定义：

直接引语：直接引用别人的原话，并在原话前后加引号。
　　　　    例：He said:" It is too late." 
间接引语：用自己的话转述别人的话，多数以宾语从句的形式构成。
　　　　    例：He said it was too late.

直接引语与间接引语的转换：

一、人称代词的变化： 
直接引语变间接引语时，人称代词的变化一般规律是：
        第一人称→第三人称；
        第二人称→第一人称；
        第三人称→第三人称。
        简记为“二一、一三、三留”。 
例："I'm thinking of changing my address." he said.
   → He said that he was thinking of changing his address.（I和he指同一个人）  
        Xiao Ming asked me, "Are you going to the park with us?"
  → Xiao Ming asked me if I was going to the park with them.（us与them指相同的人，XiaoMing是其中的一员；me和you指同一个人）
       Mr. Li said, "She will attend the meeting."
  → Mr. Li saidthatshewouldattendthemeeting.（Mr. Li和she不是同一个人） 但当说话者是第一人称，直接引语中的主语也是第一人称时，不作变化。 
       I said to my children, "I will give you some presents on Christmas Day."
  → I told my children I would give them some presents on Christmas Day. （I为同一说话者）

二、时态的变化：
直接引语变间接引语时，时态的变化规律是往“过去”相应的时态推移：
        一般现在时→一般过去时，
        一般将来时→过去将来时，
        现在进行时→过去进行时，
        现在完成时→过去完成时，
        一般过去时/过去完成时→过去完成时。
如：My father told me, "He will come back next week."
   → My father told me that he would come back the next week.
        She asked me, "Did you finish your homework?"
   → She asked me if I had finished my homework.
注意：直接引语属下列情况时，时态不作变化：
1、直接引语属真理或客观事实时：
如：The teacher said to us, "Light runs much faster than sound."
   → The teacher told us light runs much faster than sound.
2、主句谓语动词是现在或将来某个时态：
如：The old man often says, "I joined the Red Army when I was young."
   → The old man often says that he joined the Red Army when he was young.
3、直接引语带有具体的过去时间状语时：
如：The politics teacher said to us, "The party was founded in 1921."
   → The politics teacher told us that the party was founded in 1921.
4、直接引语谓语有情态动词：had better，would rather及need，must，oughtto等时：
如：He said to me, "I would rather live in the countryside."
   → He told me that he would rather live in the countryside.
5、直接引语为虚拟语气谓语时 e.g.Shesaid,"IwouldbehappyifIwereabird."→ Shesaidthatshewouldbehappyifshewereabird.

三、句型的变化：
直接引语变间接引语时，句型要作适当变化：
1、变陈述句为由that引导的从句（that常省略）：
如："I want to improve my English at school," said the child.
   → The child said(that) he wanted to improve his English at school.
2、变一般疑问句为由if/whether引导的从句：
如："Are you sure he will come today?"Jenny asked Helen.
   → Jenny asked Helen if/whether she was sure he would come that day.
3、变选择疑问句为由whether...or.../whether...or not引导的从句：
如："Is he a director or an actor?" she asked me.
   → She asked me whether he was a director or an actor.
4、变反意问句时，要视说话者的语气而定：
（1）表示疑问时，先需去掉后面的反意问句部分，再按一般疑问句变化。
如："You haven't finished your composition, have you?" the teacher said to me.
   → The teacher asked me if I had finished my composition.
（2）表示提醒或警告等特别语气时，先按陈述句变化，再把间接引语前的动词更换为表示相应语气的动词remind，warn等。
如："You're late for class, aren't you?" the teacher said angrily to me.
   → The teacher warned me that I was late for class.
5、变特殊疑问词开头的问句为原特殊疑问词引导的从句：
如："When did you come here?" Tom asked Jim.
   → Tom asked Jim when he had gone there.
6、变祈使句为不定式短语，作动词ask，tell，order，beg，request，advise，offer，warn等的宾语补足语，宾语为说话者的对象，选什么动词，视情况而定：
如：The doctor said to the patient, "Don't eat oily food again."
   → The doctor advised the patient not to eat oily food again.
7、变感叹句为how或what引出的从句，也可用that引出从句：
如："How clever a boy he is." the teacher said to the mother.
   → The teacher told the mother how clever a boy he was.
或：The teacher told the mother that he was clever boy.
8、直接引语是多个句子时，按其句型特点，用上面的方法分别处理，并用and连接：
如：Mrs. Smith said, "I don't know the way to the station. How can I get there?"
   → Mrs. Smith said that she didn't know the way to the station and asked me how she could get there.
9、若直接引语是What's the matter?/What has happened?/What's wrong with...? 时，变成间接引语语序不变：
如："What's the matter?" said he.
   → He asked me what was the matter.

直接引语变间接引语词语转化对比：