Sunday, February 1, 2026

03.05.26: Level 2 (review); Carolus et Maria [26] [iv]: grammar

Prīma lūx est. Nōn iam est nox, sed lūx nōn est clāra. Avēs nōn iam quiētem capiunt. Omnēs excitantur. Iam arborēs ubi per tōtam noctem dormiēbant relinquunt. Nōn iam avēs silent. Undique audīrī possunt. Ad agrōs properant. Ibi est cōpia frūmentī et avēs cibum dēsīderant. Prīmā lūce collēs Rōmae sunt obscūrī. Nunc Carolus et Maria et pater et māter in summō colle Rōmae stant. Undique circumspectant. Urbs semper nātūrā pulchra nunc etiam pulchrior est. Flūmen nōn longē abest. Ibi paucae nāvēs nāviculaeque vidērī possunt. Caelum nunc clārius vidētur. Ibi nūllae nūbēs sunt et diēs erit pulcher. Diū Americānī silent ubi urbem spectant. Maestī sunt quod hōra appropinquat ubi necesse est Rōmam relinquere. Ubi antīquās ruīnās vident, dē temporibus antīquīs putant: ōlim Rōmānī antīquī in illō flūmine natābant et corpora valida habēbant. In illō locō rēgēs tēcta sua aedificābant. Ibi mīlitēs Rōmānī bellum parābant.

“Ubi est urbs tam pulchra quam Rōma?” rogat Iūlia. “Nūlla pulchrior est in tōtā Eurōpā.”

Subitō vir huic locō appropinquat. Quis est? Poēta amīcōs suōs salūtat. Iam lūx est clārior et urbs clārē vidētur. Omnēs in saxō sedent. Colloquium nōn est longum quod paene est tempus Rōmam relinquere. Mox poēta cum suīs amīcīs viā angustā dē summō colle properat. Prope rīpam Tiberis omnēs “Valēte” inquiunt. Posteā poēta sōlus domum it.

Nunc Americānī ab urbe properant. “Nūlla urbs erit grātior aut pulchrior quam Rōma,” inquit Maria. “Alia exempla urbium antīquārum vidēre cupiō.”

Aedificia urbis nōn iam vidērī possunt. Collēs urbis parvī videntur. Ā sinistrā et ā dextrā sunt agrī et silvae.

“Omnium terrārum,” inquit Iūlia, “Italia est mihi grātissima.”

Section C: Language and grammar

Answering grammar questions should not be long-winded, and are usually structured in such a way that one or two key points are expected. Do not give more than is required. It is important to remember that, unless stated otherwise, a question relates to the use of a word or phrase in context i.e. you need to refer to the text. Notes and answers are given at the end of the post.

[i] Give the first person singular present tense of abest.

[ii] Give the nominative singular of urbium.

[iii] What type of word is diū?

[iv] (1) What case is temporibus and (2) why is it being used?

[v] (1) What tense is dormiēbant and (2) why is it being used?

[vi] Give one example from the text of a comparative adjective.

[vii] Give one example from the text of a present passive verb.

The next questions are at a higher level:

[viii] Give one example from the text of a present passive infinitive.

[ix] Omnium terrārum …Italia est mihi grātissima.

(1) What case and number are the words in bold, and (2) why is it being used?

[x] What two clause types are used here?

Maestī sunt (1) quod hōra appropinquat (2) ubi necesse est Rōmam relinquere.

[xi] Subitō vir huic locō appropinquat.

(1) What case are the words in bold, and (2) why is that case being used?

____________________

[i] Give the first person singular present tense of abest.

absum

[ii] Give the nominative singular of urbium.

urbs

[iii] What type of word is diū?

adverb

Grammatical terms do not normally need to be explained. We assume that, for example, a teacher or examiner knows what an adverb is! It merely asks you to identify the word type.

[iv] (1) What case is temporibus and (2) why is it being used?

(1) ablative; (2) with the preposition dē (about)

[v] (1) What tense is dormiēbant and (2) why is it being used?

(1) imperfect; (2) an action that was incomplete / was happening / used to happen; you should include a translation to specify what is meant in context: … ubi per tōtam noctem dormiēbant … │ … where they were sleeping throughout the whole night …

[vi] Give one example from the text of a comparative adjective.

The question is simply testing you on your understanding of terms commonly used in grammar:

any one of: clārior; grātior; pulchrior

[vii] Give one example from the text of a present passive verb.

Any one of: vidētur; videntur; excitantur

The next questions are at a higher level:

[viii] Give one example from the text of a present passive infinitive.

any one of: audīrī; vidērī

[ix] “Omnium terrārum …Italia est mihi grātissima.”

(1) What case and number are the words in bold, and (2) why is it being used?

(1) genitive plural; (2) used when the superlative relates to something  / someone else e.g. the bravest of (all) the soldiers: Omnium terrārum … grātissima │ the most pleasing … of all lands

[x] What two clause types are used here?

Maestī sunt (1) quod hōra appropinquat (2) ubi necesse est Rōmam relinquere.

(1) subordinate clause of reason with quod (because)

(2) subordinate clause of time with ubi (when)

[xi] Subitō vir huic locō appropinquat

(1) What case are the words in bold, and (2) why is that case being used?

(1) dative; (2) the verb appropinquāre (approach) is followed by a noun in the dative case and not, as might be expected, by the accusative

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