Indirect Statement

Part I
LFA I Lesson 59
Dec. 1-8, 2014

Direct vs. Indirect

A direct statement quotes the
exact words of a speaker, and uses
quotation marks.
Dicit, Pueri pugnant!
He says, The boys are fighting!
Pueri
pugnant!

Direct vs. Indirect

Statement
Indirect statement just reports the
words of another person.
Dicit pueros pugnare.
Dicit
pueros
He says (that) the boys are fighting.
pugnare.
Pueri
pugnant!

Direct vs. Indirect

Statement
For indirect statement, Latin converts
the form of the direct statements
verb into an infinitive, and its subject
Dicit
pueros
from the
nominative to the
pugna
accusative case.
re.
The indirect statement is considered the
Pueri
object of the
main verb.
pugnant!

Tenses of Indirect Statement

There are 3 tenses of infinitives, and
each tense is used to show when the
indirect statement is happening:
Present infinitive: indirect statement
happens at the same time as the main
verb
Perfect infinitive: indirect statement
happens before the main verb
Future infinitive: indirect statement
happens after the main verb

Examples of Infinitive
Tenses

He says the boys are fighting.

Dicit pueros pugnare.
He says the boys were fighting.
Dicit pueros pugnavisse.
He says the boys will fight.
Dicit pueros pugnaturos esse.

Important Words to Remember

esse is the infinitive of to be and
is often used in indirect statement:
Dicunt puerum esse fortem.
They say the boy is brave.
Intro words for indirect statement
include puto (think), dico (say), scio
(know), sentio (feel), spero (hope),
and others.

Try these sentences!

All the main (first) verbs are present tense.

Dicunt puellam esse pulchram.

Putamus magistram esse sapientem.
Puer scit patriam esse magnam.
Dicit servos fugisse.
Dicit servos fugituros esse.
We think the girl is carrying water.

Indirect Statement
Part II: Sequence of Tenses
LFA I Lesson 60
Dec. 1-8, 2014

Sequence of Tenses
Review: there are 3 tenses of
infinitives, and each tense is used to
show when the indirect statement is
happening:
Present infinitive: indirect statement
happens at the same time as the main
verb
Perfect infinitive: indirect statement
happens before the main verb
Future infinitive: indirect statement
happens after the main verb

Sequence of Tenses
Time To Get Your Logic On
The translation of the infinitive is
dependent on the tense of the main verb.
Dicit pueros pugnare.
Main verb: present tense
Infinitive: present tense
Present tense infinitive=happens at the
same time as the main verb.
Therefore: the infinitive is also translated
presently. He says that the boys are
fighting.

Sequence of Tenses
Time To Get Your Logic On
The translation of the infinitive is
dependent on the tense of the main verb.
Dixit pueros pugnare.
Main verb: past tense (perfect tense)
Infinitive: present tense
Present tense infinitive=happens at the
same time as the main verb.
Therefore: the infinitive is also translated pastly. He said that the boys were fighting.

Sequence of Tenses
Time To Get Your Logic On
The translation of the infinitive is
dependent on the tense of the main verb.
Dicet pueros pugnare.
Main verb: future tense
Infinitive: present tense
Present tense infinitive=happens at the
same time as the main verb.
Therefore: the infinitive is also translated
future-ly. He will say that the boys are
fighting.
***You dont need to say will fight b/c the
future is already implied by the English here.

Try these sentences!

All the infinitives are present tense=same time as main verb.

Dixit puellas aquam portare.

Dicit puellas aquam portare.
Dicet puellas aquam portare.
Vir putat servos fugere.
Vir putabat servos fugere.
Vir putabit servos fugere.

Sequence of Tenses
Time To Get Your Logic On
The translation of the infinitive is
dependent on the tense of the main
verb.
Dixit pueros pugnavisse.
Main verb: perfect tense
Infinitive: perfect tense
Perfect tense infinitive=happens
before the main verb.
Therefore: the infinitive is translated
pluperfectly (past-past). He said that
the boys had fought.

Sequence of Tenses
Time To Get Your Logic On
The translation of the infinitive is
dependent on the tense of the main
verb.
Dixit pueros pugnaturos esse.
Main verb: perfect tense
Infinitive: future tense
Future tense infinitive=happens
after the main verb.
Therefore: the infinitive is translated
would: He said that the boys
would fight.

Try these sentences!

Dixit puellas aquam portavisse.

Dicit puellas aquam portaturas esse.
Dixit puellas aquam portare.
Vir putat servos fugisse.
Vir putabat servos fugisse.
Vir putabit servos fugituruos esse.

invenisse
amitti
amissurus esse
invenire
amissus
amisisse
inventurus esse
inveniri
amittere
inventus esse

to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to

be about to lose
have been lost
find
have found
be found
have lost
lose
be about to find
be lost
have been found