17.08.24: Level 2; the present active participle [5]; declension [3]; accusative [1]

The key point to remember is that participles act like adjectives i.e. they agree in gender, number and case with the noun they describe.

[1] Nominative singular (all genders): -ns

[2] Accusative singular:

[i] masculine / feminine: -ntem

[ii] neuter = nominative: -ns

[3] Nominative and accusative plural:

[i] masculine / feminine: -ntēs

[ii] neuter: -ntia

[1] nominative

• puer lacrimāns: a crying boy = a boy [who is] crying
• puella lacrimāns: a crying girl = a girl [who is] crying
• aedificium ārdēns: a burning building

 [2(i)] accusative singular: masculine / feminine

•  Mārcus puerum / puellam vīdit. │ Marcus saw the boy / the girl.
• Mārcus puerum Rōmānum / puellam Rōmānam vīdit. │ Marcus saw the Roman boy / girl.
• Mārcus puerum / puellam lacrimantem vīdit. │ Marcus saw the crying boy / girl = Marcus saw the boy / girl crying [= who was crying].

 [2(ii)] accusative singular: neuter

Cīvēs fortēs in aedificium ārdēns propter parvōs līberōs intrāvērunt. │ The brave citizens entered / went into the burning building on account of the small children.

[3(i)]

• Mārcus gladiatōrēs spectāvit. │ Marcus watched the gladiators.
• Mārcus gladiatōrēs fortēs spectāvit. │ Marcus watched the brave gladiators.
• Mārcus gladiatōrēs pugnantēs spectāvit. │ Marcus watched the gladiators fighting.

[3(ii)] This last example shows two participles:

Puella aedificia ārdentia [accusative] ¦ vidēns [nominative] ¦ flēbat. │ The girl ¦ seeing ¦ the burning buildings wept.

Puella is the subject of the sentence and she is the one who is seeing. Therefore, the nominative of the participle is used i.e. vidēns. What did she see? She saw burning buildings, the accusative plural of a neuter noun, and the ending is the same as the nominative plural i.e. ardentia.