Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar for Schools and Colleges
J. B. Greenough, G. L. Kittredge, A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, Ed.

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THE SENTENCE

Kinds of Sentences

[*] 269. A Sentence is a form of words which contains a Statement, a Question, an Exclamation, or a Command.

[*] a. A sentence in the form of a Statement is called a Declarative Sentence: as,— canis currit , the dog runs.

[*] b. A sentence in the form of a Question is called an Interrogative Sentence: as,— canisne currit ? does the dog run?

[*] c. A sentence in the form of an Exclamation is called an Exclamatory Sentence: as,— quam celeriter currit canis! how fast the dog runs!

[*] d. A sentence in the form of a Command, an Exhortation, or an Entreaty is called an Imperative Sentence: as,—ī, curre per Alpīs , go, run across the Alps; currat canis , let the dog run.

Subject and Predicate

The Subject of a sentence is the person or thing spoken of. The Predicate is that which is said of the Subject.

Thus in canis currit , the dog runs , canis is the subject, and currit the predicate.

1. equitēsadCaesaremvēnērunt , the cavalry came to Cæsar.
2. hūmānumesterrāre , to err is human.
3. quaeriturnummorsmalumsit . the question is whether death is an evil.

[*] a. But in Latin the subject is often implied in the termination of the verb:—

[*] 272. The Predicate of a sentence may be a Verb (as in canis currit , the dog runs ), or it may consist of some form of sum and a Noun or Adjective which describes or defines the subject (as in Caesar cōnsul erat , Cæsar was consul ).

Such a noun or adjective is called a Predicate Noun or Adjective, and the verb sum is called the Copula (i.e. the connective).

Thus in the example given, Caesar is the subject, cōnsul the predicate noun, and erat the copula (see § 283).

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

1. A Transitive Verb has or requires a direct object to complete its sense (see § 274): as,— frātremcecīdit , he slew his brother.
2. An Intransitive Verb admits of no direct object to complete its sense:—

Object

[*] 274. The person or thing immediately affected by the action of a verb is called the Direct Object.

A person or thing indirectly affected by the action of a verb is called the Indirect Object.

1. patervocatfilium (direct object), the father calls his son.
2. mihi (ind. obj.) agrum (dir. obj.) ostendit , he showed me a field.
3. mihi (ind. obj.) placet , it is pleasing to me.

[*] Note.-- The distinction between transitive and intransitive verbs is not a fixed dis tinction, for most transitive verbs may be used intransitively, and many verbs usually intransitive may take a direct object and so become transitive (§ 388. a).

1. hominemvideō , I see the man (Accusative).
2. hominīserviō , I serve the man (Dative, see § 367).
3. hominismisereor , I pity the man (Genitive, see § 354. a).
4. homineamīcōūtor , I treat the man as a friend (Ablative, see § 410).

1. petit aprum , he aims at the boar.
2. laudemaffectat , he strives after praise.
3. cūratvalētūdinem , he takes care of his health.
4. meumcāsumdoluērunt , they grieved at my misfortune.
5. “ rīdetnostramāmentiam ” (Quinct. 55) , he laughs at our stupidity.

1. Active:paterfīliumvocat , the father calls his son.
2. Passive:fīliusāpatrevocātur , the son is called by his father.
3. Active:lūnametstellāsvidēmus , we see the moon and the stars.
4. Passive:lūnaetstellaevidentur , the moon and stars are seen (appear).

Modification

[*] 276. A Subject or a Predicate may be modified by a single word, or by a group of words (a phrase or a clause).

The modifying word or group of words may itself be modified in the same way.

[*] a. A single modifying word may be an adjective, an adverb, an appositive (§ 282), or the oblique case of a noun.

Thus in the sentence vir fortis patienter fert , a brave man endures patiently , the adjective fortis , brave , modifies the subject vir , man , and the adverb patienter , patiently , modifies the predicate fert , endures.

[*] b. The modifying word is in some cases said to limit the word to which it belongs.

Thus in the sentence puerī patrem videō , I see the boy's father , the genitive puerī limits patrem (by excluding any other father).

[*] 277. A Phrase is a group of words, without subject or predicate of its own, which may be used as an Adjective or an Adverb.

Thus in the sentence vir fuit summā nōbilitāte , he was a man of the highest nobility , the words summā nōbilitāte , of the highest nobility , are used for the adjective nōbilis , noble (or nōbilissimus , very noble ), and are called an Adjective Phrase.

So in the sentence māgnā celeritāte vēnit , he came with great speed , the words māgnā celeritāte , with great speed , are used for the adverb celeriter , quickly (or celerrimē , very quickly ), and are called an Adverbial Phrase.

Clauses and Sentences

1. A sentence containing a single statement is called a Simple Sentence.
2. A sentence containing more than one statement is called a Compound Sentence, and each single statement in it is called a Clause.

1. dīvide etimperā , divide and control. But,—
2. vēnī , vīdī , vīcī , I came , I saw , I conquered.

[*] b. If one statement modifies another in any way, the modifying clause is said to be Subordinate, and the clause modified is called the Main Clause.

1. ōderintdummetuant , let them hate so long as they fear.
2. servummīsitquemsēcumhabēbat , he sent the slave whom he had with him.

A sentence containing one or more subordinate clauses is sometimes called Complex.

[*] Note.-- A subordinate clause may itself be modified by other subordinate clauses.

[*] 279. Subordinate Clauses are of various kinds.

1. “ MosaprōfluitexmonteVosegō, quīestinfīnibusLingonum ” (B. G. 4.10) , the Meuse rises in the Vosges mountains, which are on the borders of the Lingones.

