Indirect Questions

1
Chapter 30

• Indirect Questions
• Sequence of Tenses

2
Indirect Questions

• Another subordinate use of the subjunctive.
• Reports what someone asks without directly
  quoting that person.
• Similar to the concept of the Indirect Statement
  with a Subjunctive verb instead of an
  accusative-infinitive construction.

3
Indirect Questions

• Identified by
• a main verb of asking, telling, thinking
  (similar to indirect statement)
• an interrogative word
• a subjunctive verb in the subordinate clause
• Interrogatives
• quis, quid / qui, quae, quod
• quam, quando, cur, ubi, unde, uter, utrum, an, -ne

4
English Examples

• Dad asked us where we were going today.
• The class wondered what questions would be on the
  next test.
• The children debated whether Santa Claus brought
  the presents or not.

5
Latin Examples

• ille auctor narrabat nobis quanta cum cura
  Romulus moenia urbis condidisset.
• orator repente rogavit cur ceteri cives ingenium
  huius viri non cognovissent.
• nescio utrum vivi an mortui plus honoris cras
  accepturi sint.

6
Sequence of Tenses

• This describes the way in which a speaker/writer
  proceeds from the main clause into a subordinate
  clause.
• So, in English one cant say, I was there when
  he is here. To be correct, one must say, I was
  there when he was here.
• Because the main clause contains a past tense
  verb the subordinate clause agrees in its tense.

7
Latin Sequence Structure

• Because subordination is often indicated by the
  subjunctive mood in Latin, the sequence of tenses
  begins with an indicative verb (usually) and then
  contains a subjunctive in the subordinate clause.
• There are two groupings in Latin sequence of
  tenses Primary and Secondary (Historical)

8
Primary Sequence

• This sequence is made up of incomplete action
  tenses
• Present
• Future
• The subordinates for primary sequence are either
• Present subjunctive action at the same time
• Perfect subjunctive action previous to

9
Secondary Sequence

• This sequence is made up of complete action
  tenses
• All past tenses
• The subordinates for secondary sequence are
• Imperfect subjunct. action at the same time
• Pluperfect subjunct. action previous to

10
The Main Point

• The main thing to remember is that the
  subjunctive in the subordinate clause will
  translate to English differently depending upon
  its main clause verb.