Overview

Indirect statements are reported statements:

The basic construction involves putting the reported subject into the accusative, and the reported verb into the infinitive, missing out the 'that'.

or in Latin:

They tend to follow verbs of thinking, perceiving, feeling etc., which can be termed 'VAN-verbs' (Verbs Above the Neck). Examples of verbs that will trigger an indirect statement construction include:

dico	say	respondeo	reply
intellego	understand	nego	deny
scio	know	constituo	decide
nescio	not know	nuntio	announce
puto	think	affirmo	assert
existimo	think, calculate	iuro	swear
spero	hope	cognosco	get to know
sentio	perceive, realise	promitto	promise
credo	believe	polliceor	promise

Notes

1. If there is more than one accusative in the reported statement, the first one is the subject accusative
   dixit dominum servum vituperare
   the master is cursing the slave, not the other way around.
2. If the reported statement concerns the same subject as the main verb, this is expressed using se
   mercator dixit eum multas ancillas emere
   the merchant is talking about someone else buying slave girls
   mercator dixit se multas ancillas emere
   the merchant is talking about buying slave girls himself
3. dico ... non is not an acceptable negative. Use nego instead.
4. This construction can stand as the subject of an impersonal verb, or of est with an abstract substantive or neuter adjective.
5. With verbs of hoping, promising, swearing or threatening it is usually necessary to use the future infinitive.
6. The accusative and infinitive construction can also be used after verbs such as iubeo, veto, patior, sino, volo, malo, nolo, cupio