转述问题或命令与转述陈述句的方式不同——不只是把时态后移,而是要重新组织整个句子的结构。疑问句要改回陈述句语序,句末通常也不再用问号;祈使句则不再保留原来的祈使句形式,而是变成不定式结构。只要看清每一种的规律,两者用起来都不难。
速记要点: 转述一般疑问句时用if或whether + 陈述句的正常语序(没有do/does/did,也没有问号)。转述特殊疑问句时保留疑问词,但同样改为陈述句语序。转述命令和请求时用tell或ask + 表示人的宾语 + to 不定式(否定式为not to + 动词原形)。
本文建立在间接引语:陈述句的基础上——同样的时态后移规律(present → past、will → would、can → could等)在这里通常也适用,尤其是当转述动词是过去式的时候,因此下文不再逐一重复。和陈述句一样,如果转述的情况现在依然成立或依然相关,时态后移也可以省略。这里的新内容,是问句语序的变化,以及命令句所使用的特殊结构。
代词也要像转述陈述句时一样,根据转述后的说话人和听话人作相应调整:"Do you like coffee?" → she asked if I liked coffee;"Sit down," she said to us → she told us to sit down.
转述一般疑问句
一般疑问句(“Do you...?”、“Are you...?”、“Have you...?”)本身不含疑问词,所以转述时要加上if或whether,表示原话问的是“是否……”:
- "Do you like coffee?" she asked. → She asked if I liked coffee.
- "Are you coming?" he asked. → He asked whether I was coming.
- "Have you finished?" they asked. → They asked if I had finished.
注意这里同时发生了三个变化:疑问助动词do/does/did消失了(它本来只是为了构成直接疑问句而存在——而作为实义动词的did,比如*"Did you do your homework?"* → she asked if I had done my homework,是完全不同的词,会保留下来),主语和动词回到陈述句的语序(✅ if I liked,绝不能说❌ if did I like),而转述出来的问题本身也不再用问号标出——只有当整个转述句本身是在提问时,句末才用问号(Did she ask if I liked coffee?)。在像上面这样的简单转述一般疑问句里,if和whether通常可以互换——whether语气略正式一些,而且在or not前(she asked whether or not I liked coffee)以及 to 不定式前(she asked whether to go),只能用whether。
汉语疑问句通常不靠倒装来表示疑问:可以用“吗”,也可以用“喜不喜欢”这样的正反问;特殊疑问词也留在原位,如“你住在哪里?”→“他问我住在哪里”。因此中文母语者容易忽略英语直接疑问句里的助动词提前和 do-support;转述时要记得把它们还原成陈述句语序:where I lived,不是 where did I live。
转述特殊疑问句
特殊疑问句和疑问短语(what、where、when、why、who、which、whose、how)会保留疑问词,但和一般疑问句一样,也会改为陈述句的正常语序,并失去疑问助动词do/does/did:
| 直接疑问句 | 转述疑问句 |
|---|---|
| "Where do you live?" | She asked where I lived. |
| "What time does the train leave?" | He asked what time the train left. |
| "Why are you laughing?" | She asked why I was laughing. |
| "Who did you call?" | He asked who I had called. |
疑问词在转述疑问句里所处的位置,就相当于if/whether在一般疑问句里所处的位置,紧跟其后的就是主语:✅ she asked where I lived。在中性的转述里,要避免❌ she asked where did I live或❌ she asked where I did live。
有一种特殊情况:当who或what是问句的主语而不是宾语时,语序几乎不变,因为它原本的结构就已经很接近陈述句了:"Who called you?" → She asked who had called me.(对比*"Who did you call?"* → she asked who I had called,这里的who是宾语,所以助动词do必须去掉。)
转述命令和请求
转述命令和请求最常见的结构既不用that,也不用疑问词——而是把祈使句的内容放在转述动词后,用不定式来表达;其中tell用于命令/指示,ask用于请求:
- "Sit down!" the teacher said. → The teacher told us to sit down.
- "Please close the door," she said. → She asked me to close the door.
- "Don't be late!" he said. → He told me not to be late.
这个结构是:tell/ask + 表示人的宾语 + (not) to + 动词原形。最中性的语序是把否定词直接放在to前面:✅ told me not to worry是默认应该使用的形式——偶尔也能听到told me to not worry,但这种说法不太标准,自己表达时应该用not to。
在这个结构里,say后面不能直接跟听话人——这一点和陈述句一样——所以不能用它来转述命令或请求:❌ she said me to sit down。要转述命令或请求,应该用tell(后接表示人的宾语)或ask(表示请求)。
在较正式的英语中,也可以用 that 从句来转述命令或请求,尤其是搭配ask、order、insist这样的动词(She asked that I close the door),但上面的不定式结构才是默认应该使用的选择。
其他转述动词在表达更强烈或更具体的命令时也遵循同样的规律:order、warn、advise、remind、beg都使用相同的*(not) to* + 不定式结构——"Don't forget your passport," she said → She reminded me not to forget my passport.
常见错误
- ❌ She asked did I like coffee. → ✅ She asked if I liked coffee.(陈述句语序,没有did)
- ❌ He asked where did I live. → ✅ He asked where I lived.(保留疑问词,但不能保留疑问句语序)
- ❌ She asked that I liked coffee. → ✅ She asked if/whether I liked coffee.(that用于引导转述陈述句,而不是转述疑问句——应改用if/whether或疑问词)
- 不太标准:He told me to not be late. → 更常见:He told me not to be late.(否定词默认放在to前面)
- ❌ She said me to wait. → ✅ She told me to wait. / She asked me to wait.(say后面没有听话人的位置;应改用tell或ask)
- ❌ He asked me that I close the door. → ✅ He asked me to close the door.(常见的请求结构用不定式,而不是在宾语后接that从句)
小测验
试着把下面每个直接问句或命令句改写成转述形式。
- "Do you speak Italian?" she asked.
- "Where are you going?" he asked me.
- "Open your books," the teacher said.
- "Please don't touch that," she said.
查看答案
- She asked if/whether I spoke Italian.
- He asked me where I was going.
- The teacher told us to open our books.
- She asked me not to touch that.
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要点总结
- 转述一般疑问句时要加上if或whether,并改为陈述句语序——疑问助动词do/does/did会消失,转述出来的问题本身也不再用问号标出。
- 转述特殊疑问句时会保留疑问词,但同样要改为陈述句语序(where I lived,而不是where did I live)。
- 同样的时态后移规律(present → past、will → would等)通常也适用于转述疑问句,尤其是转述动词为过去式时——而且和陈述句一样,如果情况现在依然成立,时态后移也可以省略。
- 代词也要像转述陈述句时一样,根据转述后的说话人和听话人作相应调整。
- 转述命令和请求默认使用tell或ask + 表示人的宾语 + to 不定式;否定词通常放在to前面(told me not to worry)。
- say后面不能直接跟听话人,所以不能用来转述命令或请求——应改用tell(命令/指示)或ask(请求)。