直接引语和间接引语是日常交流中经常涉及到的用法,今天来看看它们的具体用法和在不同时态和语境下的变化。
直接引语的定义
直接引语( Direct Speech)包括某人所说的确切的话,口语短语放在引号之间。
直接引语能准确地叙述了当时发生的事情和所说过的话,不需要改变任何可能会用到的时态或代词,只是别忘了 ' say '之前或之后的逗号和引号。
The waiter said,“ The food will be ready soon.”
服务员说:“菜很快就好了。”
“ I will visit America next year,” she said.
“明年我要去美国。”她说。
间接引语
间接引语( Indirect Speech)并不像直接引语那么简单,但是一旦你理解了句子结构和间接引语的规则,它的表达也很容易,并且它也是展示你英语能力的好方法。
在间接引语中不使用引号,取而代之的是,我们在复述已经说过的话前加入连接词“ that”。
The waiter said,“ The food will be ready soon.”
服务员说:“菜很快就好了。”
The waiter said that the food would be ready soon.
服务员说菜很快就好了。
此外,在使用间接引语时,有些情况下必须要改变时态。
一般现在时转换为一般过去时。
She said,“ I play football”
她说:“我踢足球”。
She said that she played football.
她说她踢足球。
现在进行时转换为过去进行时。
John said,“ he is reading about World War II in school”
约翰说:“他正在学校读关于第二次世界大战的书”。
John said that he was reading about World War II in school.
约翰说他正在学校读关于第二次世界大战的书。
现在完成时转换为过去完成时。
I said,“ he has started the movie”
我说:“他已经开始看电影了”。
I said that he had started the movie.
我说他已经开始看电影了。
现在完成进行时转换为过去完成进行时。
He said,“ It has been raining all day”
他说:“一整天都在下雨。”
He said that it had been raining all day.
他说已经下了一整天的雨。
一般过去时转换为过去完成时。
Kate said,“ I cooked dinner”
凯特说:“我做晚饭了。”
Kate said that she had cooked dinner.
凯特说她做了晚饭。
过去进行时不变。
She said,“ Jenny was parking the car.”
她说:“詹妮当时正在停车。”
She said that Jenny was parking the car.
她说詹妮当时正在停车。
过去完成时不变。
They said,“ we had eaten in that restaurant before”
他们说:“我们以前在那家餐馆吃过饭。”
They said that they had eaten in that restaurant before.
他们说他们以前在那家餐馆吃过饭。
将来时比较简单,只用把“ will”改为“ would”。
She said,“ I will buy food for dinner”
她说:“我将要买晚餐用的食物”。
She said that she would buy food for dinner.
她说她将买晚餐要用的食物。
如果间接引语中含有情态动词,也要考虑情态动词的形式变化。
在使用情态动词时,它们在一个句子中能提供额外信息,例如:他们可以表达某人的能力、义务、或某事的可能性或得到许可。
使用间接引语时,你必须改变情态动词:“ can”,“ may”和“ must”从现在时态转换为过去时态。而情态动词:“ would”,“ could”,“ should”,“ ought to”和“ might”在间接引语中则保持不变。
She said,“ I can speak five languages.”
她说:“我会说五种语言。”
She said that she could speak five languages.
她说她会说五种语言。
He said,“ I may need time off work”
他说:“我可能需要休假。”
He said that he might need time off work.
他说他可能需要休假。
The teenagers said,“ We must be home before 10 P. M.”
青少年们说:“我们必须在晚上 10点之前到家。”
The teenagers said that they had to be home before 10 P. M.
青少年们说,他们必须在晚上 10点以前回家。
上面的例子告诉我们情态动词“ can”变为“ could”,“ may”变为“ might”,“ must”变为“ had to”。
时间副词与间接引语
如上所述,使用间接引语时时态必须改变。因此,在使用间接引语时,我们也必须改变时间副词。
today可以改变为 yesterday/ that day。
tomorrow可以改变为 today/ the next day。
yesterday可以改变为 the previous day/ Thursday。
next week/ month/ year可以改变为 next week/ month/ year。
last week/ month/ year可以改为 the previous week/ month/ year。
Tim said,“ I am going to the match today”
提姆说:“我今天要去看比赛。”
Tim said that he was going to the match that day.
提姆说他那天要去看比赛。
They said,“ we are going to Spain next year”.
他们说:“我们明年去西班牙。”
They said that they were going to Spain in the following year.
他们说他们明年要去西班牙。
直接引语和间接引语在日常交际中扮演着重要的角色,要正确使用需要考虑到多方面的变化。