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ifwhether + 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tellask + 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、willwouldcancould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ifwhether,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,ifwhether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(whatwherewhenwhywhowhichwhosehow)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whowhat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askorderinsist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:orderwarnadviseremindbeg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tellask
  • 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。

  1. "Do you speak Italian?" she asked.
  2. "Where are you going?" he asked me.
  3. "Open your books," the teacher said.
  4. "Please don't touch that," she said.
查看答案
  1. She asked if/whether I spoke Italian.
  2. He asked me where I was going.
  3. The teacher told us to open our books.
  4. She asked me not to touch that.

要点总结

  • 转述一般疑问句时要加上ifwhether,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、willwould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tellask + 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)。