Mod 2 Lesson 2

Question 1

Context clues for determining whether a verb is truly passive or deponent:

Answer 1

1. A passive verb cannot, by definition, have a direct object (since the action is being done to the subject). So any verb in a passive form that clearly has an accusative case direct object must be deponent.
2. Likewise, deponent verbs can’t have agents, because the nominative subject is doing the action. So any verb in a passive form with an ablative of agent (a/ab plus the ablative of a person who can choose to do the action) MUST be genuinely passive. Make sure to distinguish between ablative of agent (a/ab included) and ablative of instrument (no preposition). Ablative of instrument doesn’t prove anything as it is frequently used with both active and passive actions.