32.5 An INDIRECT STATEMENT (sometimes called INDIRECT DISCOURSE) is a subordinate clause that is introduced by a verb of mental action, such as saying, thinking, and perceiving. In this construction, the direct statement – e.g. “the child is here” – is expressed indirectly in sentences such as “I believe that the child is here,” or “He says that the child is here.” English has two main ways to express indirect statements.
- A subordinate clause introduced by that
- An infinitive phrase
The construction used depends upon the verb of mental activity– saying, thinking, perceiving – that introduces the indirect statement.
For example, the verbs say and think are usually followed by a SUBORDINATE CLAUSE introduced by that.
- He said that she wanted to free his horses.
- We think that we’ll be able to see you all.
32.6 Other mental action verbs, such as order, beg, remind, and advise, take an INFINITIVE PHRASE in English. These infinitive phrases consists of 1). An infinitive; 2). The subject or agent of the infinitive; and 3). Any other words or phrases that modify the action of the infinitive phrase, such as the direct object of a transitive infinitive or a prepositional phrase.
- I begged her to free my horses.
- I order you to free my horses.
- I am reminding you to go.
- I advised the rulers to make peace in this land.
32.7 Notice that the entire INFINITIVE PHRASE functions essentially as the DIRECT OBJECT of these verbs of mental action: I order this, namely, you to free my horses. In some ways, just as COMPLEMENTARY INFINITIVES complement certain verbs, we can think of these INFINITIVE PHRASES as complementing certain mental verbs (S 1981, G 570d).
Note also that the infinitive phrase itself often has two DIRECT OBJECTS. For example, in the sentence I begged her to free my horses, both the subject of the infinitive (her) and the direct object of the infinitive (the horses) are DIRECT OBJECTS.