Latin Grammar: Verb Tenses and Sentence Structure
Latin Grammar and Verb Paradigms
Sentence Structure and Grammatical Concepts
Analyzing a Sentence (Example 1): "Your sons are good and give much (or many) to my daughters."
"Philly" (filī): Translates to "sons." In this sentence, it serves as the subject.
"sunt": This is the 3^{rd} person plural form of the verb "to be," meaning "they are." It is a linking verb.
"bony" (bonī): Translates to "good." It is an adjective.
Predicate Nominative (or Predicate Position): When a verb "to be" connects a subject (which is in the nominative case) to another noun or adjective (also in the nominative case), the latter is called a predicate nominative. In the example, "filī" (subject, nominative) and "bonī" (predicate nominative) are explanatory equivalents. Proximity, not necessarily being 'in between' the subject and verb, is key for this construction.
The Conjunction "and": Similar to English, "and" serves as a dividing line in a sentence, introducing a new clause that a different verb might govern without repeating previous subjects or verb forms.
Analyzing a Sentence (Example 2 - Second Half): "…and they give many things to my daughters."
Verb: "dant"
Principal Parts: dō, dare, dedī, datus (meaning "to give").
Ending "-nt": Indicates 3^{rd} person plural.
Translation: "they give."
Indirect Object: "fīliābus"
This is in the dative plural case, meaning "to the daughters" or "for the daughters." The context implies "to my daughters" (with an implied or understood possessive pronoun, though "meīs" appears later in the discussion as something that could go with it).
Direct Object: "multa"
This word means "many things" or "much."
Substantive: "multa" is an adjective (accusative neuter plural) acting as a noun, making it a substantive. It functions as the direct object of "dant."
Full Translated Sentence (combined from both halves): "Your sons are good, and they give many things to my daughters."
Latin Verb Paradigms: Future and Imperfect Tenses
General Information
These tenses are found on pages 40-41 for reading and 44 for exercises.
We will cover the future and imperfect active indicative for 1^{st} and 2^{nd} conjugation verbs.
Forming the Verb Stem
To find the stem of a verb (for most conjugations), you typically go to the second principal part (the infinitive, ending in -āre for 1^{st} conjugation or -ēre for 2^{nd} conjugation) and drop the -āre or -ēre ending.
Example for 1^{st} Conjugation: laudō, laudāre, laudāvī, laudātus (to praise)
ightarrow Stem: Laud-Example for 2^{nd} Conjugation: moneō, monēre, monuī, monitus (to advise/warn)
ightarrow Stem: Monē-
Future Tense (First Conjugation Endings)
Endings: Unlike familiar present tense endings (-m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt), the future tense for 1^{st} and 2^{nd} conjugations uses unique endings.
1^{st} Singular: -bō (with a long ō). This is the only personal form that uses -bō.
2^{nd} Singular to 2^{nd} Plural: -bis, -bit, -bimus, -bitis (with a long ī in these endings).
3^{rd} Plural: -bunt. The "u" here is playfully called a "cushion u" to aid pronunciation and avoid awkward sounds. It is not -bint.
Paradigm for laudō (to praise) in the Future Tense:
1^{st} S: laudābō (I shall praise)
2^{nd} S: laudābis (You will praise)
3^{rd} S: laudābit (He/She/It will praise)
1^{st} P: laudābimus (We will praise)
2^{nd} P: laudābitis (You all will praise)
3^{rd} P: laudābunt (They will praise)
Translation: Denotes future action. For example, "he/she/it will praise."
Imperfect Tense (First and Second Conjugation Endings)
"Sandwich" Ending: The characteristic element of the imperfect tense is the insertion of -bā- between the verb stem and the standard personal endings.
Personal Endings: The personal endings are the same as those for the linking verb "to be" in the present tense: -m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt.
Paradigm for moneō (to advise/warn) in the Imperfect Tense:
Principal Parts: moneō, monēre, monuī, monitus
Stem: Monē- (note the long ē)
1^{st} S: monēbam (I was advising)
2^{nd} S: monēbās (You were advising)
3^{rd} S: monēbat (He/She/It was advising)
1^{st} P: monēbāmus (We were advising)
2^{nd} P: monēbātis (You all were advising)
3^{rd} P: monēbant (They were advising)
Translation: Denotes a progressive past action. This means an action that was ongoing, repeated, or attempted in the past. Common translations include:
"was/were [verb]-ing" (e.g., "he was warning")
"kept [verb]-ing" (e.g., "he kept warning")
"used to [verb]" (e.g., "he used to warn")
"tried to [verb]" (e.g., "he tried to warn")
"was beginning to [verb]" (e.g., "he was beginning to warn")
For simplicity, "was" or "were" [verb]-ing is often preferred.
Practice and Examples (from Exeritationes, page 44)
1. "vocābat"
Verb: vocō, vocāre, vocāvī, vocātus (to call/summon)
Analysis: Imperfect tense, 3^{rd} person singular, active voice.
Translation: "He/She/It was calling" or "used to call."
2. "adiuvābimus"
Verb: adiuvō, adiuvāre, adiūvī, adiūtus (to help/assist)
Analysis: Future tense, 1^{st} person plural, active voice.
Translation: "We will help/assist."
3. "adiuvābit"
Verb: adiuvō, adiuvāre, adiūvī, adiūtus (to help/assist)
Analysis: Future tense, 3^{rd} person singular, active voice.
Translation: "He/She/It will help/assist."
Sentence Analysis: "perīcula bellī nōn parva sunt"
"perīcula": Translates to "dangers." It is a noun (nominative neuter plural) functioning as the subject of the sentence.
"bellī": Translates to "of war." It is a genitive singular noun (from bellum, bellī, meaning "war," which is neuter) modifying "perīcula."
"nōn": The adverb "not."
"parva": Translates to "small." It is an adjective that acts as a predicate nominative (nominative neuter plural) matching the subject "perīcula" in gender, case, and number.
"sunt": 3^{rd} person plural of "to be," meaning "are."
Translation: "The dangers of war are not small."
Vocabulary Review (Pages 42-43)
Verbs mentioned for further practice in the future and imperfect tenses:
quīnō (or similar, possibly cūrō)
colpō (or similar, possibly cōlō)
maneō