Latin GCSE grammar

Direct questions

A question for which the answer is YES or NO

Uses:

• ne (open)

• nonne (surely.. - expecting yes)

• Num (surely..not - expecting no)

 

Examples:

Audivistine? Do you hear?

Nonne audivisti? Surely you heard?

Num audivisti? Surely you didn’t hear?

Question words

• Quando = when

• Cur = why

• Ubi = where

• Quo = where to

• Unde = where from

• Quis = who

• Quid = what

• Quam = how

• Quantus a um = how big/how much

• Quot = how many

• Qualis e = what sort of

• Quomodo = how

Direct command

A direct command uses the imperative, often together with a vocative:

• Festina, serve! = Hurry slave!

A negative direct command uses noli (pl nolite) with the infinitive:

Noli audire! = Don’t listen!

Ablative absolute

An ablative absolute is a phrase usually made up of a noun and a participle, grammatically unconnected with the rest of the sentence:

Example:

Urbe capta, cives perterriti erant

After (or because) the city had been captured, the citizens were terrified

• The comma separates the two sentences indicating that it is an ablative absolute

Relative clauses

The relative pronoun

• Qui

• Quae

• Quod

Agrees with its antecedent (the noun it refers back to) in number and gender, but takes its case from the job it does in its own clause (which has an indicative verb):

Example:

Servus quem heri vidi iterum adest

The slave whom I saw yesterday is here again

Conditionals

Shape: If X, (then) Y

The word for if is ‘si’

Negative is ‘nisi’ (if…not or unless)

Simple conditionals have ordinary indicative verbs and translate naturally:

Si multos amicos habes, felix es

If you have many friends, you are fortunate

• Hidden future where Latin uses the future tense but it is translated as present

  Si audies, omnia intelleges

  If you listen, you will understand everything