I. Overview
There are two ways to quote or relay others' words: directly quote others' words, which is called direct speech. Reporting others' words in your own words is called indirect speech. Generally speaking, direct speech should be quoted before and after, and indirect speech should be expressed by object clauses without quotation marks.
Mr. Black said, "I am very busy." Mr. Black said, "I am very busy." (direct quotation)
Mr. Black said he was busy. Mr. Black said he was busy. (The object clause is an indirect speech)
From the above example, when the direct speech becomes indirect speech, in addition to changing the direct speech into an object clause, the person and tense in the direct speech must be changed accordingly. For example, I in direct speech is changed to he, he and am to was. The problems that should be paid attention to when changing from direct speech to indirect speech are as follows:
Second, when the direct speech is a declarative sentence.
If the direct speech is a declarative sentence, when it becomes an indirect speech, it should be guided by the conjunction that (the one that is often omitted in spoken language), and verbs such as say and tell should be used before that clause, and the person, tense, demonstrative pronoun, adverbial of time and adverbial of place in the clause should be changed accordingly.
1, changes in people
The person of direct speech should be changed to indirect speech, and the first person of direct speech (such as me, me, mine, mine, us, us, ours, ours) should be changed to the person consistent with the subject of the main sentence. Change the second person (you, your, your) in direct speech to the person who is consistent with the indirect object of the main sentence (that is, the listener, if there is no listener, can artificially determine a person according to the experience of the context). When the third person (he, he, his, her, her, hers, it, theirs, theirs, theirs, theirs) in direct speech becomes indirect speech, the person remains unchanged.
He said, "I like it very much." He said, "I like it very much."
He said he liked it. He said he liked it very much. (What shall I change, unchanged)
He said, "You gave me this story." He said, "You told me this story."
He said that I had told them the story. He said I told him the story. You changed me for me, and I changed him for me.
He said to me, "She left her book in your room". He said to me, "She put the book in your room."
He convinced me that she had left the book in my room. He told me that she had put it in my room. (She → She has, she hasn't changed, yours → mine)
2. The change of tense
The predicate verb of the main clause (1) is the simple past tense.
For example, when the predicate verb of the main clause is the simple past, when the direct speech becomes the indirect speech, the predicate verb of the clause should change the tense. When direct speech becomes indirect speech, the corresponding verb tense change table:
He said, "I will naturally watch TV on Sundays." He said, "I often watch TV on Sundays."
He said that he usually watches TV on Sundays. He said that he often watches TV on Sundays.
He said, "I'm using a knife." He said, "I'm using a knife."
He said he was using a knife. He said he used a knife.
She said, "I haven't heard from him." She said, "I haven't heard from him since May."
She said that she hadn't heard from him since May.
He said, "I'm here to help you." He said, "Let me help you."
He said he was here to help me. He said he would help me.
He said, "I have finished my homework before dinner." He said, "I have finished my homework before dinner."
He said that he had finished his homework before supper.
Zhou Lan said, "I'll do it after class." Zhou Lan said, "I will do it after class."
Zhou Lan said that she would do it after class. Zhou Lan said that she would do it after class.
He said, "I will be doing my homework then." He said, "I will be doing my homework then."
He said he should be doing his homework at that time. He said that he would be doing his homework then.
He said, "We will have finished the work by then." He said, "We will finish the work before that."
He said that they should have finished the work by then. He said that they would finish the work before that.
Note: If the direct speech is an objective truth, a famous saying or a specific past time to illustrate the objective facts, then the tense remains unchanged when it becomes an indirect speech.
The teacher said, "The earth is round." The teacher said, "The earth is round."
The teacher said that the earth is round. The teacher said that the earth is round.
He said, "I 1965 was born in Shandong." He said, "I 1965 was born in Shandong."
He said that he 1965 was born in Shandong. He said that he was born in Shandong. 1965.
He said, "Columbus discovered America in 1492." He said, "Columbus discovered America in 1492."
