(Cf. Wheelock 25)
Remember: There are only three infinitive tenses (present, perfect, future) commonly used to indicate the temporal relationship of an action to the time of the governing verb (i.e., the verb that introduces the accusative-with-infinitive construction). For the forms, see the Synopsis of Latin Infinitives.
The same Latin infinitive has to be rendered differently in English in order to make the temporal relationship clear. The following examples are given only as an introductory guide to the basic concept. See Allen and Greenough's grammar, Number 584, for more possibilities.
Go to the practice page. Study the infinitive forms.
The present infinitive indicates that the time of the infinitive's action is contemporaneous with the time of the verb introducing the accusative-with-infinitive construction:
Dîcunt matrem eum monêre.
They say that his mother is reminding him.
Dîcunt â matre eum monêrî.
They say that he is being reminded by his mother.
Dîxêrunt matrem eum monêre.
They said that his mother was reminding him.
Dîxêrunt â matre eum monêrî.
They said that he was being reminded by his mother.
Dîcent matrem eum monêre.
They will say that his mother is reminding him.
Dîcent â matre eum monêrî.
They will say that he is being reminded by his mother.
Go to the practice page. Study the infinitive forms.
The perfect infinitive indicates that the time of the infinitive's action is previous to the time of the verb introducing the accusative-with-infinitive construction:
Dîcunt matrem eum monuisse.
They say that his mother reminded him.
Dîcunt â matre eum monitum esse.
They say that he was reminded by his mother.
Dîxêrunt matrem eum monuisse.
They said that his mother had reminded him.
Dîxêrunt â matre eum monitum esse.
They said that he had been reminded by his mother.
Dîcent matrem eum monuisse.
They will say that his mother reminded him.
Dîcent â matre eum monitum esse.
They will say that he was reminded by his mother.
Go to the practice page. Study the infinitive forms.
The future infinitive indicates that the time of the infinitive's action is subsequent to the time of the verb introducing the accusative-with-infinitive construction:
Dîcunt matrem eum monitûram esse.
They say that his mother will remind him.
Dîcunt â matre eum monitum îrî.
They say that he will be reminded by his mother.
Dîxêrunt matrem eum monitûram esse.
They said that his mother would remind him.
Dîxêrunt â matre eum monitum îrî.
They said that he would be reminded by his mother.
Dîcent matrem eum monitûram esse.
They will say that his mother is going to remind him.
Dîcent â matre eum monitum îrî.
They will say that he is going to be reminded by his mother.
Go to the practice page. Study the infinitive forms.
Hint: If you still have trouble understanding, first translate literally, then put the sentence into good English.
Dîcunt matrem eum monitûram esse.
They say his mother to be about to remind him. =
They say that his mother will remind him.
Dîcunt â matre eum monitum esse.
They say him to have been reminded by his mother. =
They say that he was reminded by his mother.
Dîxêrunt â matre eum monêrî.
They said him to be reminded by his mother. =
They said that he was being reminded by his mother.
Go to the practice page. Study the infinitive forms.
Latin Teaching Materials at Saint Louis University: © Claude Pavur 1997 - 2009. This material is being made freely available for non-commercial educational use.
