5d. Latin Accidence and Syntax - Syntax - Subordinate clauses — OCR A-Level Latin
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5d. Latin Accidence and Syntax - Syntax - Subordinate clauses explained
5d. Latin Accidence and Syntax - Syntax - Subordinate clauses covers 11 specification points, including Indirect statement (including extended oratio… and Description (relative clauses, including….
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Indirect statement (including extended oratio obliqua), question, command and prohibition
This item tests whether you can recognise and translate the four main types of indirect construction in Latin prose and verse. Indirect statement uses the accusative and infinitive: dicit urbem captam esse, 'he says that the city has been captured', where the subject of the infinitive stands in the accusative and the verb becomes an infinitive whose tense is relative to the main verb. Extended oratio obliqua keeps a long stretch of reported speech in this form, so subordinate clauses inside it take subjunctive verbs by the sequence of tenses. Indirect question uses an interrogative word with a subjunctive verb: rogat quid faciat, 'he asks what he is doing'. Indirect command uses ut or ne with a subjunctive after verbs of ordering and asking: imperat ut veniant, 'he orders them to come'.
Description (relative clauses, including common uses with the subjunctive)
A relative clause is introduced by a relative pronoun (quī, quae, quod) or relative adverb and describes or identifies a noun in the main clause, called the antecedent. The relative pronoun agrees with its antecedent in gender and number but takes its case from its own function inside the relative clause; this is the key skill to practise. Relative clauses normally have an indicative verb when they simply describe or define the antecedent, as in a straightforward descriptive clause. Latin also uses the subjunctive in relative clauses for recognised purposes: a relative clause of purpose (often after a verb of sending or choosing), a relative clause expressing result or characteristic, causal and concessive relative clauses, and clauses in indirect speech or oratio obliqua where the subjunctive appears by attraction.
Purpose (including uses of the gerund and gerundive)
A purpose clause answers 'in order to' or 'so that' and is introduced by ut (negative nē). Its verb stands in the subjunctive, and the tense follows the sequence of tenses: primary sequence uses the present subjunctive, historic sequence the imperfect. A comparative can appear inside the clause (e.g. ut facilius intellegeret, 'so that he might understand more easily'). The gerund is a verbal noun in the oblique cases (e.g. ars scribendī, 'the art of writing'), while the gerundive is a passive verbal adjective agreeing with its noun (e.g. ad urbem capiendam, 'for the purpose of capturing the city'). A gerundive with a form of esse expresses obligation (e.g. liber legendus est, 'the book must be read'). In multiple-choice questions, identify the subjunctive verb and the introductory ut or nē first, then decide whether the clause expresses purpose or one of the other ut-clause types.
Result (including the use of the comparative with quam ut)
A result clause states what happens as a consequence of the main clause and is introduced by ut (negative ut nōn). The main clause usually contains a signal word such as tam, ita, tantus, tālis or adeō. The verb is subjunctive, and the tense follows the sequence of tenses: present subjunctive after a primary main verb, imperfect after a historic one. Where a comparative idea is expressed, the construction quam ut plus the subjunctive can appear (e.g. maior quam ut... , 'too great for...'), meaning the result is beyond what the comparison would allow. In multiple-choice questions, look for the signal word in the main clause and the subjunctive in the ut-clause, then check whether the meaning is consequence rather than purpose.
Conditional
A conditional clause in Latin expresses a condition on which another statement depends. The subordinate clause is introduced by sī (if) or nisi (unless, if not), and the main clause carries the conclusion. In the OCR A Level accidence and syntax list, conditionals are a named subordinate-clause type, so you must recognise the clause, identify its marker and understand how its mood and tense relate to the main verb. Learn to spot sī and nisi, decide which clause is subordinate, and read the whole sentence as condition plus outcome. For example, in a sentence where sī with a subjunctive verb sets up an unreal or hypothetical situation, the main clause shows what would follow. Practise parsing both halves before choosing an answer.
Causal
A causal clause gives the reason for the action of another clause. In Latin it is commonly introduced by quod, quia or quoniam, and the verb may be indicative when the writer presents the reason as fact or subjunctive when the reason is reported or attributed. The OCR A Level accidence and syntax list names causal clauses among subordinate-clause types, so you must recognise the clause, identify its marker and explain the reason it supplies. Read the sentence as reason plus result: find the conjunction, bracket the clause it governs, parse its verb, then translate so the causal link is clear. Distinguish a causal quod ('because') from other uses of the same word by context.
