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.