He said that Columbus discovered America in 1492. He said that Columbus discovered America in 1492.
(2) The predicate verb of the main sentence is the present tense or the future tense.
If the predicate verb of the main sentence is the present tense or the future tense, the tense remains the same when the direct speech becomes the indirect speech.
He said, "I finished the work." He said, "I finished the work."
He said that he had finished the work. He said that he had finished the work.
He would say, "I have watered the flowers." He would say, "I have watered the flowers."
He will say that he has watered the flowers. He will say that he has watered the flowers.
3. Corresponding changes of demonstrative pronouns, adverbial of time and adverbial of place.
He said, "I met Mr. Smith this morning." He said, "I saw Smith this morning."
He said that he had seen Mr. Smith that morning. He said that he saw Smith that morning.
He said, "We went to the movies yesterday." He said, "We went to the movies yesterday."
He said that they went to the movies the day before. He said that they went to the movies the day before.
Lily said, "I will come back next month." Lily said, "I will come back next month."
Lily said that she would go back next month. Lily said that she would go back next month.
He said, "It's nine o'clock." He said, "It's nine o'clock now."
He said it was nine o'clock. He said it was nine o'clock.
He said, "I haven't seen her today." He said, "I didn't see her today."
He said that he hadn't seen her that day. He said that he didn't see her that day.
She said, "I went yesterday." She said, "I went yesterday."
She said that she had been there before. She said that she had been there the day before.
She said, "I'll go tomorrow." She said, "I'll go tomorrow."
She said she would go there the next day. She said she would go there the next day.
He said, "My sister was here three days ago." He said, "My sister was here three days ago."
He said that his sister had been there three days ago. He said that his sister was there three days ago. (here → there; Before → before)
She said, "I'll be here tonight." She said, "I'll be here tonight."
She said that she would go there that night. She said that she would go there that night. (come → go; Here → there; This → that)
These changes depend on the specific time and place of speaking, and cannot be mechanically copied. If it is a local report, there is no need to change it here, come is not required to change it to go, and if it is a report on the same day, the adverbial of yesterday or tomorrow is not required to be changed. If the simple past tense in direct speech is used with a specific adverbial of past time, the simple past tense in indirect speech remains unchanged.
Father said, "I am free this afternoon."
Father said he was free this afternoon. Father said he was free this afternoon.
He said, "I'm going there tomorrow." He said, "I will go tomorrow."
He said that he would go there tomorrow. He said he would go there tomorrow.
Clever attention: remove the quotation marks and add that, the person should be flexible, the tense should take a step back, and the adverbial should be changed according to regulations.
Third, when the direct speech is a question.
If the direct speech is a question and is changed to an indirect speech, the word order of the question must be changed to the word order of the statement. The corresponding changes in person and tense are the same as above.
Cleverly remember: if (or what) replaces quotation marks, and the word order of sentences should be remembered. Tense, person and adverbial should be changed. Don't forget it.
1, the direct speech is a general question.
When it becomes an indirect speech, it must be led out with the conjunction "whether" or "if" to make it the object clause of the indirect speech. If the predicate verb of the main sentence is say, it is changed to asked. If there is no indirect object after the predicate verb, you can add an indirect object I, he, she, them, us, etc.
She said, "Is your father an engineer?" She said, "Is your father an engineer?"
She asked when my father was an engineer. She asked my father if he was an engineer.
The teacher said to Li Ming, "Have you finished your homework?" The teacher said to Li Ming, "Have you finished your homework?"
The teacher asked Li Ming if he had finished his homework. The teacher asked Li Ming if he had finished his homework.
2. Direct speech is a special problem.
If the direct speech is a special interrogative sentence, when it becomes an indirect speech, the interrogative words What, Where, when, Who and how much in the special interrogative sentence still constitute object clauses in the indirect speech as conjunctions, but the interrogative verbs should become declarative sentences. If the predicate verb of the main sentence is say, it is changed to asked.
Clever attention: remove the quotation marks directly and don't forget the word order of the sentence. Do(does) and did should be removed.
