FORMATION AND USEOF
INFINITIVES
• PRESENT ACTIVE• PRESENT PASSIVE• PERFECT ACTIVE• PERFECT PASSIVE• FUTURE ACTIVE
PRESENT STEM
• ACTIVE – PORTARE - TO CARRY
– HABERE - TO HAVE/HOLD
– AGERE - TO DO
– FACERE - TO MAKE
– AUDIRE - TO HEAR
• PASSIVE– PORTARI - TO BE CARRIED
– HABERI - TO BE HELD
– AGI - TO BE DONE
– FACI - TO BE MADE
– AUDIRI - TO BE HEARD
PERFECT STEM
• ACTIVE– PORTAVISSE - TO HAVE
CARRIED– HABUISSE - TO HAVE HELD– EGISSE - TO HAVE DONE– FECISSE - TO HAVE MADE– AUDIVISSE - TO HAVE HEARD
PASSIVE
• PERFECT PASSIVE PARTICIPLE + ESSE
• PORTATUS ESSE TO HAVE BEEN CARRIED
• DOCTUS ESSE TO HAVE BEEN TAUGHT
• ACTUS ESSE TO HAVE BEEN DONE
• FACTUS ESSE TO HAVE BEEN MADE
• AUDITUS ESSE TO HAVE BEEN HEARD
FUTURE ACTIVE INFINITIVE
• FUTURE ACTIVE PARTICIPLE + ESSE
• PORTATURUS ESSE TO BE ABOUT TO CARRY
• DOCTURUS ESSE TO BE ABOUT TO TEACH
• ACTURUS ESSE TO BE ABOUT TO DO
• FACTURUS ESSE TO BE ABOUT TO MAKE
• AUDITURUS ESSE TO BE ABOUT TO HEAR
USE AS A COMPLEMENT TO ANOTHER VERB
• COMPLEMENTS OTHER VERBS SUCH AS: POSSE; DEBERE; PARARE,
NECESSE EST, OPORTET• EXEMPLI GRATIA;
– POSSUM DOCERE BENE DISCIPULOS.
– I am able to teach the students well.
– P ARAMUS PUGNARE BELLUM.
– We are preparing to fight the battle.
– DEBES LEGERE HISTORIAM.
– You ought to read the story.
INDIRECT DISCOURSE
• After verbs of saying, knowing, thinking, believing and others describing some mental action, if the words are not quoted directly, we use a clause introduced by
THAT • EXEMPLI GRATIA
He says that the boys are fighting. (indirect)
He says: “The boys are fighting”. (direct)
VERBS WHICH INTRODUCE INDIRECT DISCOURSE
Dico – say Scio – know
Sentio - feel Puto - think
Audio - hear Video – see
Cogito – think Nuntio – report,announce
Existimo – think,suppose
Nego - deny
INDIRECT DISCOURSE CONTINUED
• In Latin, the infinitive is used as the verb in the indirect statement. The subject is put in the accusative case in the indirect statement.
• EXEMPLI GRATIA:
Dicit, “pueri pugnant.” (DIRECT)
He says: “The boys are fighting.”
Dicit pueros pugnare. (INDIRECT)
He says that the boys are fighting.
INDIRECT DISCOURSE CONTINUED
• In English the subject of the infinitive in the indirect statement is also in the accusative (objective) case:– I know him to be honest.
NOT
– I know he to be honest.
• Tense of the infinitive signifies the time of the indirect statement in relation to the main verb.
INDIRECT DISCOURSE CONTINUED
• PRESENT INFINITIVE MEANS
CONTEMPORARY ACTION
• PERFECT INFINITIVE MEANS
PREVIOUS ACTION
• FUTURE INFINITIVE MEANS
FUTURE ACTION
INDIRECT DISCOURSE CONTINUED
• EXEMPLI GRATIA:
• Dicit virum ambulare. (present = contemporaneous)
– He says that the man is walking
• Dixit virum ambulare. (present = contemporaneous)
– He said that the man walked.
• Dicit virum ambulavisse. (perfect = prior)
– He says that the man walked.
• Dixit virum ambulavisse. (perfect = prior)
– He said that the man had walked.
INDIRECT DISCOURSE CONTINUED
• Dicit virum ambulaturum esse.• NB: future = future; agreement of participial portion of
infinitive in number, case (accusative) and gender of the subject in indirect discourse; this also applies to the perfect passive infinitive
– He says that the man will walk.
• Dixit virum ambulaturum esse. (future = future)
– He said that the man would walk.