INDIRECT STATEMENTS, QUESTIONS AND COMMANDS

INDIRECT STATEMENTS

Indirect statements report what someone has said. E.g. The master said that the slaves were lazy. (A direct statement would be ‘you are lazy.’)

In Latin, this is formed with an infinitive and an accusative:

  • The verb in the indirect statement is in the infinitive.

  • The subject of the indirect statement is in the accusative.

E.g. dixi eum esse bonum = I said that he was good

Infinitives and Tenses:

  • Present infinitive - action in the indirect statement happens at the same time as the main verb.

  • Past infinitive - action in the indirect statement happens before the action of the main verb.

  • Future infinitive - action in the indirect statement happens after the action of the main verb.

INDIRECT QUESTIONS

Indirect statements report what someone has asked. E.g. He asked where he was. (A direct question would be ‘Where am I?’)

Indirect questions use the same interrogatory words as direct questions such as ‘quid' or ‘quo’ but are formed like an indirect statement

Accusative and infinitive construction!

  • The verb in the indirect question is in the infinitive

  • The subject of the indirect question is in the accusative

E.g. rogat quid esset = he asks what it is

INDIRECT COMMANDS

Indirect commands report what someone has commanded. E.g. He ordered me to stop (A direct command would be ‘Stop!’)

They are similar to purpose clauses - they are formed with ut/ne followed by a subjunctive verb.

The following verbs introduce an indirect command:

  • impero, imperare, imperavi, imperatus (+dat) = I order

  • hortor, hortari, hortatus sum = I encourage, urge

  • moneo, monere, monui, monitus = I warn, advise

  • oro, orare, oravi, oratus = I beg

  • persuadeo, persuadere, persuasi (+dat) = I persuade

  • peto, petere, petivi, petitus = I make for, seek, beg

  • rogo, rogare, rogavi, rogatus - I ask

As you don’t need to learn the present subjunctive, you only need to know indirect commands in the past!

E.g. tibi imperavi ut fugeres = I ordered you to run away.

Another verb used it iubeo which simply takes an infinitive!

  • E.g. te iubeo fugere = I order you to run away.