Direct quotations are exact quotes of others' words and are usually enclosed in quotation marks. Indirect quotations paraphrase others' meaning and do not necessarily preserve the original wording. They differ in punctuation, pronouns, and tense conventions.

In Chinese, direct quotations are commonly marked with double quotation marks or the written 「」 brackets, sometimes preceded by a colon. Indirect quotations generally do not use quotation marks because the content is already a paraphrase. Punctuation inside and outside quotation marks has fixed positions.

Direct quotations commonly take the structure ‘say: …’ or ‘ask: …’. Indirect quotations commonly use ‘say …’ or ‘tell …’. When choosing a structure, decide based on the verb and content whether an object is needed.

Indirect quotations require adjusting pronouns according to the relationship between the speaker and the reporter to keep the sentence clear. The pronouns inside direct quotations usually retain the original wording. When transforming, first determine who the pronoun refers to, then choose the appropriate expression.

In Chinese indirect speech, tense changes are not usually mandatory, but attention to time words consistency is important. Direct quotations preserve the original time words. When paraphrasing, you can adjust time words as needed for clarity.

Indirect quotations commonly express questions with declarative word order; the actual question meaning is preserved without using question marks. Direct quotations keep the original question form and punctuation. Indirect quotations can introduce content with words like whether or why.

Indirect quotations commonly use connectives such as 'because', 'if', 'whether', 'why' to introduce clauses. In direct quotations, connectives can be used freely since they are part of the original speech. When choosing connectives, ensure the sentence logic is clear.

‘Say’ can be followed by content directly or introduce a direct quotation. ‘Tell’ generally requires an indirect object, often used with 'tell me' or 'tell him'. When choosing a verb, decide based on whether a listener is required.

When changing from direct to indirect quotes, common steps are removing quotation marks, adjusting pronouns, and, if necessary, adjusting time words. You can also select suitable verbs and structures as needed. Keeping the original meaning clear is the core of the transformation.

Direct quotations preserve the original words, use quotation marks, and are commonly accompanied by a colon. Indirect quotations paraphrase content and do not use quotation marks; pay attention to pronouns and time words. Using both flexibly can make expressions more accurate.