INDIRECT QUESTIONS

 

If a direct question is made subordinate to an introductory clause in a sentence, the question becomes indirect and is formed by using a nominative subject and a verb in the subjunctive.  The introductory clauses are similar to those used for indirect statement (they use “head” verbs), but a question word followed by a verb in the subjunctive will indicate that you have an indirect question rather than an indirect statement.

 

The tense of the subjunctive is relative to the tense of the main verb of the sentence.

 

MAIN             /           SUBJUNCTIVE CLAUSE OF INDIRECT QUESTION

CLAUSE

 

SEQUENCE	SAME TIME	TIME BEFORE	TIME AFTER
PRIMARY	present	perfect	fut. participle & present of sum
SECONDARY	imperfect	pluperfect	fut. participle & impf of sum

 

 

EXAMPLES:

 

DIRECT QUESTION                       INDIRECT QUESTION

 

Quid facis?                                           Miror quid facias.

            What are you doing?                           I wonder what you are doing.

 

Quid fecisti?                                         Miror quid feceris.

            What have you done?                         I wonder what you have done.

 

Quid facies?                                         Miror quid facturus sis.

            What will you do?                               I wonder what you will do.

 

Quid facis?                                           Miratus sum quid faceres.

            What are you doing?                           I wondered what you were doing.

 

Quid feceras?                                       Miratus sum quid fecisses.

            What had you done?                           I wondered what you had done.

 

Quid facies?                                         Miratus sum quid facturus esses.

            What will you do?                               I wondered what you would do.