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574. An Indirect Question takes its verb in the Subjunctive:
  1. quid ipse sentiam expōnam (Div. 1.10) , I will explain what I think. [Direct: quid sentiō ?]
  2. id possetne fierī cōnsuluit (id. 1.32), he consulted whether it could be done. [Direct: potestne ?]
  3. quam sīs audāx omnēs intellegere potuērunt (Rosc. Am. 87) , all could understand how bold you are. [Direct: quam es audāx !]
  4. doleam necne doleam nihil interest (Tusc. 2.29) , it is of no account whether I suffer or not. [Double question.]
  5. quaesīvī ā Catilīnā in conventū apud M. Laecam fuisset necne (Cat. 2.13) , I asked Catiline whether he had been at the meeting at Marcus Lœca's or not. [Double question.]
  6. rogat quid sentiam, he asks me what I think. [Cf. rogat sententiam, he asks me my opinion.]
  7. hōc dubium est, uter nostrum sit inverēcundior (Acad. 2.126) , this is doubtful, which of us two is the less modest.
  8. incertī quātenus Volerō exercēret victōriam (Liv. 2.55) , uncertain how far Volero would push victory. [As if dubitantēs quātenus , etc.]

Note.--An Indirect Question may be the subject of a verb (as in the fourth example), the direct object (as in the first), the secondary object (as in the sixth), an appositive (as in the seventh).

hide References (2 total)
  • Commentary references to this page (1):
    • J. B. Greenough, Benjamin L. D'Ooge, M. Grant Daniell, Commentary on Caesar's Gallic War, AG BG 1.12
  • Cross-references to this page (1):
    • Anne Mahoney, Overview of Latin Syntax, Verbs
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