Chapter 14 Special Reported/Indirect Statements and Passives

HW ch. 14
14A 2,3,4,6,8,9 14B 3,4
Only eight sentences total because some are long.

Note: Use nego, negare for "say that...not", not dico and non.

When English says things like the following examples, in Latin the infinitives should be future, and you must state the accusative subject of the infinitive even when it is the same as the main verb's subject.

I hope to come. (I hope that I will come.) Spero me venturum esse.
You promised to leave. (You promised that you would leave.) Pollicitus es te discessurum esse.

In expressions like it is agreed (constat) or it is necessary (necesse est) the infinitive of the indirect/reported statement is technically the subject of the sentence.
Constat eum esse optimum. It is agreed that he is the best.
esse is the subject of constat--called a subject or subjective infinitive.

Although your book overestimates the need to avoid expressions like "it is said" in Latin, it is right to suggest that normal Latin often says things like the following:

Ei dicebantur esse fortes. They were said to be brave.
(instead of "It was said that they were brave.")
Credimur vincere. We are believed/thought to be winning.
(instead of "It is believed that we are winning.")

In your HW, you should thus use the appropriate personal passives instead of impersonal "it" forms like dicitur, creditur, etc.

However, note that those forms can still be used personally:
Personal passive: Marcus* creditur esse bonus.
Marcus is believed to be good.
*Marcus is the subject of creditur.
Impersonal passive (avoid this): Creditur Marcum* esse bonum. {NOT DESIRABLE LATIN
It is believed that Marcus is good.
*Marcum is the accusative subject of esse.

Your book is also right to note that the impersonal passives are the normal way to express these kinds of sentences with the two word passive forms:

Correct: Nuntiatum est nos vincere. It was announced that we were winning.
Incorrect: Nuntiati sumus vincere. {BAD LATIN
Correct: Creditum erat eum venturum esse. It had been thought that he would come.
Incorrect: Creditus erat venturus esse. {VERY BAD LATIN

Exception, you may use videor (seem) in the personal passive even for two word passives.

Visi sumus vincere. We seemed to be winning.
Visi erant evanescere. They had seemed to vanish.