Indirect statement

The construction used for indirect statements is accusative + infinitive
    i.e. an object of a verb and a 'to be ...'

In indirect statements any of a verb's infinitives can be used.

Every verb has six infinitives: Present, Past/Perfect and Future in the active and passive voices.

Here is a table of infinitives for the 4 conjugations, the mixed conjugations, and the verb 'to be'.
The verbs used are parare, monere, regere, audire, capere, and esse (NB esse has no passive voice):

	Active	Passive
Present	parare monere regere audire capere esse	parari moneri regi audire capi -------
Perfect	paravisse monuisse rexisse audivisse cepisse fuisse	paratus esse monitus esse regitus esse auditus esse captus esse -------
Future	paraturus esse moniturus esse recturus esse auditurus esse capturus esse futurus esse/fore	paratum iri monitum iri regitum iri auditum iri captum iri -------

NB The Future Passive infinitive is very rare, however for completeness' sake I will include it in the table.
Also note the Future Active Infinitive of 'esse' has an alternative form - 'fore'.

Deponent verbs look passive but are active in meaning. Therefore they have three infinitives only.
    e.g.:

Present	sequi	conari
Perfect	secutus esse	conatus esse
Future	secuturus esse	conaturus esse

Certain verbs generally introduce an accusative + infinitive construction. Some are:

• dico ~ I say
• nego ~ I deny
• puto ~ I think
• scio ~ I know
• nescio ~ I do not know
• cognosco ~ I learn
• credo ~ I believe
• promitto ~ I promise
• spero ~ I hope
• gaudeo ~ I rejoice that
  

The reflexives se and suus refer back to the subject of the verb which introduces the indirect statement.

Examples:
    Magister dicit se David adiuturum esse.
    The teacher said he himself will help David.

    Pueri dicunt se a magistro dimissos esse.
    The boys say that they themselves have been dismissed by the teacher.

    Magister dicit pueros domum dimissos esse.
    The teacher says that the boys have been sent home.

    Femina sperat puellas se adiuturas esse.
    The woman hopes that the girls will help her.

    Puellae dicunt se feminam adiuturas esse.
    The girls say that they themselves will help the woman.


This page was written by David Wray

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