[*] 574. An Indirect Question takes its verb in the Subjunctive:
- “ quid ipse sentiam expōnam ” (Div. 1.10) , I will explain what I think. [Direct: quid sentiō ?]
- id possetne fierī cōnsuluit (id. 1.32), he consulted whether it could be done. [Direct: potestne ?]
- “ quam sīs audāx omnēs intellegere potuērunt ” (Rosc. Am. 87) , all could understand how bold you are. [Direct: quam es audāx !]
- “ doleam necne doleam nihil interest ” (Tusc. 2.29) , it is of no account whether I suffer or not. [Double question.]
- “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.]
- rogat mē quid sentiam, he asks me what I think. [Cf. rogat mē sententiam, he asks me my opinion.]
- “hōc dubium est, uter nostrum sit inverēcundior ” (Acad. 2.126) , this is doubtful, which of us two is the less modest.
- “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).