自2015年9月14日人类第一次探测到引力波以来,引力波探测的进展非常迅速.到目前为止LIGO已确认双黑洞并合引力波探测结果5例,分别为GW150914,GW151226,GW170608,GW170104和GW170814.以及确认的双中子星并合引力波探测结果1例,GW170817.另外还有疑似双黑洞并合引力波探测结果1例LVT151012.受引力波探测的驱动,关于引力波的物理学和天文学研究自2016年以来的发展也异常迅速.引力波的成功探测定性地支持了广义相对论.但引力波探测作为涉及强引力场、强动态时空区域的实验,它还可以定量地检验广义相对论,甚至有可能发现广义相对论的适用范围,指引超越广义相对论引力理论的发展.本文将针对如何利用引力波探测检验广义相对论的问题,从引力波定性性质、引力波极化自由度、引力波传播速度以及引力波波形特征几个方面作一个较为全面的介绍. The first direct detection of gravitational wave was realized by LIGO on September 14, 2015. Since then gravitational wave detection progresses very rapidly. So far, LIGO has confirmed 5 gravitational wave events of binary black hole merger, including GW 150914, GW 151226, GW 170608, GW 170104 and GW170814. And one gravitational wave event of binary neutron star merger has also been detected very recently, GW170817. Besides these 6 gravitational events LIGO has one more suspected gravitational wave event of binary black hole merger LVT151012. Inspired by the gravitational wave detection, gravitational wave physics and gravitational wave astronomy develop also very rapidly since 2016. The direct detection of gravitational wave qualitatively supports the general theory of relativity. But gravitational wave detection, as experiments involving strong gravitational field and strongly dynamical space-time region, can also quantitatively tests general relativity, and even find the applicable scope of general relativity, and point out the development of gravity theory beyond general relativity. In this paper, we will introduce how to use gravitational wave to test general relativity. We will try to give a comprehensive introduction to the possible ways applying gravitational wave detection to test general relativity, including the qualitative properties of gravitational waves, the degree of freedom of gravitational waves, the speed of gravitational wave propagation and the waveform characteristics of gravitational waves.