Latin 3: Overview of the Year
Grammar
NB: I. –III. Mostly concern the subjunctive. IV. and V. concern verbs in general. Thus,
this year you will be working on verbs (again!), but mostly verbs in the subjunctive,
which is something new.
I.
Subordinate Clauses
A. Take the subjunctive (this is a new “mood”; all verbs before this have
been in the “indicative mood.”
1. Purpose Clauses
MV + ut (negative is “ne”) + subjunctive
*Translation of ut + subjunctive = “to,” “in order to”
2. Indirect Commands
MV (p i r o) +ut + subjunctive
P = persuadeo (+dat)
I = impero (+dat)
R= rogo
O=oro
Also: hortor (“urge”)
*Translation of ut + subjunctive = “to”
3. Indirect Questions:
MV + question word + subjunctive
Question words cur, quis, quid, quomodo, unde, quot, quando,
quantum, qualis, ubi, num, utrum . . .an
*Translation of subjunctive: as a regular English indicative,
according to the subjunctive tense (blue on chart)
4. Result Clauses
MV + tam tanta tot totiens ita adeo + ut (“ut non” negative) +
subjunctive
*Translation of ut + subjunctive = “that” + regular indicative (blue
on chart)
5. Clauses of Fearing
Vereor
Timeo + ne + subjunctive
Metuo
(“ne non” for negative)
*Translation of ne + subjunctive = “lest/that + may (primary
sequence); might/would (secondary sequence)
NB: Sequence of Tenses applies to all of the above clauses:
MV
Primary
Present subjunctive
Perfect subjunctive
MV
Secondary
Imperfect subjunctive
Pluperfect subjunctive
However, sometimes a result clause in secondary sequence might
use the perfect subjunctive to emphasize the result.
B. Clauses that may take the subjunctive or the indicative
1. Cum Clauses: translate the cum “when, since.” Translate the
subjunctives as regular English indicatives. (blue on
subjunctive chart)
a. Translate the cum “whenever” if a pluperfect indicative is
used
b. translate the cum“although” if there is a “tamen”
(nevertheless) in the main clause
2. Dum (or Donec) Clauses: translate the dum “while, until”.
Translate the subjunctives as “should, could”
NB: a present indicative will translate as a past indicative if the
main verb is past.
Other conjunctions are like dum, in that you need to translate the
subjunctive as an English subjunctive.
C. Conditions: see separate handout for translations of the subjunctive
and indicative.
D. Indirect Statement=Accusative and Infinitive Construction
After a main verb of saying/thinking/believing, etc. , that is, a verb
which introduces “that” in English, Latin uses the accusative and
infinitive construction. The accusative is subject of the infinitive:
She said that Caesar was king= Ea dixit Caesarem esse regem.
Notice that the tense of the main verb determines the translation of
the tense of the infinitive. See separate handout for specifics.
II.
Independent Subjunctives
1.***You may translate the present subjunctive as: “let” (a form of command)
2.For all others, try: might, could, would. In this way you are translating the
subjunctives as expressing potential.
NB: if imperfect subjunctive, use might have, could have, would have.
NB: “might” cannot be negated in English
3.If you see a “ne” or an “utinam” you cannot translate as potential.
Try: Present: I wish … would
Imperfect: I wish…were
Pluperfect: I wish …had (this is the only usage of the pluperfect subjunctive as
an independent subjunctive)
III.
Variations: Deponent Verbs: The Passive forms (both indicative and
subjunctive) are translated actively!
IV.
More Participles: Gerunds and Gerundives; the Passive Periphrastic
V.
Impersonal Constructions: the verbs translate with an “it” as subject rather
than a person.