GCSE Latin: Fearing Clauses

Fearing Clauses

A fearing clause follows the verb timeo (I am afraid) and is introduced by ne.

The old man ordered the soldiers to hand over the citizens.

In Latin this sentence would be:

senex militibus imperavit ut cives traderent.

Another way to translate the above sentence would be:

The old man ordered the soldiers that they should hand over the citizens.

This format is necessary when the indirect command contains a passive verb:

rex imperavit ut captivi necarentur.

The king gave orders that the prisoners should be killed.

An indirect command is introduced by ut and the verb is in the imperfect subjunctive.

An indirect command is preceded by one of the following verbs:

Table

rogo I ask
persuadeo I persuade
hortor I urge
impero I order
oro I beg
moneo I warn
invito I invite

Match

A negative indirect command uses ne.

frater me monuit ne in flumen inirem.

My brother warned me not to enter the river.

Note that the verb iubeo (I order) does not use an ut clause, but an infinitive verb.

femina maritum discedere iussit.

The woman told her husband to leave.

  1. te oravi ne eos vulnerares.
  2. eum rogavi ut per vias me sequeretur.
  3. rex principes invitavit ut ad regnum suum venirent.
  4. dux militibus imperavit ne in proelium intrarent.
  5. feminae monitae sunt ne domos suas relinquerent.
  6. nonne pueros monuisti ne prope mare irent?
  7. imperator suos hortatus erat ut in eodem loco manerent.
  8. te iussi illum pecuniam rogare.
  9. a liberis rogabamur ut libros sibi legeremus.
  10. senex nautas monuit ut per tempestatem ad insulam adveniendam navigarent.

rex undis imperavit ut regrederentur.

GCSE Latin Language →

The subjunctive can be translated with “would”, “might”, or “was”/”were”. Choose the best one in context.

A negative fear uses ne + non/nemo/nullus/etc.

e.g. pater timebat ne numquam redirem.

My father was afraid that I would never return.

timeo can also take an infinitive:

e.g. nos in villam intrare timebamus.

We were afraid to enter the house.

Or a noun:

e.g. canes timeo.

I am afraid of dogs.

Practice exercises

  1. Are you afraid of heights?

  2. I am afraid to cross the river.

  3. The Romans were afraid that the enemy would kill them.

  4. The merchants were afraid that the girls would not buy anything.

  5. The sailor was afraid that he would never see the sea.

  6. Her husband was afraid that she would discover his crimes.

Velite - Roman light infantryman

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