Exercise 33: Indirect Questions
An indirect question is a clause depending on a main verb/verb phrase indicating or implying question (he asks, he knows, he announces etc etc); the indirect question may precede or follow this element.
RECOGNITION:
The indirect question will begin with a question word (e.g. cur, quando, quis quid, num, quo, unde, quomodo etc) and the verb will be in the subjunctive. Sequence applies (as follows).
INDIRECT QUESTIONS DEPENDING ON PRIMARY MAIN VERBS
rogo, rogabo, rogavi, rogavero
quid agas (what you are doing)
quid egeris (what you did/have done)
quid acturus sis (what you are about to do [=will do])
INDIRECT QUESTIONS DEPENDING ON HISTORIC MAIN VERBS
rogabam, rogavi, rogaveram
quid ageres (what you were doing)
quid egisses (what you had done/did)
quid acturus esses (what you were about to do [=would do])
NB: You may translate the subjunctive into English with the indicative of the equivalent English tense (as in the versions given above).
Some question words:
cur: why
num: whether
quando: when
quantus quanta quantum: how big
quis quis quid: who what
qui quae quod: ‘what’ when used as adjective, e.g. qui homo? = ‘What man?’
quo: whither / where to
quomodo: how
quot: how many
unde: from where
