General Tips for the Latin Regents Exam
Verbs
Tip #1: Be able to make the basic distinction between singular verb endings versus plural verb endings, as well
as passive endings versus active endings and know how they translate.
Verb Forms/Endings to Know:
Naturally, your ability to recognize these forms and endings is being tested and not your ability to reproduce
the forms and endings, so keep that in mind when you study them. The key is to be able to distinguish one form
or ending from the other and know how it translates.
Extra special: Know the verb "sum" in all its forms!!
1.Perfect Active
2.Pefect Passive
3.Perfect Passive Participles 4.Present Active Participle
5.Infinitives(present active, perfect active, future active; present passive) 6.Future Active Participle
7.Future Passive Participle/Gerundive and Gerunds 8.Pluperfect Active 9.Imperfect subjunctive 10.Pluperfect
subjunctive 11.Passive: -r,-ris,-tur, -mur, -mini, -ntur
Be able to recognize, know the meanings, and know the principal parts of the following irregular verbs:
possum,posse,potui--'be able(to)
eo,ire,ivi--"go"
volo,velle,volui "want (to)"
nolo,nolle,nolui "be unwilling (to)"
malo,malle,malui "prefer (to)"
Noun and Adjective things to know
Tip #1: Know all your case forms for Declensions 1-5 and know how they can translate.
1.Focus on knowing 3rd declension case forms particularly of the following popular 3rd declension nouns:
miles,militis m. 'soldier', consul,consulis m. 'consul', rex,regis m.'king', lux,lucis f. 'light',
mare,maris n. 'sea', corpus,corporis n. 'body' Caesar,Caesaris m. 'Caesar', Cicero,Ciceronis m. 'Cicero',
imperator, imperatoris m.'general', dux,ducis m. 'leader', mulier,mulieris f. 'woman',
uxor,uxoris f. 'wife'...
and their might be a few others that escape me at the moment, but these are the chief ones.
Also be familiar with some basic 3rd declension adjectives:
A1) three terminations (Third declension adjective that have separate nominative singular masculine,
feminine, and neuter forms)
acer acris acre - sharp/keen
alacer alacris alacre - brisk/eager
celeber celebris celebre - crowded/populus/famous
celer celeris celere - swift/fast
A2) two terminations (Third declension adjectives that have the same masculine and feminine forms, but
different neuter forms)
brevis breve - short
civilis civile - civic/civil
communis commune - common/shared by all/general
compluris complure - more than one/several/many/a number
crudelis crudele - cruel
difficilis difficile - difficult/hard
dulcis dulce - sweet
facilis facile - easy/easy to deal with/affable/good
fidelis fidele - faithful
fortis forte - brave/powerful/strong
grandis grande - large
gravis grave - heavy/severe/grievous/harsh/troublesome/important/serious/weighty
incolumis incolume - unharmed/safe
incredibilis incredibile - unbelievable
inlustris inlustre - bright/clear/manifest/famous/renowned
insignis insigne - distinguished
iuvenis iuvene - young
lenis lene - soft/gentle/mild
levis leve - light/nimble/light
mirabilis mirabile - marvellous/wonderful
omnis omne - all/every
perennis perenne - everlasting/perpetual/never failing
similis simile - like/similar
tristis triste - sad/saddening/bitter/mournful/gloomy/harsh/morose
turpis turpe - ugly/unsightly/base/disgraceful/shameful
utilis utile - useful/advantageous/profitable/expedient
viridis viride - green/blooming/fresh
virilis -is -e - man's/of manhood/manfully/manly
A3) one termination -(have the same nominative singular form for masculine feminine and neuter. The
nominative singular and genitive singular are given in the list below. Know that neuter nominative and
accusative singulars end in -ns and neuter nom. and accusative plurlas end in -ntia.
adulescens adulescentis - young man/ coming to maturity
amens amentis - mad
ardens ardentis - glowing/fiery/hot/ablaze
audax audacis - bold/daring
clemens clementis - gentle/mild/merciful
concors concordis - harmonious
constans constantis - stable/steadfast/consistent
felix felicis - fruitful/fortunate/lucky
inans inanis - empty/void/useless/vain
iners inertis - inactive/sluggish
infelix infelicis - unfruitful/unlucky
ingens ingentis - huge/mighty/wise
innocens innocentis - harmless/guiltless/innocent
memor memoris - mindful/remembering
mendax mendacis - lying/counterfeit/false
neglegens neglegentis - careless/neglectful
nocens nocentis - criminal/guilty
potens potentis - powerful/having power over [w gn]
prudens prudentis - discreet/sensible [w gn]/experienced in/practised in
recens recentis - fresh/new/recent
sagax sagacis - shrewd/sagacious/intellectually quick/acute/wise
sapiens sapientis - sensible/wise
simplex simplicis - simple/single/plain/uncompounded/unmixed
supplex supplic-is - kneeling/humbly begging/suppliant/entreating
uber uberis - abounding/rich/full/abundant/copious
velox velocis - speedy/swift
dives divitis - rich
pauper pauperis - poor/of moderate means
princeps principis - first
vetus veteris - old/of long standing
2.Know the basic rule that an adjective must agree with its noun in case, number, and gender.
3.VOCAB REVIEW. A good start is the list of Regents verbs on the Regents section of my teacher web page
and also the 300 most common words list I have given you. A quick run through or two of the vocabulary
words listed in this study section should be helpful as well.
4.Familiarize yourself with the following Ablative and Accusative grammatical usages:
Ablatives:
1.Absolute
2.Agent
3.Means
4.Prepositions
Accusatives:
1.Direct Object
2.Indirect Statement
3.Duration of Time and Space
4.Prepositions
5.Additionally, remember these basics:
Nominative= Subject and translates as 'word', 'the word', or 'a word'
Genitive=OF
Dative=Indirect Object and often translates as 'to/for word', or 'to/for a/the word'
Vocative=will often be paired with an imperative and accompanied by a '!', or will be in a question and paired
with a '?'. Will be same as nominative forms unless nominative singular ends in -us, in which case it becomes e. "Et tu, Brute?" or if it ends in -ius, in which case it will be -i. "Tu etiam, Publi?"
IN GENERAL
WHEN IN DOUBT MATCH THE MOST SIMILAR WORD WITH THE MOST SIMILAR WORD AND
DON'T FORGET TO USE PROCESS OF ELIMINATION!!!!!
Bona fortuna vobis omnibus!