Temporal
Temporal clauses place one action in time relative to another and are introduced by conjunctions such as ubi, postquam, cum, dum and antequam. The conjunction chosen and the mood of its verb carry the time relationship. Postquam and ubi normally take the perfect indicative for a single completed event. Dum meaning 'while' regularly takes the present indicative, even in a past narrative, because the action is viewed as ongoing; translate it with an English past continuous such as 'was doing'. Cum takes the indicative for plain time ('when') and the subjunctive for circumstances or explanation ('since', 'although'). Antequam and priusquam take the indicative for a factual sequence and the subjunctive when the event is anticipated or intended. Identify the conjunction, check the mood, then decide the time relationship before translating.
Subordinate clauses within indirect speech
In indirect speech (oratio obliqua) the main statement is reported with an accusative and infinitive, and subordinate clauses inside that report follow the sequence of tenses governed by the introductory verb. Primary sequence after a present or future introductory verb allows present or perfect subjunctive in the subordinate clause; historic sequence after a past introductory verb allows imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive. The subjunctive marks the clause as part of the reported thought or speech rather than the narrator's own statement. Pronouns and adverbs shift to fit the reporter's viewpoint, so ego becomes se and hic may become ille. Identify the introductory verb, note whether sequence is primary or historic, then check the subordinate verb's mood and tense against that sequence.
Fearing, prevention and precaution
This item tests three related subjunctive constructions. Verbs of fearing take ne plus the subjunctive for the outcome feared: timeo ne veniat, 'I fear that he may come'. When the feared outcome is that something will not happen, Latin uses ne non or ut with the subjunctive: timeo ut veniat, 'I fear that he will not come'. Verbs of preventing, such as prohibeo and impedio, take ne plus the subjunctive, or quo minus, or a plain infinitive: prohibet ne exeant, 'he prevents them from going out'. Precaution is expressed with caveo: cave ne cadat, 'take care that he does not fall', where ne marks the action to be avoided, and cave facias, 'take care not to do it', uses a plain subjunctive for the same avoidance. When caveo introduces the action to be ensured, it takes ut with the subjunctive: cave ut memineris, 'take care to remember'.
Concessive
A concessive clause concedes a point that the main statement holds despite. Latin marks it with conjunctions such as quamquam, quamvis, licet, etsi and etiamsi, or with the correlatives quamquam...tamen and cum...tamen, and the verb may stand in the indicative or the subjunctive depending on the conjunction and the writer's nuance. Translate the clause with 'although', 'even if' or 'granted that', and make the main clause carry the contrast with 'yet' or 'nevertheless'. For example, quamquam fatigatus erat, tamen progressus est means 'although he was tired, nevertheless he went forward'. Identify the concessive conjunction first, then check whether the verb is indicative or subjunctive, then render the contrast clearly in English without turning the clause into a cause or a condition.
Comparative
In the syntax of subordinate clauses, a comparative clause is a finite-verb clause introduced by quam (or by ac/atque after a comparative) that supplies the standard against which a comparison is made, for example tam fortis quam ille erat ('as brave as he was'), where quam ille erat is the subordinate clause with its own verb. Distinguish this from the ablative of comparison (fortior illo, a noun-phrase construction with no finite verb) and from verbless quam phrases (fortior quam ille). The clause has its own subject and verb and may take the subjunctive when it expresses a reported or hypothetical comparison. Identify the clause boundary, the introductory word and the verb, then state what is being compared.
Your focus
- Identify indirect statement, question, command and prohibition from their introductory verbs and syntax.
- Translate each construction accurately into English, keeping reported time relative to the main verb.
- Explain how extended oratio obliqua affects the mood of subordinate clauses.
Show all 33 objectives
- Identify the antecedent and relative pronoun in a Latin sentence and explain their agreement
- Choose the correct case of a relative pronoun from its function in its own clause
- Distinguish indicative from subjunctive relative clauses and translate each appropriately
- Identify a purpose clause by its introductory ut or nē and subjunctive verb.
- Select the correct subjunctive tense according to the sequence of tenses.
- Distinguish gerund and gerundive forms and explain their functions in context.
- Identify a result clause by its signal word and subjunctive verb.
- Select the correct subjunctive tense according to the sequence of tenses.
- Explain the construction and meaning of the comparative with quam ut.
- Identify the conjunction that introduces a conditional clause in a Latin sentence.
- Distinguish the conditional subordinate clause from its main clause.
- Explain how mood and tense shape the meaning of a conditional sentence.
