Reported Commands: ut and ne

How It Works

Examples (5)

1. Marcus Iuliam rogat ut veniat.

   Marcus asks Iulia to come.

   Rogat is a verb of asking, so the command is reported with ut and the subjunctive veniat.

2. Moneo te ne curras.

   I warn you not to run.

   Ne with curras reports a negative command.

3. Magister pueris imperavit ut tacerent.

   The teacher ordered the boys to be quiet.

   Imperavit takes the dative pueris. Tacerent is the imperfect subjunctive after the past verb.

4. Orate, fratres, ut meum ac vestrum sacrificium acceptabile fiat apud Deum Patrem omnipotentem.

   Pray, brothers, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the almighty Father.

   The priest's invitation at Mass. Orate is a command, and the ut clause with fiat says what to pray for.

5. Rogabant ut transiret a finibus eorum.

   They begged him to leave their region.

   Matthew 8:34. Rogabant is a past verb, so the imperfect subjunctive transiret follows.

Common Mistakes

• Putting the person asked in the accusative after persuadeo.

  Persuasit Iuliam ut veniret.

  Persuasit Iuliae ut veniret.

  Persuadeo takes the dative for the person, here Iuliae. The ut clause says what she was persuaded to do.

How It Connects

Learn This First

A reported command uses ut or ne and the subjunctive.

• ut / ne (Purpose: So That, In Order To)So That, In Order to

  Know purpose ut and ne, because they start the reported command: rogat ut veniat.

  Level 5
• I Want You to Come

  Know ordering with the accusative and infinitive, because some verbs take either pattern.

  Level 4

Related Patterns

• Which Tense of the Subjunctive

  Why the verb is present or imperfect.

  Level 5
• Verbs That Take the Dative

  Persuadeo takes the dative.

  Level 4
• Reported Questions

  The other reported speech with the subjunctive.

  Level 5

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

• Long Reports (oratio obliqua)Level 6

Words in This Pattern