I need grammar practice!

[Lysandra]

Saluete omnes!

Would one of you be willing to give me some practice Latin sentences like you are doing for Seamus? I have my Latin exam in two weeks and really need to brush up on my grammar. To give some context, I finished Jones and Sidwell’s Reading Latin textbook last semester. In class this semester, we’ve read Cicero’s De Amicitia, several of Horace’s Epistles, some of Martial’s epigrams, and some Catullus. As far as I know, the grammar section of the exam will have a passage from one of these texts and will ask questions like “what mood/tense is the underlined verb (and why)”, etc. It would great if someone could provide some practice sentences/grammar questions and correct me!

Gratias vobis ago!

 

[Pacifica]

All right.

Your level seems quite a bit higher than that of Seamus, but still, as I don't know exactly what you know and what you don't, I'll experiment a bit to see what you do and what you don't, so you'll forgive me if I introduce things you haven't learned. Just let me know if it's the case.

The soldier led his horse to the river for him to drink.

 

[Lysandra]

Well, I think I would use a purpose clause.

Miles equum suum riuo duxit ut biberit.

But maybe I should use ad + accusative of motion?

 

[Pacifica]

Yes, you would use a purpose clause, but the tense of biberit is wrong. What tense of the subjunctive is generally used in purpose clauses depending on past-tense verbs?

Rivo is also wrong. The dative is used for "to..." when it introduces an indirect object, not when it's about a spatial movement.

 

[Pacifica]

But maybe I should use ad + accusative of motion?

Yes.

 

[Lysandra]

Should I use an imperfect subjunctive in the purpose clause?

Miles equum suum ad riuum duxit ut biberet.

 

[Pacifica]

Yes, that's correct.

I'll go into the forest to look for my dog, who's gone missing.

 

[Lysandra]

In siluam inuenire meum canem, qui amissus est, ibo.

Should I try to do the translations without looking at anything? I knew the vocabulary, but I had to check the conjugation table on Wiktionary for 'bibo' in the first sentence.

 

[Pacifica]

In siluam inuenire meum canem, qui amissus est, ibo.

This would be correct in some styles of Latin, but not in classical. In classical Latin, infinitives usually aren't used to express purpose.

Should I try to do the translations without looking at anything? I knew the vocabulary, but I had to check the conjugation table on Wiktionary for 'bibo' in the first sentence.

For vocabulary, you can definitely use dictionaries. For grammar, I don't know. It's best if you try not to use any tables etc., but if you really can't do otherwise, do it, I guess, and perhaps just let me know when you do.

 

[Pacifica]

Oh, also: invenire means "to find" rather than "to look for". Find a more exact verb.

 

[Lysandra]

Okay, I won't look at the conjugation tables (I won't be able to in the exam, anyway ). Here's my attempt at the sentence using a purpose clause. According to my dictionary, "to look (around) for" is "circumspicere". I'm fairly sure the subjunctive I used is wrong...

In siluam ibo ut meam canem, qui amissus est, circumspiceam.

 

[Pacifica]

Meam: gender

Circumspiceam: the form is circumspiciam.

 

[Lysandra]

Thanks! I meant to write 'meum' (I did in my first attempt).

 

[Dantius]

OK, here's a sentence to answer a question on: I'm not sure what level you're at but since you read De Amicitia I think you might be able to get this.

Quis tota Italia veneficus, quis gladiator, quis latro, quis sicarius, quis parricida, quis testamentorum subiector, quis circumscriptor, quis ganeo, quis nepos, quis adulter, quae mulier infamis, quis corruptor iuventutis, quis corruptus, quis perditus inveniri potest, qui se cum Catilina non familiarissime vixisse fateatur?

(from Cicero, In Catilinam)

Parse the bolded form and explain why it is the way it is.

(If you need I can give you the dictionary entry)

 

[Lysandra]

Thanks! I'll give your question a try first thing tomorrow. It's getting late here, and I should go to sleep.

 

[Lysandra]

Ok, I'm back! Yes, it would be great if you gave me the dictionary entry for "fateatur".

 

[Pacifica]

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0059:entry=fateor

 

[Lysandra]

So it's deponent...therefore I think "fateatur" is a 3rd person singular present active subjunctive. I think it is subjunctive because it is the main verb in a generic relative clause.

 

[Pacifica]

Correct.

 

[Pacifica]

As Marcus was asking me how our mother was doing, I replied that she would be doing better if she saw him more often.