1. 时态的变化

直接引语变为间接引语时，若主句为过去时态，变为间接引语的宾语从句通常要将时态往后推一个，即：一般现在时变为一般过去时，一般将来时变为过去将来时，现在进行时变为过去进行时，现在完成时变为过去完成时，一般过去时也变为过去完成时，等等(若直接引语为过去完成时，变为间接引语可以不变)。另外，若直接引语中有情态动词can, may等，也应变成过去式could, might等(情态动词must可以变为had to，也可不变，should, ought to, had better 等可以不变)：

“I want to stay here.” he said. 他说：“我想留在这儿。”

→He said that he wanted to stay there. 他说他想留在那儿。

She said, “It’s raining very hard.” 他说：“雨下得很大。”

→He said that it was raining very hard. 他说雨下得很大。

Jim said, “I can speak Chinese.” 吉姆说：“我会讲汉语。”

→Jim said that he could speak Chinese. 吉姆说他会讲汉语

(1) 若直接引语为客观真理，则变为间接引语时时态不变：

He said, “The sun rises in the east.” 他说：“太阳从东方升起。”

→He said that the sun rises in the east. 他说太阳从东方升起。

(2) 有时由于直接引语有特定的过去时间状语，变为间接引语时时态也可不变：

He said, “ was born in 1988.” 说：“我是1988年生的。”

→He said that he was born in 1988. 他说他是1988年生的。

 

2. 时间状语的变化

直接引语变间接引语时，有些时间状语根据情况也要相应的改动：如将now改为then，将today 改为that day，将tonight改为that night，将yesterday改为the day before，将this month改为that month，将last week改为the week before，将three years ago改为three years before，将tomorrow改为the next day，将next year改为the next year，等等：

He said, “I’m very busy now.” 他说：“我现在很忙。”

→He said that he was very busy then. 他说他当时很忙。

He said, “I want to leave today.” 他说：“他想今天离开。”

→He said that he wanted to leave that day. 他说他想那天就离开。

He said, “She left yesterday.” 他说：“她昨天离开了。”

→He said that she had left the day before. 他说她前一天就离开了。

She said, “I’ll tell you tomorrow.” 她说：“我明天告诉你。”

→She said that she would tell me the next day. 她说她第二天告诉我。

以上变化有时应视情况而定，若在当时转述，now不必改为then；若在当天转述，today, yesterday, tomorrow等不必改为that day, the day before, the next day等；若在当周转述，this week, last week 不必改为that week, the last week；若在当年转述，this year, last year 不必改为that year, the last year等。(from www.yygrammar.com)

 

3. 代词的变化

在直接引语变为间接引语时，有些代词也要作相应的变化，如指示代词this和these通常变为that和those。同时人称代词、物主代词、反身代词等也要根据具体情况作出合理的调整：

He said, “This is my seat.” 他说：“这是我的座位。”

→He said that that was his seat. 他说那是他的座位。

“I can look after myself.” she said. 她说：“我能照顾自己。”

→She said that she could look after herself. 她说他能照顾自己。

若场所和地点不发生改变，this和that也可以不变。(from www.yygrammar.com)

 

4. 地点状语的变化

主要涉及的地点状语是here，它在间接引语中通常要变为there：

“I live here now.” he said. 他说：“我现在住在这里。”

→He said that he lived there then. 他说他当时住在那儿。

若在当地转述，则here也可不必改为there。

 

5. 动词的变化

直接引语变为间接引语时，有个别动词也可能需要改变，如come改为go，bring改为take等：

“He will come today.” she said. 她说：“他今天会来。”

→She said that he would go that day. 她说他那天会去。

若地点和场所未发生改变，come和bring等也可不变。