- Identify the conjunction that introduces a causal clause in a Latin sentence.
- Distinguish the causal clause from the statement it explains.
- Explain how mood and tense affect the presentation of the reason.
- Identify the temporal conjunction and the mood of its verb in a given sentence
- Select the translation that correctly renders the time relationship of a temporal clause
- Explain why a chosen mood fits the meaning of the conjunction
- Identify the introductory verb and decide whether sequence is primary or historic.
- Explain why a subordinate clause in indirect speech takes the subjunctive.
- Apply the correct sequence tense and pronoun shift when translating reported speech.
- Distinguish the subjunctive constructions used after verbs of fearing, preventing and taking precaution.
- Translate each construction so that the feared, prevented, avoided or ensured action is clear.
- Explain why caveo takes a plain subjunctive for avoidance but ut for the action to be ensured.
- Recognise the conjunctions that introduce concessive clauses
- Distinguish concessive clauses from causal and conditional clauses
- Translate concessive clauses accurately, including any correlative tamen
- Identify a comparative subordinate clause by its introducer and finite verb.
- Distinguish a comparative clause from the ablative of comparison and from verbless quam phrases.
- Explain what is being compared and comment on the mood of the clause verb.
5d. Latin Accidence and Syntax - Syntax - Subordinate clauses exam tips
Marking Points
- Identifies the accusative and infinitive as the marker of indirect statement and translates the reported clause with 'that'.
- Recognises that the tense of the infinitive is relative to the introductory verb rather than absolute.
- Distinguishes an indirect question by its interrogative word and subjunctive verb.
- Selects ut or ne with the subjunctive for an indirect command after verbs of ordering or asking.
- Applies the accusative and infinitive after veto rather than a ne clause with the subjunctive.
- Tracks a subjunctive subordinate clause inside extended oratio obliqua to the sequence of tenses.
- Locates the antecedent and states its gender and number to check agreement with the relative pronoun
- Assigns the relative pronoun its case from its function within the relative clause rather than from the antecedent
- Translates a descriptive relative clause with an indicative verb as a simple description of the antecedent
- Recognises a relative clause with the subjunctive and identifies its purpose, result, causal or concessive force from context
- Explains that a relative clause inside reported speech takes the subjunctive by attraction
- Distinguishes a defining relative clause from a descriptive one when choosing English wording
- Identifies ut or nē introducing a subjunctive verb as the marker of a purpose clause.
- Applies the sequence of tenses to select the present or imperfect subjunctive in the purpose clause.
- Distinguishes a purpose clause from other ut-clauses such as result or indirect command by context and meaning.
- Recognises a gerund as a verbal noun in an oblique case and a gerundive as a passive verbal adjective agreeing with a noun.
- Explains that a gerundive with a form of esse conveys obligation or necessity.
- Identifies ut or ut nōn with a subjunctive verb as the marker of a result clause.
- Links the result clause to a signal word such as tam, ita, tantus, tālis or adeō in the main clause.
- Applies the sequence of tenses to select the present or imperfect subjunctive in the result clause.
- Explains the construction of the comparative with quam ut plus the subjunctive to express a result beyond expectation.
- Distinguishes a result clause from a purpose clause by the presence of a signal word and by meaning.
- Identifies sī or nisi as the marker introducing the conditional clause.
- Distinguishes the subordinate conditional clause from the main clause that states the outcome.
- States the mood and tense of the conditional verb and links them to the type of condition.
- Explains how the condition and the conclusion combine to give the sentence's overall sense.
- Identifies quod, quia or quoniam as the marker introducing the causal clause.
- Distinguishes the causal subordinate clause from the clause whose action it explains.
- States the mood and tense of the causal verb and comments on whether the reason is presented as fact or as reported.
- Explains how the clause supplies the reason for the main statement.
- Identifies the temporal conjunction that introduces the subordinate clause and states its core meaning
- Checks the mood of the temporal verb and links indicative to factual time and subjunctive to circumstance or anticipation
- Renders dum meaning 'while' with an English past continuous in past narrative rather than a present tense
- Distinguishes cum with the indicative ('when') from cum with the subjunctive ('since' or 'although')
- Explains how antequam or priusquam with the subjunctive signals an anticipated or intended event
- Identifies the introductory verb of speaking or thinking and classifies its tense as primary or historic sequence.
- States that subordinate clauses within indirect speech take the subjunctive and checks the tense against the sequence.
