间接引语的时态问题
一般来说，间接引语中谓语取什么样的时态，要受句子主要谓语动词（转述动词）的时态所制约。如果主句谓语动词是过去时，从句就得按逆推原理作一定的时态调整。但是, 在很多情况下，尽管主句谓语动词是过去时，却往往并不遵循上述规则。有时，间接引语的谓语的时态是直接引语中谓语动词时态的原封不动的移植。不变本身就是一种时态简化形式，因 为按逆推原理则应变为更为繁复的动词形式.
间接引语中时态简化的倾向，是英语时态简化的总趋势的一部分，在口语中较普遍，然而，要受一定的限制，语言有其约定俗成的特点, 我们不能任意改动。
通常不变的情况
(1)如果直接引语是普遍、永恒的真理，或者是一种政治、宗教等的信仰，在间接引语中，时态可以不变：
“The world is round,” said the ancient Greeks.——>
The ancient Greeks said that the world is round. 古希腊人说过地球是圆的.
He said, “The socialist system will eventually replace the capitalist system.”——> He said that the socialist system will eventually replace the capitalist system.
他说过，社会主义制度最终将取代资本主义制度.
有时，有的信仰并非客观真理，如在引述时，说话者认为其仍然有效，也可以不改变其原来的时态. 如，
A Buddhist monk said, “Buddha is omnipotent.”—>A Buddhist monk said that Buddha is omnipotent.
和尚说，佛法无边.
如果引述者不信佛教，就得把原来的一般现在时改为一般过去时：
A monk said that Buddha was omnipotent.
这种情况在我们引述名家言论时常见，因为这类言论或是客观真理, 或是引述者的一种信仰. 如：
“Tools rush in where angels fear to tread，”said Alexander Pope.——> Alexander Pope said that fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
亚历山大波普说过，傻瓜才会胆大妄为.
(2)如果在引述时所转述的内容仍然是经常性、反复性、习惯性的动作或状态, 在间接引语中时态不变. 如：
'My father always goes to work by bus，’ Tom said.——>Tom said that his father always goes to work bybus.
汤姆说过他父亲经常乘公共汽车去上班.
“My wife always drinks ccffec for breakfast，” said Bill. —> Bill said that his wife always drinks coffee for breakfast.
皮尔说过，他妻子早餐总是喝咖啡.
(3)如果在引述时所转述的内容仍然是真实的, 一般保持原来的时态不变. 如-
“I ’m only 28，” said Jane. —> Jan said the other day that she’s only 28.
珍妮前几天说过她才二十八岁。
“'My sister lives in Beijing，”said Mary.——> Mary said that her sister lives in Beijing. 玛丽说过她姐姐住在北京.
可变或可不变
上述是一般规律，不免有例外，有时根据不同的角度，原直接引语中的时态在间接引语中可变可不变.
(1)如果我们把转述内容看作是客观事实，可以不改变时态; 如果我们对转述的内容没有把握, 也可以根据逆推原理改变和调整时态. 试比较下列两组句予，
He said he’s sixty-five.
他说过他六十五岁了.
‘How old are you?’ 一'I beg your pardon ？, —I asked how old you were•，
“你几岁了? ”——“请你再说一遍” 一一 “我问你几岁了
She told me she's getting married next June. (And I believe her.)
她告诉过我她明年六月要结婚了 (而且我相信她的话〉
She told me she was getting married next June.
她告诉过我她打算明年六月结婚.
(2)在口语中，只要不引起误解，原直接引语中的一般过去时，可以不加调整，直接用于闻接引语中，但在书面语中，则可以加以调整. 如：
She said, 'Ann arrived on Saturday.'——> She said that Ann arrived / had arrived on Saturday. 她说过，安恩星期六到.
(3)无论在口语中，或在书面语中，直接引语中的时间从句的谓语如是一般过去时, 或过去进行时，在间接引语中保持不变，而主句的谓语动词则可变可不变. 例如-
He said, 'When we lived/were living in Beijing we often saw Lao Li.’ —> He said that when they lived /were living in Beijing they saw / had seen Lao Li.
他说过, 他们住在北京时, 着见过老李.
