基本概念
他們說：“皇帝死後將成為神。” [直接引語] Dixere:"Augustus post mortem deum factus erit."
他們說，那個皇帝死後將成為神。[間接引語] Dixere Augustum post mortem deum faciendum esse.
間接引語中，引語的主語要使用賓格，動詞要使用不定式，不定式的時態取決於引語動詞發生的時間與主句動詞時間的先後性，不定式的性、數取決於間接引語的主語（如前所述，只用賓格）。如：
Consules sentiunt servos non esse liberandos. 執政官們認為奴隸們不該被釋放。
主句動詞是認為：sentiunt ，時態是現在時。間接引語中的動詞是不定式 liberandos esse，是將來時，因為“被釋放”的動作是發生在主句動詞“認為”之後的。liberandos 的性（陽性）、數（複數）與間接引語的主語servos 保持一致。
當我們引用別人的話時，我們可以使用別人的原話，也可以用自己的話把意思轉述出來。如果引用原話，被引用的部分就稱之為直接引語，反之，則稱為間接引語。
這裡有兩句間接引語。前面一句的動詞是 interfectum esse，是不定式的完成時，表示“被殺害”的動作是發生在fama erat [訊息到來]之前的；後一句的動詞是 vivere， 是不定式的現在時，表示“活著”這個動作與訊息到來同步。
直接引語和間接引語詳解
引述或轉述別人的話稱為“引語”。直接引用別人的原話，兩邊用引號“ ”標出，叫做直接引語；用自己的語言轉述別人的話，不需要引號這叫做間接引語，實際上間接引語大都是賓語從句（其中由祈使句轉換的間接引語除外，其轉換後是不定式）。那么直接引語為陳述句、一般疑問句、特殊疑問句和祈使句，轉換為間接引語時，句子的結構，人稱、時態、時間狀語和地點狀語等都要有變化，如何變化呢?
1、人稱的轉變
1）直接引語中的第一人稱，一般轉換為第三人稱，如：
He said，“I am very sorry.” ——>He said that he was very sorry.
2）直接引語中的第二人稱，如果原話是針對轉述人說的，轉換為第一人稱，如：
“You should be more careful next time,” my father told me.——>
My father told me that I should be more careful the next time.
3）直接引語中的第二人稱，如果原話是針對第三人稱說的，轉換成第三人稱。如：
She said to her son, “I'll check your homework tonight.” ——>
She said to her son that she would check his homework that night.
4）人稱的轉換包括人稱代詞、物主代詞和名詞性物主代詞等，如：
He asked me, “Will you go to the station with me to meet a friend of mine this afternoon?” ——>
He asked me whether I would go to the station with him to meet a friend of his that afternoon.
總之，人稱的轉換不是固定的，具體情況，具體對待，要符合邏輯。
2、時態的轉換
直接引語改為間接引語時，主句中的謂語動詞如果是過去時，從句（即間接引語部分）的謂語動詞在時態方面要作相應的變化，變成過去時範疇的各種時態（實際也是賓語從句的時態要求），變化如下：
| 直接引語 | 間接引語 |
| 一般過去時 | 過去完成時 |
| 現在進行時 | 過去進行時 |
| 現在完成時 | 過去完成時 |
| 過去完成時 | 過去完成時 （不變） |
| 過去進行時 | 過去完成進行時 |
| 一般將來時 | 過去將來時 |
注意：情態動詞的時態轉換
| can | could |
| may | might |
| must | must\had to |
例如：
“I am very glad to visit your school”, she said. ——>
She said she was very glad to visit our school.
Tom said, “We are listening to the pop music.” ——>
Tom said that they were listening to the pop music.
Mother asked, “Have you finished your homework before you watch TV?” ——>
Mother asked me whether I had finished my homework before I watched TV.
He asked the conductor, “Where shall I get off to change to a No. 3 bus?” ——>
He asked the conductor where he would get off to change to a No. 3 bus.
“Why did she refuse to go there?” the teacher asked. ——>
The teacher asked why she had refused to go there.
Mother asked me, “Had you finished your homework before you watched TV?” ——>
Mother asked me whether I had finished my homework before I watched TV.
Tom said, “We were having a football match this time yesterday.” ——>
Tom said that they were having a football match that time the day before.
He said，“I haven't heard from my parents these days.” ——>
He said that he hadn't heard from his parents those days.
3、直接引語變成間接引語時，從句時態無須改變的情況
1）當主句的謂語動詞是一般現在時的時候，如：
He always says, “I am tired out.” ——>He always says that he is tired out.
