当间接引语的内容是过去发生的事情，则主从句用过去时
例：'I don't want anything to eat.'变为Yusuf said that he didn't want anything to eat.
'I'm leaving!'变为Lamar announced that she was leaving.
当间接引语从句的内容是过去谈论再过去已经发生的事情，主句过去时，从句过去完成时
例：'We have found the missing girl.' 变为 Police said that they had found the missing girl.
但是当两件事情发生的时间先后顺序很明显时，最早发生完成的事情可以用一般过去时替代过去完成时
例：'I've sent out the invitations. I did it well before the wedding.'变为She reassured me that she sent out the invitations well before the wedding. （或者...had sent...）
当间接引语从句中的事情是真理或惯性动作，或仍然存在或与引述时有关，主句用一般现在时，从句用一般现在时或现在完成时。需注意的是现在完成时强调的是行为的结果，而非行为本身
例：Dr Weir thinks that he spends about five minutes on a typical appointment with a patient.
US scientists claim that they have developed a new vaccine against malaria.
当引出间接引语的主句是一般过去时，则从句可以用一般现在时、一般过去时、现在完成时或过去完成时。从句用一般时或现在完成时说明到转述的时候行为或现象依然存在或有关联。
例：She argued that Carl is/was the best person for the job.
They noted that the rate of inflation has/had slowed down.
当不确定引述的内容是否是真的，或现象是否依然存在时，则从句用过去时
例：Yasemin told me that she has two houses. （暗示这是真的）
Yasemin told me that she had two houses. （暗示有可能是假的，或者过去曾经有过两栋房子但是现在没有了）
引述过去说过或想过的内容，引用间接引语主句里的动词用过去式
例：Just before her wedding, she revealed that she had been married before.
引用现在的新闻、观念等，主句里的动词可以用一般现在时。某些情况既可以用一般现在时也可以用一般过去时，一般现在时可以强调引用内容是真理或者现在仍在继续
例：She says that she'll have to close the shop unless business improves. （或...said...）
以下情况一般用一般现在时而不是一般过去时
引述我们听说过但不知真假的信息
例：I hear you're unhappy with your job.
引述某权威或某机构所说的内容
例：The law says that no one under the age of 16 can buy a lottery ticket.
引述很多人说的内容
例：Every teach I've spoken to tells me that standards of spelling are in decline.