Core elements of a Latin sentence.
Differences between Latin and English sentence structure
Subject – Object – Verb are the basic elements of a sentence in Latin and English. These elements are expressed by the order of words in an English sentence; but by the endings of words in a Latin sentence.
Key vocabulary
transitive verb (IV); VERBS THAT TAKE DIRECT OBJECTS
intransitive verb (TV): VERBS THAT DO NOT TAKE DIRECT
OBJECTS; but they may take a complement if they are linking verbs like sum, es, est, sumus, estis, sunt.
linking verbs (LV) these verbs link the subject to a
description and the description is in the subject case (nominative). They
“agree” in number and gender with the subject.
Cornelia
puella Romana est. (puella Romana is
the complement)
Sextus
pestis est. (pestis is the
complement)
Laeta
sum. (Laeta is the complement)
intransitive verbs with
prepositional phrases:
S prepositional phrase IV
Sextus ex
arbore cadit.
direct object: nouns that name the person or thing that receives the action of a transitive verb
- Sextus Corneliam vexat = Corneliam Sextus vexat.
- Vocem Cornelia audit. = Cornelia vocem audit.
In Latin,
it is the ENDINGS of the words that show their function in sentences, while in English it is largely the order in
which words come in sentences that shows their function. A typical English sentence will have this
order subject-verb-direct object.
S
V DO
The boy hits the ball.
pila, pilae f. = ball
puer, pueri m = boy
icio, icere, ici, ictus = hit; icit= he hits
In Latin sentences the word order does not convey the sense of a
sentence. The ENDINGS do.
DO S TV
S DO TV
TV DO S
Pilam puer icit
= Puer pilam icit = Icit pilam
puer
In Latin you have to retrain your brain NOT to pay
attention to the order of words in a sentence but to the endings of the words
in a sentence. Usually you cannot decipher the meaning of a sentence until the
VERY LAST WORD. It is important to learn
this early because as you go on in Latin sentences just get longer and longer.
Retraining your brain through Latin supports your
ability to think “outside the box” AND to learn other languages.
Learn these abbreviations so you can identify the
parts of a Latin sentence”
S= subject
V= Verb
IV=intransitive verb
TV = transitive verb
C = complement
PP = Prepositional phrase
DO = direct object
Write in your notebooks some English sentences with direct
objects, transitive verbs, intransitive verbs and
complements.
Now let's identify the core elements of the sentences in the Story "Mischief Maker." Take out your copy of Story 4.
Now let's identify the core elements of the sentences in the Story "Mischief Maker." Take out your copy of Story 4.
