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在日常的對話中，我們經常需要覆述別人說過的話或吩咐的事。大約兩星期前，突然收到好朋友A的電話，她說︰ 「I am getting married！（我快要結婚了）」。知道這個消息後，感到十分興奮的同時，也急不及待致電好友B，告訴他這件事︰「Rachel said that she was getting married！（Rachel說她快結婚了。）」我向好友B轉述的說話，在英文文法裡，稱之為Reported Speech（轉述引語）。
Direct Speech︰在剛才的例子，因為好友A的說話是由她親自說出的，稱為Direct Speech （直接引述）。使Direct Speech時，會用quotation marks（引號）把說話括起來，例如：David said, "I went to Leon Lai's concert last night."（我昨晚去了黎明的演唱會。）由於是Direct Speech，tenses的變化是根據當時說話所需表達的時態，我們在使用時不需作任何tenses/pronouns/time expressions轉變。
Reported Speech︰又稱為Indirect Speech，主要在報告／轉述別人的說話時使用，不需加quotation marks。使用時，記得留意tense/pronouns/time expressions的轉變。以剛才的句子為例，轉為Reported Speech 後，應是「David said (that) he had gone to Leon Lai's concert the night before.」在這句reported statement中，tense、pronoun、time expression 都轉換了：Simple past tense Past perfect tense；I he；last night the night before，而 that 的出現則不是必須的。第二個例子︰Charlotte said, "I will see you tomorrow."（我明天會見你）；經轉述後，是︰Charlotte said (that) she would see me the following day/the next day. 同樣地，tense、pronoun、time expression 都轉換了：I she；will would；you me；tomorrow the following day/the next day。
很多second language learners都在初學Reported Speech時，感到十分困難，因為有太多地方要作出改變。其實，一如以往所提倡，只要多在生活上靈活運用，學英文也是一件樂事呢。
以下是Direct Speech與Reported Speech 的轉換，可作參考：
Direct Speech Reported Speech
Simple present Simple past
Simple past Past perfect
Present perfect Past perfect
Present continuous Past continuous
Past continuous Past perfect continuous
will would
can could
Exercises
Rewrite the following sentences into Reported Speech.
1. Mona said, "I can swim."
2. Darvin said, "Peter is going to leave at 10."
3. Doris said, "My dad bought me a Telsa Model S."
4. Tim said, "My friend has sent me a gift."
5. Billy said, "I am watching a dance performance."
Answers:
1. Mona said (that) she could swim.
2. Darvin said (that) Peter was going to leave at 10.
3. Doris said (that) her father had bought her a Telsa Model S.
4. Tim said (that) his friend had sent him a gift.
5. Billy said (that) he was watching a dance performance.
■程韻
作者簡介：英國文學碩士，在男校任教英語的女教師，愛好文學和動物。
隔星期五見報
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