For Relative Pronouns (or Relative Adverbs) serving to connect independent sentences, see § 308. f.

1. “ cumtacent, clāmant ” (Cat. 1.21) , while they are silent, they cry aloud.
2. hominēsaegrīmorbōgravī, cumiactanturaestūfebrīque, sīaquamgelidambiberint, prīmōrelevārīvidentur ( id . 1.31), men suffering with a severe sickness , when they are tossing with the heat of fever, if they drink cold water , seem at first to be relieved.

[*] c. A clause containing a Condition, introduced by sī , if (or some equivalent expression), is called a Conditional Clause. A sentence containing a conditional clause is called a Conditional Sentence.

Thus, sī aquam gelidam biberint , prīmō relevārī videntur (in b, above) is a Conditional Sentence, and sī . biberint is a Conditional Clause.

1. edōutvīvam , I eat to live (that I may live).
2. mīsitlēgātōsquīdīcerent , he sent ambassadors to say (who should say).

1. tam longēaberamutnōnvidērem , I was too far away to see (so far away that I did not see).

AGREEMENT

[*] 280. A word is said to agree with another when it is required by usage to be in the same Gender, Number, Case, or Person.

The following are the general forms of agreement, sometimes called the Four Concords:—

1. The agreement of the Noun in Apposition or as Predicate (§§ 281-284).
2. The agreement of the Adjective with its Noun (§ 286).
3. The agreement of the Relative with its Antecedent (§ 305).
4. The agreement of the Finite Verb with its Subject (§ 316).

This use is called Synesis , or cōnstrūctiō ad sēnsum (construction according to sense).

AGREEMENT OF NOUNS

[*] 281. A noun used to describe another, and denoting the same person or thing, agrees with it in Case.

The descriptive noun may be either an Appositive (§ 282) or a Predicate noun (§ 283).

Apposition

1. “ externustimor, maximumconcordiaevinculum, iungēbatanimōs ” (Liv. 2.39) , fear of the foreigner, the chief bond of harmony, united their hearts. [Here the appositive belongs to the subject.] quattuorhīcprīmumōmenequōsvīdī ; (Aen. 3.537), I saw here four horses , the first omen. [Here both nouns are in the predicate.] litterāsGraecāssenexdidicī ; (Cat. M. 26), I learned Greek when an old man. [Here senex , though in apposition with the subject of didicī , really states something further: viz., the time, condition , etc., of the act ( Predicate Apposition ).]

1. “ NecP. PopiliusnequeQ. Metellus, clārissimīvirīatqueamplissimī, vimtribūnīciamsustinērepotuērunt ” (Clu. 95) , neither Publius Popilius nor Quintus Metellus , [both of them] distinguished and honorable men, could withstand the power of the tribunes.
2. GnaeusetPūbliusScīpiōnēs , Cneius and Publius Scipio (the Scipios).

1. “ eaSex. Rōsciuminopemrecēpit ” (Rosc. Am. 27) , she received Sextus Roscius in his poverty (needy).

1. “ sequunturnātūram, optimamducem ” (Lael. 19) , they follow nature, the best guide.
2. “ omniumdoctrīnāruminventrīcēsAthēnās ” (De Or. 1.13) , Athens , discoverer of all learning.

[*] Note.-- But such agreement is often impossible: as, ōlim truncus eram fīculnus , inūtile “ līgnum ” (Hor. S. 1.8.1) , I once was a fig-tree trunk, a useless log.

1. “ Antiochīae, celebrīquondamurbe ” (Arch. 4) , at Antioch , once a famous city. Albaecōnstitērunt, inurbemūnītā ; (Phil. 4.6), they halted at Alba , a fortified town.

For a Genitive in apposition with a Possessive Pronoun or an Adjective, see § 302. 6

For the so-called Appositional Genitive, see § 343. d.

For the construction with nōmen est , see § 373. a.

Predicate Noun or Adjective

[*] 283. With sum and a few other intransitive or passive verbs, a noun or an adjective describing or defining the subject may stand in the predicate. This is called a Predicate Noun or Adjective.

The verb sum is especially common in this construction, and when so used is called the copula (i.e. connective).

Other verbs which take a predicate noun or adjective are the socalled copulative verbs signifying to become, to be made, to be named, to appear , and the like.

pācissemperauctorfuī ; (Lig. 28), I have always been an adviser of peace.
1. “ quaepertināciaquibusdam, eademaliīscōnstantiavidērīpotest ” (Marc. 31) , what may seem obstinacy to some, may seem to others consistency.
2. “ êiusmortissedētisultōrēs ” (Mil. 79) , you sit as avengers of his death.
3. “ habeāturvirēgregiusPaulus ” (Cat. 4.21) , let Paulus be regarded as an extraordinary man. egopatrōnusexstitī ; (Rosc. Am. 5), I have come forward as an advocate.
4. dīcitnōnomnīsbonōsessebeātōs , he says that not all good men are happy.

1. “ cōnsulēscreanturCaesaretServīlius ” (B. C. 3.1) , Cæsar and Servilius are elected consuls.

suntvirīfortēs , there are (exist) brave men. [Cf. vīxēre fortēs ante Agamemnona (Hor. Od. 4.9.25), brave men lived before Agamemnon. ]

For Predicate Accusative and Predicate Ablative, see §§ 392, 415. N.

1 Observe that the classes defined in a-e are not mutually exclusive, but that a single clause may belong to several of them at once. Thus a relative clause is usually subordinate, and may be at the same time temporal or conditional: and subordinate clauses may be coördinate with each other

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