引号内的主语人称是第一人称或被第一人称修饰，变间接引
语时，人称要变成引号外的主语人称。如：
They said," We will go there by bus."
→ They said they would go there by bus.
2.“二随宾”是指引号内的主语及宾语是第二人称或被第二人称修饰，变间接引语时，人称要变成引号外的宾语人称。如果引号外没有宾语，也可以用第一人称。如：
She said to me," Are you interested in science?"
→ She asked me if I was interested in science.
3.“第三人称不更新”是指引号内的主语及宾语是第三人称或被第三人称修饰，变间接引语时，人称一般不需要变化。如：
His mother said to me," He can't go to school."
→ His mother told me that he couldn't go to school.
三、指示代词变化
1. this→ that
He said," I want this."→ He said that he wanted that.
2. these→ those
He said," These books are mine."→ He said that those books were his.
四、时间状语变化
1. now→ then
He said," I am very busy now."
→ He said he was very busy then.
2. today→ that day
Kitty said" I'll call again after supper today."
→ Kitty said she would call again after supper that day.
3. tonight→ that night
She said," I will come here again tonight."
→ She said she would go there again that night.
4. this week( month, etc)→ that week( month, etc)
" I will take the dictionary home with me this week," he said.
→ He said that he would take the dictionary home with him that week.
5. yesterday→ the day before
He said," I bought a bike yesterday.”
→ He said that he had bought a bike the day before.
6. yesterday morning→ the morning before
He said,“ I arrived yesterday morning.”
→ He said he had arrived the morning before.
7. the day before yesterday→ two days before
He said,“ I saw a film the day before yesterday.”
→ He said that he had seen a film two days before.
8. last week( month, etc)→ the week( month, etc) before
She said,“ He left for Shanghai last week.”
→ She said that he had left for Shanghai the week before.
9. tomorrow→ the next (following) day
She said," I'll do it tomorrow."→ She said that she would do it the next day.
10. tomorrow morning→ the next (following) morning
She said," My sister will be back tomorrow morning."
→ She said that her sister would be back the next morning.
11. the day after tomorrow→ in two days ' time
She said to me," I will visit Shanghai the day after tomorrow."
→ She told me that she would visit Shanghai in two days’ time.
12. next week( month, etc)→ the next (following) week( month, etc)
He asked," Where is she going next week?"
→ He asked her where she was going the next week.
13. a/ one year( two years) ago→ a/ one year( two years) before
" What happened to her two years ago?" he asked.
→ He asked (her) what had happened to her two years before.
五、地点状语变化
here→ there
He said," I'll come here tonight."→ He said he would go there that night.
六、动词变化
1. bring→ take
He said," I will bring the dictionary to you tonight."
→ He said that he would take the dictionary to me that night.
2. come→ go
Peter said. " You had better come here today."
→ Peter said I had better go there that day.
3. can→ could
Tom said," I can swim across this river."
→ Tom said that he could swim that river.
4. may→ might
Mary said to Jim," You may go home now."
→ Mary told Jim that he might go home then.
5. must→ had to( would have to)
" You must stay in bed for a few days," said the doctor.
→ The doctor told me that I had to stay in bed for a few days.
△如果转述发生在当天、当地的事，引语中的（ come, here, today, this morning, yesterday, tomorrow）等不必改变：
Bob's wife said," Bob, you forgot your wallet this morning."
→ Bob's wife told Bob that he forgot his wallet this morning.
七、句型变化
1.直接引语如果是陈述句，间接引语应改为由 that引导的宾语从句。
She said," Our bus will arrive in five minutes.”
→ She said that their bus would arrive in five minutes.
2.直接引语如果是反意疑问句，选择疑问句或一般疑问句，间接引语应改为由 whether或 if引导的宾语从句（宾语从句必须用陈述语序）。
He said," Can you swim, John?"→ He asked John if he could swim.
3.直接引语如果是特殊问句，间接引语应该改为由疑问代词或疑问副词引导的宾语从句（宾语从句必须用陈述语序）。
She asked me," When do they have their dinner?"
→ She asked me when they had their dinner.
4.直接引语如果是祈使句，间接引语应改为” tell( ask, order, beg等) sb (not) to do sth.”句型 。如：
" Don't make any noise," the teacher said to the students.
→ She told (ordered) the students not to make any noise.
5.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+动句词（或从句）”如：
He said," Let's go to the movies."
→ He suggested going to the movies.
或 He suggested that they should go to see the movies.
