Chapter 46
Direct and Indirect Statements
A direct statement is the
transmission of a message by direct
quotations. The message is set in
quotation marks.
Caesar says, “I came, I saw, I
conquered.”
Cicero said, “My city is in danger.”
An indirect statement is the
reporting of the message without
quoting the words directly. It does
not use quotation marks.
Caesar says that he came, he saw, he
conquered.
Cicero said that his city was in
danger.
Notice in the first sentence above how the
speaker’s first person pronoun (“I came . . . “)
in the direct questions changes to the third
person pronoun (“he came”) to agree logically
with the perspective of the person doing the
reporting. Also, in the second sentence, the
possessive adjective “my” has changed to “his”.
In English
An indirect statement is easy to recognize
since the reported message is introduced
by “that” forming a subordinate clauses
used as an object of the verb of saying.
No quotation marks are used.
In Latin
The construction of indirect statement
is used not only after verbs of saying,
but also after verbs of thinking, feeling,
sensing and the like. Latin uses no
introductory word like that. Indirect
statements are very commonly used in
Latin.
Indirect Statement I
The following sentences occurred in the story:
Puto hunc ludum esse optimum.
I think that this game is very good.
Puto vos esse molestissimos.
I think that you are very annoying.
In such sentences, you are being given two pieces of information:
(1)
I think
Puto
(2)
what I think
hunc ludum esse optimum.
(that) this game is very good.
You will see that, in the second part, the Latin subject is
expressed in the accusative case and the verb is in the
infinitive, where English says that this game and is.
Scio
I know
Videmus
We see
Audio
I hear
that
vos esse molestissimos.
you are very troublesome.
that
Davum in agris laborare.
Davus is working in the fields.
that
eum domi morari.
he is staying at home.
Other verbs that may be followed by the accusative
and infinitive construction include:
dico, dicere, dixi, dictus - to say
spero, sperare, speravi, speratus - to hope
sentio, sentire, sensi, sensus - to feel
Activity 1: Circle the correct form and then translate the sentence.
1.
Alli putant (Sextus/Sextum) esse bonum,
alii putant eum (est/erat/esse) molestum.
2.
Davus quidem scit omnes (pueros/puerum/
pueri) saepe esse (molestum/molesti/
molestos)/
3.
At Aurelia putat Marcum et Sextum semper
bonos (sunt/esse/erant).
4.
Sextus Marco dicit Davum (esse/est/sum)
iracundum.
5.
Marcus respondet (Davi/Davo/Davum) non
semper (esse/est) iracundum.
6.
Dicit Davum in agris strenue (laborāre/
laboravit/laborat).
7.
Sextus respondet Davum sub arbore
cotidie post meridiem (dormis/dormiebat/
dormīre).
Activity 2: Translate
1.
Eucleides dicit ludum latrunculorum esse
optimum.
2.
Scio Cornelium esse senatorum Romanum.
3.
Nos omnes scimus Corneliam esse puellam
Romanam.
4.
Puto Sextum puerum temerarium esse.
5.
Audio Cornelium ad Curiam festinare.
6.
Scit ancillas cenam parare.
7.
Video haud viam esse longam.
8.
Audio cauponem esse amicum Eucleides.
9.
Putamus servos in agris laborare.
10.
Credo Aureliam in urbem descendere.
11.
Dicunt Marcum dormire.
12.
Scimus semper esurire pueros.
13.
14.
Audio Titum mappam non habere.
Cornelia putat pupam esse pulcherrimam.
II.
The Irregular Verb fio, fieri, factus sum
A.
This irregular verb, meaning to become,
be made or happen, serves as the
passive of facio. Note that the verb
has only three principal parts:
fio, I become
fieri, to become
factus sum, I became
sing.
1st:
2nd:
3rd:
plural
1st:
2nd:
3rd:
present
fio
fis
fit
imperfect
fiebam
fiebas
fiebat
future
fiam
fies
fiet
fimus
fitis
fiunt
fiebamus
fiebatis
fiebant
fiemus
fietis
fient
Activity 3:
Translate.
1.
Titus vinum bibit et paulatim ebrius fit.
2.
Si Titus plus vini bibet, magis ebrius fiet.
3.
Aurelia Titum in dies molestiorem fieri
putat.
4.
Quid Tito fiet si etiam plus vini nunc bibet?
5.
Aliquid mali certe ei fiet.