在英语里，我们可以用两种方法转述人的话语。第一种是直接引语（The Direct Speech）；第二种是间接引语（The Indirect Speech），也可叫The Reported Speech）。
从直接引语转变为间接引语是一种表达行式的改变，不影响原意。例如：
① a. He said, I am working now.
b. He said that he was working then.
② a. She asked me, Do you like to sing?
b. She asked me if I liked to sing.
③ a. Go out! the man said to the boy.
b. The man ordered the boy to go out.
①b, ②b, ③b是间接引语，其形式和①a, ②a, ③a不同。
间接引语是种常见的句法，用得很多。正因为用得多，出错的机会也多。下面便是些例子：
④ He said that he would come tomorrow.
这里的副词tomorrow要变成the next day。理由是：间接引语里的时间副词或短语， 一般上要把其中的时间向前推，如： tomorrow: the next day; today: that day; last night: the night before; now: then; ago: before that time 等。
⑤ I asked what is wrong with him.
这里的is要变成was。须知：主句I asked和分句 what is wrong with him的动词时态必须配合。既然主句的动词 asked是过去时态，分句的动词也要过去时态was。此外，动词时态一般上也要推前，因此简单过去时态（Simple Past Tense）要变成过去完成时态（Past Perfect Tense），如：went : had gone; left : had left.
⑥ John told her dont do that again.
这里的dont do要变成not to do才对。理由是：祈使句变成间接引语时的形式是不定式动词：to + verb / not to + verb，如：to come / not to come; to do / not to do.
⑦ She asked me where was I going.
这里的was I词序不对， 要变成I was才是，因为间接疑问句（indirect question）里的词序和叙述句一样，是正常词序，不是倒装法，如：
⑧ He wanted to know who that girl was.
⑨ John asked Helen if she was free.
⑩ She asked me whether I could help her.
如果词序是倒装形式，就错了：
*who was that girl.
*if was she free.
*whether could I help her.
关于间接疑问句，还有一点必须注意的是，直接疑问句里的疑问词要照用， 如例⑧的who。如果没有疑问词，就要借重连接词 if或 whether之助，如例⑨和⑩便是。
在结束本文之前，顺便提一提怎样把表示惊叹或愿望的直接引语转成间接引语。
11. He said, Alas! I am undone.
12. Bravo! You have done a good job, Mary, said the teacher.
13. Good Heaven! Tom cried, ll never lie again.
把11-13，转变为14-16时， 可以用恰当的动词把深层的意思反映出来，甚至加些原文没有的字眼，也无所谓：
14. He exclaimed that he was undone.
15. The teacher praised Mary, saying that she had done a good job.
16. Tom called upon Heaven to witness his determination not to lie again.
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