- Explains that an accusative and infinitive carries the reported main statement while subordinate clauses use the subjunctive.
- Recognises shifts in pronouns and adverbs that reflect the reporter's viewpoint rather than the original speaker's.
- Translates ne with the subjunctive after a verb of fearing as the outcome feared.
- Recognises ne non or ut with the subjunctive as the feared outcome that something will not happen.
- Selects ne with the subjunctive, quo minus or an infinitive after verbs of preventing.
- Reads a plain subjunctive after caveo as the action to be avoided.
- Reads ut with the subjunctive after caveo as the action to be ensured.
- Matches the negative or positive particle to the sense of the introductory verb.
- Identifies the concessive conjunction, such as quamquam, quamvis, licet, etsi or etiamsi, that introduces the clause
- Translates the clause with an English concessive marker such as 'although' or 'even if'
- Recognises that the main clause states what happens despite the concession and may be reinforced by tamen
- Notes whether the verb is indicative or subjunctive and reflects the writer's nuance in translation
- Identifies the comparative clause as a finite-verb subordinate clause introduced by quam or by ac/atque after a comparative.
- Distinguishes the comparative clause from the ablative of comparison, which is a noun-phrase construction without a finite verb.
- Locates the clause boundary and names the verb that makes the comparison a clause rather than a phrase.
- States what is compared with what, naming the standard supplied by the subordinate clause.
- Recognises that a comparative clause may take the subjunctive when the comparison is reported or hypothetical.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Underline the introductory verb first, because it determines which construction follows.
- 💡Label the case of the accusative subject and the form of the infinitive before translating.
- 💡Check every subordinate clause inside a long reported passage for subjunctive mood and sequence of tenses.
- 💡Bracket the relative clause and mark its antecedent before deciding the pronoun's case
- 💡Check the verb's mood first, then use context to justify any subjunctive
- 💡State explicitly whether the clause describes, defines or carries a purpose, result, causal or concessive sense
- 💡Watch for relative clauses embedded in reported speech, where the subjunctive appears by attraction
- 💡Underline the introductory ut or nē and the subjunctive verb before choosing an option.
- 💡Check the main verb's tense to confirm primary or historic sequence.
- 💡Test each option by translating the clause with 'in order to' or 'so that' to see whether purpose fits.
- 💡For gerund and gerundive options, ask whether the word is functioning as a noun or as an adjective agreeing with a noun.
- 💡Scan the main clause for a signal word such as tam, ita, tantus, tālis or adeō before deciding on result.
- 💡Underline the subjunctive verb and check its tense against the main verb.
- 💡Translate the clause with 'with the result that' to test whether result fits.
- 💡For quam ut options, check that the subjunctive follows and that the sense is 'too... for...'.
- 💡Underline the conjunction first, then bracket the clause it introduces before translating either half.
- 💡Name the mood and tense of the conditional verb explicitly; this shows the examiner you have parsed the construction.
- 💡Check that your translation keeps the logical link between condition and outcome rather than translating each clause in isolation.
- 💡Locate the conjunction and bracket its clause before translating the sentence.
- 💡Name the mood and tense of the causal verb to demonstrate full parsing.
- 💡Use 'because', 'since' or 'for the reason that' consistently so the causal relationship stays visible.
- 💡Underline the conjunction and circle the verb ending before choosing an option, so mood and time are decided separately
- 💡Test each option by translating the whole sentence aloud and checking the English tense sounds natural
- 💡Eliminate options that give a mood the conjunction does not normally take in that sense
- 💡Locate the introductory verb first and label its sequence before reading the subordinate clause.
- 💡Check the subordinate verb's mood: subjunctive confirms it belongs to the reported speech.
- 💡Track pronoun changes from the original speaker to the reporter.
- 💡Match subordinate tense to sequence: present or perfect after primary, imperfect or pluperfect after historic.
- 💡Identify the introductory verb and its meaning before deciding on the particle.
- 💡Ask whether the clause states what is feared, prevented, avoided or ensured, then check ne, ut or a plain subjunctive.
- 💡Keep the negative sense visible in your English when the Latin uses ut or ne non after a verb of fearing.
- 💡Circle the concessive conjunction before translating so the contrast is not lost
- 💡Pair the subordinate clause with the main clause and check that the English reads as a genuine concession
- 💡Watch for correlatives such as quamquam...tamen and cum...tamen and translate both halves
- 💡Keep the tense of the subjunctive or indicative verb accurate in your English version
- 💡Underline the introductory word and the finite verb before deciding whether the construction is a clause or a phrase.
