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Cheat sheet
Latin Level 3: constructions: cheat sheet
The summary, key terms and the trap to avoid for every lesson, in order. Print it, or read it, cover it, and say it back.
- Indicative = fact; subjunctive = idea (wish, purpose, possibility).
- Present subjunctive: -ē- in conjugation 1, -ā- in 2, 3 and 4.
- sum: sim, sīs, sit, sīmus, sītis, sint.
- In a main clause: a wish (fortis sit) or "let us" (proficīscāmur).
- subjunctive
- the mood for ideas: wishes, purposes, possibilities
- indicative
- the mood for facts
- mood sign
- -ē- (1st conjugation) or -ā- (others) in the present subjunctive
- sim, sīs, sit
- present subjunctive of sum
- statim
- at once
Watch out: Reading regam or audiam as future. In the first person singular of the third and fourth conjugations, the future and the present subjunctive look the same (regam, audiam). The other persons differ: future regēs, reget; subjunctive regās, regat. Let the sentence decide.
- Purpose: ut / nē / quī / quō + subjunctive.
- nē for negative purpose, never ut nōn.
- quō when the clause has a comparative.
- Latin prose never shows purpose with the infinitive.
- ut (+ subjunctive)
- in order that, so that
- nē (+ subjunctive)
- so that … not, lest
- quī (purpose)
- a relative clause of purpose: men to find
- quō (+ comparative)
- so that … the more
- purpose clause
- says why the main action is done
Watch out: Using ut nōn for a negative purpose: wrong: ut nōn capiantur. A negative purpose takes nē: nē capiantur, so that they may not be captured.
- Imperfect subjunctive = present infinitive + -m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt.
- sum: essem, essēs, esset …
- Primary main verb → present subjunctive; secondary → imperfect.
- imperfect subjunctive
- present infinitive + endings: amārem
- essem, essēs, esset
- imperfect subjunctive of sum
- primary tenses
- present, future, future perfect
- secondary tenses
- imperfect, perfect, pluperfect
- sequence of tenses
- primary goes with primary, secondary with secondary
Watch out: Keeping the present subjunctive after a past main verb: wrong: Mīsit ut vāstent. A secondary (past) main verb takes a secondary subjunctive: vāstārent.
- Perfect subjunctive: perfect stem + -erim; pluperfect: + -issem.
- Passive: participle + sim / essem.
- Order, urge, ask, persuade, advise: ut / nē + subjunctive.
- iubeō: accusative + infinitive; imperō, persuādeō: dative + ut.
- perfect subjunctive
- amāverim, amāveris …
- pluperfect subjunctive
- amāvissem, amāvissēs …
- indirect command
- ut / nē + subjunctive after ordering, urging, asking
- imperō, imperāre (+ dat.)
- order, command
- persuādeō, persuādēre (+ dat.)
- persuade
- rogō, rogāre
- ask
- pugnō, pugnāre
- fight
- discēdō, discēdere, discessī
- leave, go away
Watch out: Giving iubeō an ut clause, or imperō an infinitive. Iubeō + accusative + infinitive; imperō + dative + ut / nē + subjunctive.
- possum subjunctive: possim; possem; potuerim; potuissem.
- After fearing: nē = that / lest; ut (or nē nōn) = that … not.
- Sequence of tenses applies.
- possim, possīs, possit
- present subjunctive of possum
- timeō, timēre, timuī
- fear
- vereor, verērī, veritus sum
- fear
- nē (after fearing)
- that, lest
- ut (after fearing)
- that … not
Watch out: Translating nē as "not" after a verb of fearing: wrong: I fear that he will not come for Timeō nē veniat. After fearing, nē = that, and ut = that not.
- Present active -ns; future active -ūrus; perfect passive -us; gerundive -ndus.
- Present = same time; perfect = before; future = after.
- Deponents: perfect participle active in meaning.
- Translate with a clause: when, since, after, although, who.
- present participle
- -ns, -ntis: at the same time
- perfect participle
- -tus, -sus: before (passive)
- future participle
- -tūrus: about to
- gerundive
- -ndus: to be …ed
- currō, currere, cucurrī
- run
- morātus
- having delayed (moror, deponent)
Watch out: Translating every participle word for word with "-ing" or "having been": "the soldiers, having been conquered, did not turn their backs" is stiff English. Pick the clause that fits: when, since, after, although, who.
- volō, vīs, vult; nōlō, nōn vīs, nōn vult; mālō, māvīs, māvult.
- nōlī / nōlīte + infinitive: don't.
- Ablative absolute: noun + participle in the ablative, separate from the main clause.
- Translate as when, after, since, although, if.
- volō, velle, voluī
- wish, want
- nōlō, nōlle, nōluī
- be unwilling, not want
- mālō, mālle, māluī
- prefer
- nōlī, nōlīte + infinitive
- don't …
- ablative absolute
- noun + participle in the ablative, setting the scene
- dux, ducis, m.
- leader
- pugnō, pugnāre
- fight
- discēdō, discēdere, discessī
- leave, go away
Watch out: Putting the subject in the ablative absolute: wrong: Mīlitibus victīs fūgērunt for "the soldiers, beaten, fled". The beaten soldiers are the subject, so: Mīlitēs victī fūgērunt.