2）當主句的謂語動詞是將來時的時候，如：
He will say, “I’ll try my best to help you.” ——>He will say that he will try his best to help me.
3）當直接引語部分帶有具體的過去時間狀語時，如：
He said, “I went to college in 1994.” ——>He told us that he went to college in 1994.
4）當直接引語中有以when, while引導的從句，表示過去的時間時，如：
He said，“When I was a child, I usually played football after school.” ——>
He said that when he was a child, he usually played football after school.
5）當直接引語是客觀真理或自然現象時，如：
Our teacher said to us, “Light travels faster than sound.” ——>
Our teacher told us that light travels faster than sound.
6）當引語是諺語、格言時，如：
He said，“Practice makes perfect.” ——>He said that practice makes perfect.
7）當直接引語中有情態動詞should, would, could, had better, would rather, might, must, ought to, used to, need時，如：
例如：
The doctor said, “You'd better drink plenty of water.” ——>
The doctor said I'd better drink plenty of water.
He said, “She must be a teacher.”——> He said that she must be a teacher.
He said, “She ought to have arrived her office by now.”——>
He said that she ought to have arrived her office by then.
The teacher said, “You needn't hand in your compositions today.”——>
The teacher said we needn't/didn't need to/didn't have to hand in our compositions.
She asked, “Must I take the medicine?”——> She asked if she had to take the medicine.
〔注〕：此處用had to代替must更好
8）此外轉述中的變化要因實際情況而定，不能機械照搬，如果當地轉述，here不必改為there, 動詞come不必改為go，如果當天轉述yesterday, tomorrow, this afternoon等均不必改變。如：
Teacher: You may have the ball game this afternoon.
Student : What did the teacher say, Monitor?
Monitor: He said we might have the ball game this afternoon.
4、時間狀語、地點狀語及某些對比性的指示代詞和動詞變化
1）時間狀語：
直接引語 間接引語 直接引語 間接引語
now （then）； tomorrow （the next / following day ）
today (that day）； next week （the next / following week / month / year）
yesterday（the day before） two days ago（ two days before ）
last week /month/ year (the week/month/ year before) this week/month/year (that week/month/ year)
2）指示代詞：these 變成those
3）地點狀語：here變成there
She said, “I won't come here any more.”——> She said that she wouldn’t go there any more..
4）動詞：come變成go，bring變成take
5、直接引語變成間接引語，句子結構的變化
1）陳述句。用連詞that引導，that在口語中常省略。主句的謂語動詞可直接用引語中的said, 也可用told來代替，注意，可以說said that, said to sb. that, told sb. that，不可直接說told that, 如：
He said, “I have been to the Great Wall.” ——>He said to us that he had been to the Great Wall.
He said, “I'll give you an examination next Monday.”——>
He told us that he would give us an examination the next Monday.（不可說told that）
此外主句中的謂語還常有：
repeat, whisper, answer, reply, explain, announce, declare, think等，又如：
He said，“I'm late because of the heavy traffic.”——> He explained to us that he was late because of the heavy traffic.
如果間接引語是由that引導的兩個或兩個以上的並列從句，第一個連詞可以省略，以後的連詞一般不省略，以免混亂。
The doctor said, “You are not seriously ill, You will be better soon.”——>
The doctor said（that）I was not seriously ill and that I would be better soon.
2）直接引語為一般疑問句，（也稱是否疑問句，）間接引語用連詞whether或if引導，原主句中謂語動詞said要改為asked（me/him/us等），語序是陳述句的語序，這一點非常重要。
He said, “Do you have any difficulty with pronunciation?”——>
He asked（me）whether/if I had any difficulty with my pronunciation.
He said, “You are interested in English, aren't you?”——>
He asked whether I was interested in English.
3） 直接引語為選擇疑問句，間接引語用whether…or…表達，而不用if…or…，也不用either…or…. 如：
He asked, “Do you speak English or French?”——>
He asked me whether I spoke English or French..
I asked, “Will you take bus or take train?”——>
I asked him whether he would take bus or take train.
4）直接引語為特殊疑問句，改成間接引語時，原來的疑問詞作為間接引語的連詞，主句的謂語動詞用ask（sb.）來表達，語序改為陳述句語序。如：
He asked，“What's your name?”——> He asked（me）what my name was.
He asked us, “How many car factories have been built in your country?”——>
He asked us how many car factories had been built in our country.
5）直接引語為祈使句時，改為間接引語，用帶to的不定式表達，謂語動詞常是ask, advise, tell, warn, order, request等。如ask sb. to do，（由肯定祈使句變成）ask sb. not to do（由否定祈使句轉變），並且在不定式短語中的時間狀語、地點狀語、人稱及時態都作相應的變化。如：
He said，“Be seated, please.”——> He asked us to be seated.