(4)过去进行时只要不是指完成的动作，在间接引语中, 可以不变, 反之，则改为过去完成进行时. 如，
Mary said, 'When I saw him last he was playing tennis.’-—> Mary said that when she saw him last he was playing tennis / Mary said that when she saw him last he had been playing tennis. 玛丽说过，她上次看见他时，他在打网球.
They said, 'We were thinking of building a power plant but the plan has been cancelled due to the financial difficulties.' —> They said that they had been thinking of building a power plant but the plan had been cancelled due to the financial difficulties.
他们过去曾经考虑建造一座发电厂, 但由于经济困难，计划告吹.
前一句was playing 在间接引语中不变，因为saw 发生时，它仍在进行中；后一句中were thinking 在间接引语中之所以要改为过去完成进行时，是因为这一动作在the plan has been cancelled时已经结束（完成) ，指的是当时已经完成的动作.
其他的不变情况
(1)在 wish ，would rather / sooner, it is time 之后
的从句中的一般过去时, 并不表示过去时间, 所以在间接引语中不变：
He said,“I wish I knew? ”—> He said that he wished he knew.
他说过他希望他知道就好了.
She said, 'I'd rather Tom did not go there.' —> She said that she'd rather Tom did not go there 她说过, 她倒希望汤姆不上那儿去.
They said, 'It's time we went home.’ —> They said it was time they went home.
他们说过该回家去了.
(2)在非真实性条件句的间接引语中, 谓语动词的时态保持不变. 如，
She said, ‘If my children were older I would retire.—> She said that if his children were older she would retire.
她说过她的孩子们再大些，她就要退休了.
(3 ) would, should, ought, had better, might, used to, could和must, 没有相应的过去式，所以一般在间接引语中不变. 如：
She said, “I might be there.” —> She said that she might be there,
她说过她也许会在那儿.
He said, “I would help her with her lessons if I could.”
—>He said that he would help her with her lessons if he could.
他说过, 如果可能的话, 他会帮助她学功课的.
Lenin said, “Everyone must obey the rules.” —>Lenin said that everyone must obey the rules. 列宁说过, 人人都必须遵寺规章制度.
间接引语的时态问题
一般来说，间接引语中谓语取什么样的时态，要受句子主要谓语动词（转述动词）的时态所制约。如果主句谓语动词是过去时，从句就得按逆推原理作一定的时态调整。但是, 在很多情况下，尽管主句谓语动词是过去时，却往往并不遵循上述规则。有时，间接引语的谓语的时态是直接引语中谓语动词时态的原封不动的移植。不变本身就是一种时态简化形式，因 为按逆推原理则应变为更为繁复的动词形式.
间接引语中时态简化的倾向，是英语时态简化的总趋势的一部分，在口语中较普遍，然而，要受一定的限制，语言有其约定俗成的特点, 我们不能任意改动。
通常不变的情况
(1)如果直接引语是普遍、永恒的真理，或者是一种政治、宗教等的信仰，在间接引语中，时态可以不变：
“The world is round,” said the ancient Greeks.——>
The ancient Greeks said that the world is round. 古希腊人说过地球是圆的.
He said, “The socialist system will eventually replace the capitalist system.”——> He said that the socialist system will eventually replace the capitalist system.
他说过，社会主义制度最终将取代资本主义制度.
有时，有的信仰并非客观真理，如在引述时，说话者认为其仍然有效，也可以不改变其原来的时态. 如，
A Buddhist monk said, “Buddha is omnipotent.”—>A Buddhist monk said that Buddha is omnipotent.
和尚说，佛法无边.
如果引述者不信佛教，就得把原来的一般现在时改为一般过去时：
A monk said that Buddha was omnipotent.
这种情况在我们引述名家言论时常见，因为这类言论或是客观真理, 或是引述者的一种信仰. 如：
“Tools rush in where angels fear to tread，”said Alexander Pope.——> Alexander Pope said that fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
亚历山大波普说过，傻瓜才会胆大妄为.
(2)如果在引述时所转述的内容仍然是经常性、反复性、习惯性的动作或状态, 在间接引语中时态不变. 如：
'My father always goes to work by bus，’ Tom said.——>Tom said that his father always goes to work bybus.