- fīō, fierī, factus sum: passive of faciō; fit has a short i.
- Result: ut / ut nōn + subjunctive, often after tam, ita, sīc, tantus.
- Purpose negative nē; result negative ut nōn.
- Translate results as facts.
- fīō, fierī, factus sum
- be made, become, happen
- result clause
- ut / ut nōn + subjunctive: so that, with the result that
- tam
- so (with adjectives and adverbs)
- ita
- so, in such a way (usually with verbs)
- tantus, -a, -um
- so great
Watch out: Translating a result clause with "might" or "in order that": wrong: so brave that the enemy might flee. A result is a fact: so brave that the enemy fled.
- Relative + indicative: fact. Relative + subjunctive: description (characteristic).
- is quī, nēmō est quī, sunt quī, nihil … quod + subjunctive.
- Making, choosing, calling: two accusatives; passive: two nominatives.
- clause of characteristic
- relative clause + subjunctive: what kind of
- is quī + subjunctive
- the kind of person to …
- sunt quī + subjunctive
- there are some who …
- predicate accusative
- second accusative after make, choose, call
- creō, creāre
- choose, elect
- appellō, appellāre
- call, name
- cōnsul, cōnsulis, m.
- consul
Watch out: Reading every subjunctive relative clause as purpose. After is, nēmō, quis, sunt, erant, a subjunctive relative usually describes: the kind of person who. Purpose relatives follow verbs of sending or choosing (mīsit quī …).
- cum = when (indicative if it only dates; subjunctive if it describes), since, although (subjunctive).
- tamen in the main clause → although.
- cum + ablative noun = with.
- Ablative of specification: in what respect.
- cum (conjunction)
- when, since, although
- cum (preposition)
- with (+ ablative)
- tamen
- yet, nevertheless
- ablative of specification
- in what respect: corpore, in body
- virtūs, virtūtis, f.
- courage
Watch out: Confusing the conjunction with the preposition. cum + ablative noun = with (cum mīlitibus). cum + a clause with a verb = when / since / although.
- Gerund: -ndī, -ndō, -ndum, -ndō; a noun.
- Gerundive: -ndus, -a, -um; agrees with a noun; preferred with an object.
- Purpose: ad + acc. or gen. + causā.
- Predicate genitive: equus est Galbae.
- gerund
- verbal noun: -ndī, -ndō, -ndum, -ndō
- gerundive
- verbal adjective -ndus, agreeing with a noun
- causā (after a genitive)
- for the sake of
- ad + gerund/gerundive
- to, for the purpose of
- predicate genitive
- equus est Galbae: the horse is Galba's
- placeō, placēre (+ dat.)
- please
Watch out: Keeping gerund + object after ad: wrong: ad videndum urbem. With an object, use the gerundive in agreement: ad urbem videndam.
- eō: eō, īs, it, īmus, ītis, eunt; īre.
- Indirect statement: accusative subject + infinitive; no word for "that".
- Present inf. = same time; perfect = earlier; future = later.
- sē refers back to the speaker.
- eō, īre, iī, itum
- go
- redeō, redīre
- return
- indirect statement
- accusative + infinitive after saying or thinking
- dīcō, dīcere, dīxī
- say
- negō, negāre
- say … not, deny
- putō, putāre
- think
- sciō, scīre
- know
- vincō, vincere, vīcī, victus
- conquer, win
- nūntiō, nūntiāre
- announce
Watch out: Changing the infinitive's tense after a past verb, as English does. Dīxit eum venīre uses the present infinitive for "he said he was coming" (same time). Only use the perfect infinitive for something earlier: dīxit eum vēnisse, he said he had come.
- ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus: fert, ferunt; irregular in the present.
- Compounds with ad, in, prae, inter … often take the dative.
- Indirect question: question word + subjunctive, sequence of tenses.
- Yes-or-no → num, whether.
- ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus
- bear, carry
- referō, referre, rettulī, relātus
- bring back; report
- īnferō (+ dat.)
- bring against; bellum īnferre, make war on
- indirect question
- question word + subjunctive after asking or knowing
- rogō, rogāre
- ask
- num (indirect)
- whether
- cūr
- why
Watch out: Using the indicative in an indirect question: wrong: Rogāvit quis vēnit. After a verb of asking or knowing, the question's verb is subjunctive: Rogāvit quis vēnisset.
- Dative of purpose, often with a dative of the person: magnō impedīmentō Gallīs.
- Description: genitive for measurements, ablative for physical features, either for other qualities; always with an adjective.
- Know the jobs of each case and each subjunctive use; name constructions by what they do.
- dative of purpose
- what something serves as: praesidiō, as a guard
- double dative
- purpose + person affected: impedīmentō Gallīs
- genitive of description
- measurements: fossa decem pedum
- ablative of description
- physical features: magnīs pedibus
- praesidium, -ī, n.
- guard, garrison
- impedīmentum, -ī, n.
- hindrance
- perterreō, perterrēre, perterruī, perterritus
- terrify
- maneō, manēre, mānsī
- stay, remain
Watch out: Naming a construction by its look, not its job. Ut can be purpose, result or indirect command; cum can be "with", "when", "since" or "although"; an ablative can be cause, means or time. Ask what the word does in the sentence.