Grammar points

Question 1

Which mood does a ‘cum temporal’ clause use?

Answer 1

indicative

Translate cum as ‘when’

The cum temporal clause stresses the time when the main clause is true; therefore, the focus of a listener or reader is on the time (to establish a sequence of events) rather than the main clause.

cum advenit, laeti eramus

when he arrived, we were happy.

Question 2

Which mood does a ‘cum causal’ clause use?

Answer 2

subjunctive

Translate cum as ‘because/since’

This construction communicates the reason that a main clause is true. These clauses exist only where there is a clear situation of cause and effect.

Example:

cum neque cibum neque aquam haberent, aegerrimi erant

because they had neither food nor water, they were sick

Question 3

Which mood does a ‘cum circumstantial’ clause use?

Answer 3

subjunctive

Translate cum as ‘when’

This construction stresses the circumstances under which the main clause is true. The focus of the cum clause is “downplayed” and the reader/listener, seeing/hearing the subjunctive verb sees the main clause as the important information rather than the circumstances.

Example:

cum casae appropinquavissem, dominum vidi

when I approached the house, I saw the master

Question 4

partitive genitive

Answer 4

This is the use of the genitive seen in phrases like “some of us, those of you.” It shows the group
to which a certain sub-group belongs.

It follows

• superlatives, as in “the best of them”
• numbers over 2000, as in “5000 of the soldiers”
• Certain words that designate partition such as pars militum “part of the soldiers”.
• Also plus, minus, multum, nihil, tantum, quantum and aliquid.

Note the idiomatic use of the genitive here
with words like nihil (“nothing”). That is, Latin says nihil boni (lit. “nothing of good”), where
English prefers “nothing good.” Likewise, Latin says multum pecuniae (“much of money”),
where we would say “much money,” and aliquid temporis (“something of time”) as opposed to
the more natural English “some time.”

But the Romans also leaned the other direction sometimes. For instance, the Latin
equivalents of some English words which call for partitive genitives demanded other sorts of
constructions. For example, all numbers up to two thousand in Latin, as well as the pronoun
quidam (meaning “certain”), are followed by ex or de plus the ablative: to wit, sex de civibus
(meaning “six of ─ literally, from ─ the citizens”), or quidam ex eis (meaning “certain of ─
literally, from ─ them”).

Question 5

The partitive genitive is often used with numerals in Latin, but only those numbering… how many?

Answer 5

two thousand or more.

e.g. ‘three thousand of us’

Question 6

There are certain adjectives which take the genitive case to complete their meaning. They are adjectives denoting…?

Answer 6

They are adjectives denoting desire, knowledge, memory, power, sharing, guilt, fullness and their opposites.

eg.

avidus glorie = eager for glory

Metellum morae accusavit = he accused Metellus of delay

Question 7

There are three types of ut clause. These are…

Answer 7

Purpose
Result
Indirect Command

The expression of purpose, result, and indirect command are distinct:

He died in order that we might live. (Purpose)

It rained so hard that my basement was flooded. (Result)

I requested that he go. (Indirect command).

For each of these constructions, Latin uses a subordinate clause introduced by ut with
the verb of the subordinate clause in the subjunctive mood.

Question 8

Gerund + causa expresses…?

And the gerund takes which case?

Answer 8

Gerund with causa expresses purpose.

In this situation the gerund takes the genitive case.

e.g.
Legendi causa venit = He comes for the sake of reading i.e. to read.

Question 9

comparative + quam ut/quam qui

Answer 9

A clause of result or characteristic with quam ut, quam quī (rarely with quam alone), may be used after comparatives.

Canachī sīgna rigidiōra sunt quam ut imitentur vēritātem. (Brut. 70)
The statues of Canachus are too stiff to represent nature.

Mâiōrēs arborēs caedēbant quam quās ferre mīles posset. (Liv. 33.5)
They cut trees too large for a soldier to carry.

Question 10

ad + gerund/gerundive in the accusative

Answer 10

The accusative of the gerund and gerundive is used after the preposition ad, to denote purpose (cf. § 533).

Mē vocās ad scrībendum. (Or. 34)
You summon me to write.

Vīvis nōn ad dēpōnendam sed ad cōnfīrmandam audāciam. (Cat. 1.4)
You live not to put off but to confirm your daring.

nactus aditūs ad ea cōnanda (B. C. 1.31)
having found means to undertake these things

NB. Other prepositions appear in this construction; inter and ob a few times, circā, in, ante, and a few others very rarely.

inter agendum
while driving