“Do be careful with your handwriting.” He said. ——>
He told me to be careful with my handwriting.
“Never come here again!” said the officer nearby. ——>
The officer ordered the villagers never to go there again.
“Don't touch anything in the lab without permission,” the teacher said. ——>
The teacher warned the students not to touch anything in the lab without permission.
6）有些含有“建議”——>、“勸告”——>的祈使句，可用suggest, insist, offer等動詞轉述，如：
He said, “Let's have a rest.”——> He suggested our having a rest.
He said, “Let me help you.”——> He offered to help me.
7）當直接引語形式上是疑問句，有表示請求，建議意義時，可用ask sb. to do sth. /suggest doing/advise sb. to do sth. 等形式轉述。如：
“Would you mind opening the door?” he asked. ——>He asked me to open the door.
“Why not going out for a walk?” he asked us. ——>
He advised us to go out for a walk. 或He suggested we go out for a walk.
8）直接引語是感嘆句時，變間接引語可用what或how引導，也可用that引導，如：
She said, “What a lovely day it is!”——> She said what a lovely day it was. 或She said that it was a lovely day.
嵌套間接引語的從句：
如果間接引語當中還鑲嵌有另一句從句，則被稱為嵌套間接引語的從句，英文叫：the subordinate clause in indirect statement。這時，這樣的從句要使用虛擬語氣。從句動詞的時態與主句動詞的時態相關聯。如：
Dux dicebat militem qui fugisset poenas daturum esse. 統帥曾常說，那個逃跑的士兵將要受到懲罰。
qui fugisset[逃跑] 是一句關係從句，修飾militem “士兵”，由於處在dicebat [說]後面的間接引語當中，因此需使用虛擬語氣。間接引語的動詞是不定式 daturum esse[將受到]，為將來時，因為動作發生在主句動詞“說”之後，而 fugisset [逃跑]為虛擬語氣的過去完成時，表示在統帥“說話”之前已經逃走了。
如何把直接引語變間接引語
“一隨主”是指在直接引語變間接引語時，如果從句中的主語是第一人稱或被第一人稱所修飾。從句中的人稱要按照主句中主語的人稱變化如：
She said. "My brother wants to go with me. "→She said her brother wanted to go with her.
“二隨賓”是指直接引語變間接引語時，若從句中的主語及賓語是第二人稱。或被第二人你所修飾。從句中的人稱要跟引號外的主句的賓語一致。如果引號外的主句沒有賓語。也可以用第一人稱，如：
He said to Kate. "How is your sister now?"→He asked Kate how her sister was then。
“第三人稱不更新”是指直接引語變間接引語時。如果從句中的主語及賓語是第三人稱或被第三人稱所修飾從句中的人稱一般不需要變化如：
Mr Smith said。 "Jack is a good worker。"→Mr Smith said Jack was a good worker。
變時態：
直接引語在改為間接引語時、時態需要做相應的調整。
現在時它需改為過去時態；過去時態改為完成時；過去完成時則保留原來的時態。如：
1)She said. "I have lost a pen."→She said she had lost a pen
2)She said. "We hope so."→She said they hoped so.
3) She said. "He will go to see his friend。"→She said he would go to see his friend。
但要注意在以下幾種情況下。在直接引語變為間接引語時，時態一般不變化。
①直接引語是客觀真理。
"The earth moves around the sun and the moon moves around the earth, the teacher told me. → The teacher told me the earth moves around the sun and the moon moves around the earth。
②直接引語是過去進行時，時態不變。如：
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。
③直接引語中有具體的過去某年、某月、某日作狀語，變為間接引語時，時態不變。如：
Xiao Wang said. "I was born on April 2l, 1980。" →Xiao Wang said he was born on April 20, 1980。
④直接引語如果是一般現在時。表示一種反覆出現或習慣性的動作，變間接引語，時態不變。如：
He said, "I get up at six every morning。" →He said he gets up at six every morning。
⑤如果直接引語中的情態動詞沒有過去時的形式（例：ought to， had better, used to)和已經是過去時的形式時，（例：could, should, would, might）不再變。如：
Peter said. "You had better come have today。" →Peter said I had better go there that day。
三、如何變狀語：
直接引語變間接引語，狀語變化有其內在規津，時間狀語由“現在”改為“原來”（例：now變為then, yesterday。變為 the day before）地點狀語，尤其表示方向性的，或用指示代詞修飾的狀語，由“此”改為“彼”（例：this 改為that),如：
He said, "These books are mine." →He said those books were his.
