Ch 9 · Lesson 28Latin · Chapter 9 · Lesson 28 · Grammar primer
Whether, and which clause is it?
Rogat : and -ne mean whether, ... an whether ... or. Then against : an indirect question, an indirect statement or a relative clause.
The short version
In a reported question,
Rogat .
Why?Hide
In a direct question expects the answer no, but reported it is a plain whether: rogat , he/she asks whether I am coming. The enclitic -ne does the same job. Whether ... or is ... an, and or not is necne.
.
Why?Hide
, with and a subjunctive, is an indirect question: I know what you did. , with and an indicative, is a relative clause: I know the thing that you did. English what covers both, so check the word and the mood.
The verbs and question words
Any verb that can have a question as its content can introduce one: asking, knowing, finding out, seeing, telling, wondering.
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ask (ex or ) | . | |
| ask, question | . | |
| not know | . | |
| find out | . | |
| video | see | . |
The question words are the ones you use in direct questions, and they do not change:
- Rogat .
- Rogat .
- Rogat .
- Rogat .
1 Rogat quis sit: he/she asks who he is. 2 Rogat ubi sit: he/she asks where it is. 3 Rogat quando veniat: he/she asks when he/she is coming. 4 Rogat quanta sit pecunia: he/she asks how much money there is.
| Latin | English | Latin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| who | | when |
| what | | how |
| why | | how many |
| where | | how great |
| where from | | what kind of |
Yes-no and either-or questions
A question with no question word asks whether. Latin marks it with or with - on the first word, and an either-or question with ... .
| Word | Latin | English |
|---|---|---|
| Rogat . | He/she asks whether I am coming. |
- | Rogat veniamne. | He/she asks whether I am coming. |
... | Rogat . | He/she asks whether I am coming or staying. |
| Rogat . | He/she asks whether I am coming or staying. |
necne | Rogat necne. | He/she asks whether I am coming or not. |
loses its colouring here. In a direct question, ? expects the answer no: he/she is not coming, is he/she? In an indirect question it is a plain whether. Or not is necne in an indirect question; in a direct one it is annon.
Indirect question, indirect statement or relative clause?
Three constructions follow verbs like and , and they look alike at a glance.
| Clause | Latin | English |
|---|---|---|
| indirect question | . | I know what you did. |
| indirect statement | . | I know that you did this. |
| relative clause | . | I know the thing that you did. |
- A question word plus a subjunctive verb: an indirect question.
- An accusative plus an infinitive, no question word: an indirect statement.
- A word pointing back to a noun or pronoun already in the sentence (
...), with an indicative: a relative clause.
The hard case is against , because English what covers both. with a subjunctive asks; with an indicative points back.
Going further: Direct to indirect on one screen and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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