Grammar 35 | Questions and Indirect Speech

Question 1

question types

Answer 1

1. using οὐ (and variants): expects a positive response
   (e. g. οὐχι συ εἶ ὁ Χριστος; - Are you not the Messiah?)
2. using μη (and variants): expects a negative response
   (e. g. μητι ἐγω; - Surely not I?)

Question 2

time expressions

Answer 2

1. accusative: duration
   (e. g. ἠν ἡμερας τρεις τυφλος - he was blind for three days)
2. genitive: period
   (e. g. ἐδιδασκεν της ἡμερας - he was teaching during the day)
3. dative: point in time
   (e. g. ἐθεραπευεν ἐν τῳ σαββατῳ - he was healing on the Sabbath)

Question 3

ways of expressing direct speech

Answer 3

1. using · + capital letter
   (e. g. λεγει· Ἀγαθος ὁ θεος. - He says, “God is good.”)
2. using ὁτι + capital letter
   (e. g. λεγει ὁτι Ἀγαθος ὁ θεος. - He says, “God is good.”)
3. using participle of λεγω + · + capital letter
   (e. g. ἐδιδασκεν λεγων· Ἀγαθος ὁ θεος. - He was teaching, saying, “God is good.”)
4. using participle of λεγω + ὁτι + capital letter
   (e. g. ἐδιδασκεν λεγων ὁτι Ἀγαθος ὁ Θεος. - He was teaching, saying, “God is good.”)

Question 4

ways of expressing indirect speech

Answer 4

1. using ὁτι + small letter
   (e. g. λεγει ὁτι ἀγαθος ὁ θοες. - He says that God is good.)

Question 5

rules for indirect speech and tenses

Answer 5

1. main sentence in present/future tense -> reported speech tense in English matches Greek
   (e. g. λεγει ὁτι ὁ Ἰησους κηρυσσει. - He says that Jesus is preaching.)
2. main sentence in past tense -> reported speech tense in English puts Greek tense one step into the past
   (e. g. ἐλεγεν ὁτι ὁ Ἰησους κηρυσσει. - He was saying that Jesus was preaching.)
   (e. g. ἐλεγεν ὁτι ὁ Ἰησους ἐκηρυχεν. - He was saying that Jesus had been preaching.)