引述某人的话一般采用两种形式：一种是直接引语，即原封不动地引用原话，把它放在引号内；另一种是间接引语，即用自己的话加以转述，被转述的内容不放在引号内。下面我们一起来学习几种直接引语转换为间接引语的技巧。
一、人称的转换
1. 直接引语中的第一人称，一般转换为第三人称
如：He said，“I am very sorry.”→He said that he was very sorry.
2. 直接引语中的第二人称，如果原话是针对转述人说的，应转换为第一人称
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. 直接引语中的第二人称，如果原话是针对第三人称说的，要转换成第三人称
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. 人称的转换包括人称代词、物主代词和名词性物主代词等
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.
5. 口诀巧记人称变化
口诀：“一主、二宾、三不变”。
（1）“一主”指当直接引语中的第一人称变为间接引语时，要和主句中的主语在人称上保持一致。
如：He said，“I am forty.”→ He said that he was forty.
（2）“二宾”指当直接引语中的第二人称变为间接引语时，要和主句中的间接宾语保持人称上的一致。
如：He said，“Are you coming tomorrow？”→He asked me if I was coming the next day.
（3）“三不变”指当直接引语中的第三人称变为间接引语时，人称不变。
如：He said，“Is she an English teacher？”→ He asked if she was an English teacher.
另外请同学们注意，直接引语为复数，引述者主语为单数时，间接引语的主语要相应变为复数。
如：He said，“Are you interested in English？”→ He asked us if we were interested in English.
总之，人称的转换不是固定的，具体情况具体对待，要符合逻辑。
二、时态的转换
直接引语转换为间接引语时，主句中的谓语动词如果是过去时，从句（即间接引语部分）中的谓语动词在时态方面要做相应的变化，变成过去时范畴的各种时态（实际这也是宾语从句对时态的要求），变化如下：
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.
三、 句子结构的变化
1. 直接引语为陈述句时，用连词that引导，that在口语中常省略。主句的谓语动词可用said，也可用told来代替。请注意，可以说said that， said to sb. that或者told sb. that，不可直接说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.
如果间接引语是由that引导的两个或两个以上的并列从句，第一个连词可以省略，以后的连词一般不省略，以免混乱。
如：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. 直接引语为一般疑问句时，间接引语用连词whether或if引导，原主句中的谓语动词said要改为asked，语序是陈述句的语序，这一点非常重要。
如：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. 直接引语为选择疑问句时，间接引语用whether...or...表达，而不用if...or...，也不用either...or...，语序是陈述句语序。
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. 直接引语为特殊疑问句时，原来的疑问词作为间接引语的连词，主句的谓语动词用ask（sb.）来表达，语序改为陈述句语序。
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. 直接引语为祈使句时，间接引语用带to的不定式表达，谓语动词常是ask， advise， tell， warn， order，request等。如ask sb. to do（用于肯定祈使句），ask sb. not to do（用于否定祈使句）。不定式短语中的时间状语、地点状语、人称及时态都做相应的变化。
如：He said，“Be seated， please.”→ He asked us to be seated.
“Do be careful with your handwritting.”he said →He told me to be careful with my handwriting.
“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. 有些直接引语含有“建议”“劝告”的祈使句，可用suggest，insist，offer等动词转述。
如：He said，“Let’s have a rest.”→He suggested us having a rest.
He said，“Let me help you.”→ He offered to help me.
7. 当直接引语形式上是疑问句，有表示“请求”“建议”的意义时，可用ask sb. to do sth.，advise sb. to do sth.等形式转述。
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.
8. 直接引语是感叹句时，可用what或how引导，也可用that引导。
如：She said，“What a lovely day it is！” → She said what a lovely day it was. /She said that it was a lovely day.
四、从句时态无须改变的情况
1. 当主句的谓语动词是一般现在时时
如：He always says，“I am tired out.”→ He always says that he is tired out.
2. 当主句的谓语动词是一般将来时时
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. 当直接引语部分带有具体的过去时间状语时
如：He said，“I went to college in 1994.”→ He told us that he went to college in 1994.
4. 当直接引语中有以when， while引导的从句，表示过去的时间时
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. 当直接引语是客观真理或自然现象时
如：Our teacher said to us，“Light travels faster than sound.” →Our teacher told us that light travels faster than sound.
6. 当直接引语是谚语、格言时
如：He said，“Practice makes perfect.” → He said that practice makes perfect.
7.当直接引语中有情态动词should，would，could，had better，would rather，might，must，ought to，used to，need时
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.
She asked，“Must I take the medicine？” → She asked if she had to take the medicine.
8. 除以上情况外，直接引语与间接引语的转换要因实际情况而定，不能机械地照搬。如果当地转述，here不必改为there，动词come不必改为go。如果当天转述yesterday，tomorrow，this afternoon等均不必改变。