汤姆说过他父亲经常乘公共汽车去上班.
“My wife always drinks ccffec for breakfast，” said Bill. —> Bill said that his wife always drinks coffee for breakfast.
皮尔说过，他妻子早餐总是喝咖啡.
(3)如果在引述时所转述的内容仍然是真实的, 一般保持原来的时态不变. 如-
“I ’m only 28，” said Jane. —> Jan said the other day that she’s only 28.
珍妮前几天说过她才二十八岁。
“'My sister lives in Beijing，”said Mary.——> Mary said that her sister lives in Beijing. 玛丽说过她姐姐住在北京.
可变或可不变
上述是一般规律，不免有例外，有时根据不同的角度，原直接引语中的时态在间接引语中可变可不变.
(1)如果我们把转述内容看作是客观事实，可以不改变时态; 如果我们对转述的内容没有把握, 也可以根据逆推原理改变和调整时态. 试比较下列两组句予，
He said he’s sixty-five.
他说过他六十五岁了.
‘How old are you?’ 一'I beg your pardon ？, —I asked how old you were•，
“你几岁了? ”——“请你再说一遍” 一一 “我问你几岁了
She told me she's getting married next June. (And I believe her.)
她告诉过我她明年六月要结婚了 (而且我相信她的话〉
She told me she was getting married next June.
她告诉过我她打算明年六月结婚.
(2)在口语中，只要不引起误解，原直接引语中的一般过去时，可以不加调整，直接用于闻接引语中，但在书面语中，则可以加以调整. 如：
She said, 'Ann arrived on Saturday.'——> She said that Ann arrived / had arrived on Saturday. 她说过，安恩星期六到.
(3)无论在口语中，或在书面语中，直接引语中的时间从句的谓语如是一般过去时, 或过去进行时，在间接引语中保持不变，而主句的谓语动词则可变可不变. 例如-
He said, 'When we lived/were living in Beijing we often saw Lao Li.’ —> He said that when they lived /were living in Beijing they saw / had seen Lao Li.
他说过, 他们住在北京时, 着见过老李.
(4)过去进行时只要不是指完成的动作，在间接引语中, 可以不变, 反之，则改为过去完成进行时. 如，
Mary said, 'When I saw him last he was playing tennis.’-—> Mary said that when she saw him last he was playing tennis / Mary said that when she saw him last he had been playing tennis. 玛丽说过，她上次看见他时，他在打网球.
They said, 'We were thinking of building a power plant but the plan has been cancelled due to the financial difficulties.' —> They said that they had been thinking of building a power plant but the plan had been cancelled due to the financial difficulties.
他们过去曾经考虑建造一座发电厂, 但由于经济困难，计划告吹.
前一句was playing 在间接引语中不变，因为saw 发生时，它仍在进行中；后一句中were thinking 在间接引语中之所以要改为过去完成进行时，是因为这一动作在the plan has been cancelled时已经结束（完成) ，指的是当时已经完成的动作.
其他的不变情况
(1)在 wish ，would rather / sooner, it is time 之后
的从句中的一般过去时, 并不表示过去时间, 所以在间接引语中不变：
He said,“I wish I knew? ”—> He said that he wished he knew.
他说过他希望他知道就好了.
She said, 'I'd rather Tom did not go there.' —> She said that she'd rather Tom did not go there 她说过, 她倒希望汤姆不上那儿去.
They said, 'It's time we went home.’ —> They said it was time they went home.
他们说过该回家去了.
(2)在非真实性条件句的间接引语中, 谓语动词的时态保持不变. 如，
She said, ‘If my children were older I would retire.—> She said that if his children were older she would retire.
她说过她的孩子们再大些，她就要退休了.
(3 ) would, should, ought, had better, might, used to, could和must, 没有相应的过去式，所以一般在间接引语中不变. 如：
She said, “I might be there.” —> She said that she might be there,
她说过她也许会在那儿.
He said, “I would help her with her lessons if I could.”
—>He said that he would help her with her lessons if he could.
他说过, 如果可能的话, 他会帮助她学功课的.
Lenin said, “Everyone must obey the rules.” —>Lenin said that everyone must obey the rules. 列宁说过, 人人都必须遵寺规章制度.