- 💡Name the two items being compared explicitly in your answer.
- 💡Check the mood of the clause verb and comment if it is subjunctive.
- 💡Keep the distinction between ablative of comparison and comparative clause clear in your explanation.
Common Mistakes
- Treats every reported clause as an indirect question; look for an interrogative word and a subjunctive verb before deciding.
- Renders the infinitive in indirect statement with an absolute tense; relate its time to the introductory verb instead.
- Attaches ne with the subjunctive to veto; use the accusative and infinitive that veto governs.
- Ignores the subjunctive in a subordinate clause within oratio obliqua; account for the reported viewpoint and sequence of tenses.
- Gives the relative pronoun the case of its antecedent; derive the case from the pronoun's role in its own clause
- Assumes every relative clause takes the subjunctive; keep the indicative for plain description
- Ignores the antecedent when working out gender and number; check agreement against it
- Translates a subjunctive relative clause as a plain description; identify its purpose, result, causal or concessive sense
- Treats every ut-clause as a purpose clause; check whether the main clause signals a result (e.g. tam, ita, tantus) before deciding.
- Uses the wrong tense in the purpose clause; match the subjunctive tense to the sequence of the main verb.
- Confuses the gerund with the gerundive; remember the gerund is a noun and the gerundive an adjective agreeing with a noun.
- Reads a gerundive of obligation as a simple statement of fact; recognise the added sense of 'must' or 'ought'.
- Treats a result clause as a purpose clause; look for a signal word such as tam or tantus in the main clause to confirm result.
- Ignores the sequence of tenses; match the subjunctive tense to the tense of the main verb.
- Misreads quam ut as a simple comparison; recognise that it introduces a result clause with the subjunctive.
- Overlooks the negative form ut nōn; check whether the clause is negated before choosing an option.
- Treats every clause containing sī as a simple factual condition; check the mood and tense to decide whether the condition is open, hypothetical or unfulfilled.
- Confuses nisi with a plain negative; render it as 'unless' or 'if not' and keep the negative sense in the translation.
- Reads the main clause as the condition; identify which clause the subordinating conjunction governs before translating.
- Renders every quod as 'which'; check whether a causal sense ('because') fits the context before translating.
- Ignores the mood of the causal verb; note whether the indicative presents the reason as fact or the subjunctive signals a reported reason.
- Detaches the reason from the statement it explains; keep the causal link explicit in the translation.
- Translates dum meaning 'while' in a past narrative with an English present tense; use a past continuous such as 'was doing' to show the ongoing action
- Treats every cum clause as causal; check the mood first, since the indicative marks plain time and the subjunctive marks circumstance or explanation
- Assumes postquam can take the subjunctive freely; keep the perfect indicative for a single completed event unless the source shows otherwise
- Ignores the mood of antequam or priusquam; read the subjunctive as anticipated or intended and the indicative as factual sequence
- Leaves a subordinate clause in the indicative inside indirect speech; change it to the subjunctive required by the sequence.
- Uses the wrong sequence tense after a past introductory verb; apply historic sequence with imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive.
- Keeps the original speaker's first-person pronoun; shift it to the reflexive se to match the reporter.
- Treats the accusative and infinitive as covering subordinate clauses too; reserve it for the reported main statement.
- Reads a plain subjunctive after caveo as the action to be ensured; treat it as the action to be avoided and reserve ut for what is ensured.
- Translates ne after a verb of fearing as a simple negative; render it as the feared outcome instead.
- Omits ut or ne non for the feared-not outcome; include the negative sense in your translation.
- Treats every prevention clause as ne with the subjunctive; accept quo minus or the infinitive where the verb allows.
- Renders a concessive clause as a causal clause with 'because'; use 'although' or 'even if' to preserve the concession
- Misses the force of tamen in the main clause; translate it as 'nevertheless' or 'yet' to show the contrast
- Assumes every concessive clause takes the subjunctive; check the conjunction, since quamquam normally takes the indicative
- Confuses etsi with a simple condition; etsi concedes a fact or supposition rather than setting a plain condition
- Treats the ablative of comparison as a subordinate clause; recognise that it is a noun phrase with no finite verb.
- Calls a verbless quam phrase a clause; require a finite verb before labelling it a subordinate clause.
- Ignores ac/atque as an alternative introduction after a comparative; check for these as well as quam.
- Misses the subjunctive in a reported comparison; check the mood of the clause verb.