1. Adiectivum nomen concordat cum substantivo in genere, numero et casu.
Translation: An adjective noun agrees with (its) substantive in gender, number, and case.
Examples:
- puer ingeniosus
boy talented (talented boy); the substantive and adjective are both masculine, singular, nominative - memoria infirma
memory weak (weak memory); the substantive and adjective are both feminine, singular, nominative - ingenium tardum
intellect slow (slow intellect); the substantive and adjective are both neuter, singular, nominative
2. Relativum qui, quae, quod cohaeret cum antecedente in genere et numero.
Translation: The relative (pronoun) qui, quae, quod (who, which, that) agrees with (its) antecedent (noun) in gender and number.
Examples:
- Non est dicendus puer ingenuus, qui verecundiam non amat.
He is not to be called a noble boy, who does not love modesty.
Puer is masculine and singular, so qui is masculine and singular. - Accepi tuas litteras, quae mihi iucundissimae fuerunt.
I received your letters, which were very delightful to me.
Litteras is feminine and plural, so quae is feminine and plural. - Legi tuum epigramma, quod mihi mirandum in modum placit.
I read your epigram, which to me marvelous in (a) way is pleasing.
Epigramma is neuter and singular, so quod is neuter and singular.
Note that the case of the relative pronoun is not necessarily the same as its antecedent noun, but is determined by the function of the relative pronoun in its own clause or sentence.
3. Quotiescunque duo nomina substantiva ad res diversas pertinentia in oratione sine coniunctione posita, alterum erit genitivi casus.
Translation: Whenever two substantive nouns to different things pertain in a sentence without a conjunction placed, one of them will be of the genitive case.
- Exemplum: Epistola Ciceronis, Carmen Virgilii.
- (Cicero’s letter, Virgil’s poem.)
- Exemplum: Epistola Ciceronis, Carmen Virgilii.
- Verbum personale finiti modi postulat ante se nominativum eiusdem numeri et personae.
- (A finite verb requires a nominative subject of the same number and person before it.)
- Exemplum: Ego lugeo, tu rides, nos legimus, vos scribitis.
- (I grieve, you laugh, we read, you all write.)
- Verbum infiniti modi ante se accusativum habet.
- (An infinitive verb takes an accusative subject before it.)
- Exemplum: Gaudeo te bene valere, doleo parentes tuos aegrotare.
- (I rejoice that you are well, I am saddened that your parents are ill.)
- Verbum substantivum non solum ante, sed etiam post se nominativum poscit.
- (A linking verb requires a nominative not only before but also after it.)
- Exemplum: Parsimonia est magnum vectigal, verecundia est maximum ornamentum pueritiae.
- (Frugality is a great revenue, modesty is the greatest ornament of childhood.)
- Omne verbum personale finiti modi potest utrinque habere nominativum pertinentem ad eandem rem.
- (Every finite verb can have a nominative on both sides referring to the same thing.)
- Exemplum: Hic vocatur Paulus, boni moriuntur laeti.
- (This man is called Paul, good men die happily.)
- Verbum activum post se accusandi casum postulat.
- (An active verb requires an accusative object after it.)
- Exemplum: Pueri ingenui amant litteras, frater tuus legit Ciceronem diligenter.
- (Noble boys love literature, your brother reads Cicero carefully.)
- Verbum passivum post se ablativum desiderat cum praepositione a vel ab.
- (A passive verb requires an ablative case after it, with the preposition “a” or “ab.”)
- Exemplum: Litterae amantur a pueris ingenuis, Cicero legitur a fratre tuo diligenter.
- (Literature is loved by noble boys, Cicero is read carefully by your brother.)
- Quodvis verbum admittit praepositionem cum suo casu.
- (Any verb can take a preposition with its required case.)
- Exemplum: Fui in templo, eo in gymnasium, sedeo in scamno.
- (I was in the temple, I go into the gymnasium, I sit on the bench.)
11. Omne verbum et multa nomina dativum habere possunt eius rei cui damnum aliquod vel commodum datur.
Translation: Every verb and many nouns (a) dative to have are able for something that is harmed or benefited.
Example:
- Laboras aliis.
You work for others. - Catilina fuit perniciosus rei publicae.
Catiline was dangerous to (the) republic. - Senes non sibi sed filiis aut nepotibus arbores serunt.
Old men plant trees not for themselves but for their sons or grandsons.
12. Temporis continuatio in accusativo vel ablativo ponitur, frequentius tamen in accusativo.
Translation: Continuation of time in (the) accusative or ablative is expressed, more often however in (the) accusative.)
Example:
- Pater tuus vixit quinquaginta annos.
Your father lived fifty years. - Dedi operam biomedi tres annos.
I worked in medicine three years. - Scripsi duas horas.
I wrote (for) two hours.
13. Cuilibet verbo potest addi ablativus significans pretium, instrumentum, vel causam.
Translation: Any verb can take an ablative indicating price, instrument, or cause.
Examples:
- emi librum decem denariis
I bought the book for ten denarii (price)
- vendidisti atramentarium tribus sestertiis
you have sold the inkpot for three sesterces (price) - scribo calamo
I write with a reed pen (instrument)
- percutior ferula
I am struck with a rod (instrument)
- servus tuus interiit fame
your slave died from hunger (cause)
- tabesco dolore
I waste away from sorrow (cause)
14. Gerundia, supina et participia postulant post se casus verborum a quibus oriuntur.
Translation: Gerunds, supines, and participles take the same cases as the verbs from which they originate.
Examples:
- scribo litteras
I write letters - tempus est scribendi litteras
(the) time (it) is for writing letters - eo scriptum litteras
I go to write letters - sum scripturus litteras
I am about to write letters