"What do you do every Sunday morning?" My friend said to me. My friend asked me, what do you do every Sunday morning?
My friend asked me what I do every Sunday morning. My friend asked me what I do every Sunday morning.
"Where have you been, Li Ming?" The teacher asked. The teacher asked, "Li Ming, where have you been?"
The teacher asked where Li Ming had gone. The teacher asked where Li Ming had gone.
I asked her, "How many English books will you read next semester?" I asked her, "How many English books do you want to read next semester?"
I asked her how many English books she would read in the next $ TERM. I asked her how many English books she would read next semester.
When did you get up this morning? My father asked, "When did you get up this morning?"
My father asked me when I got up that morning. My father asked me when I got up that morning.
Note: What's the problem? /What's the matter? /Is there any trouble? /What happened? /and other special questions, the word order of indirect speech remains unchanged.
He said to her, "What's the matter with you?" He asked her, "What's the matter with you?"
He asked her what was wrong. He asked her what was wrong.
Fourth, direct speech is imperative.
Clever attention: remove quotation marks and add quotation marks; Remember, if the direct speech is negative, not is added before to.
When reporting imperative sentences, the verb prototype of imperative sentences should be changed to infinitive with to, and verbs such as tell, ask and order should be added before infinitive according to the meaning of the sentence. If the imperative sentence is negative, not should be added before the infinitive. If there is the word please in the imperative sentence, please will be removed when it is changed into indirect speech. Be: Tell (demand, command, warn) someone (not) to do something.
He said, "Please sit down." He said, "Please sit down."
He asked me to sit down. He asked me to sit down.
The teacher said, "Don't talk in class!" The teacher said, "Don't talk in class!"
The teacher told us not to talk in class! The teacher told us not to talk in class.
The captain said to his soldiers, "Fire!" The captain said to his soldiers, "Fire!"
The captain ordered his soldiers to fire. The captain ordered his soldiers to fire!
The policeman said to the children, "Don't play football in the middle of the road." The policeman said to the children, "Don't play football in the middle of the road."
The police warned the children not to play football in the middle of the road. The police warned the children not to play football in the middle of the road.
5. Click on the test center.
First, error correction:
1. He said he was going to London.
Tom said that they had finished the work yesterday.
She asked me not to smoke in the room.
They asked him if he was there.
I asked you where he was going.
6. The teacher told us to stop talking.
7. The doctor said to his wife, Don't wait for me.
8. He asked me who I was.
Mary said that she would see you tomorrow.
10. Mother asked what happened.
Two. Replace the following sentences with indirect speech.
1. "Where are you going tomorrow?" My mother asked me.
The old woman said to me, "Please help me lock the door."
The boy told his teacher, "We visited an exhibition yesterday."
He said, "I'm going to the station to see a friend off this afternoon."
5. "Hello, how are you?" He said to me.
Tom said to me angrily, "Why didn't you tell me that you have been here for two weeks?"
John said to Mary, "Do you remember that I borrowed a diamond necklace from you?"
The teacher said to Li Ming, "Don't make the same mistake again."
9. "Are you going today or tomorrow?" I asked her.
10. The nurse said to the children, "The sun rises in the east."
Reference answer:
I. 1.is→was 2. Yesterday → the day before yesterday 3. Don't → Don't 4. That → If
5. After he was 6 years old. No, add it to 7. No → no t 8. am → was。
What happened tomorrow → the next day?
Two. 1. My mother asked me where to go the next day.
The old woman asked me to lock the door for her.
The boy told his teacher that they had visited an exhibition the day before.
He said that he would go to the station to see a friend off that afternoon.
5. He asked me how I was.
Tom asked me angrily why I didn't tell him that I stayed there for two weeks.
John asked Mary if she remembered that he borrowed a diamond necklace from her.
The teacher told Li Ming not to make the same mistake again.
9. I asked her whether to leave the same day or the next day.
10. The nurse told the children that the sun rises in the east.