This week we're going to look at more complicated sorts of sentences involving objects (this word will be explained later). As usual, I'll give you a list – starred items are really important, un-starred are optional extra practice.

• ** Read over the grammar note "About the Language" on page 21, and my more detailed explanation below. Make sure you understand it (if you don't, PM me!) **

• Translate the sentences on pages 18 – 19. Remember, use the pictures to help you, and try to apply what you learned from the grammar (look out for the objects!)

• ** Do as much of the story "Mercator" (page 20) as you can. Again, look out for those objects" **

• Page 22 – "Practising the Language" exercise 2 – pick the most appropriate verb and translate the sentence. Again, note the subjects and objects!

EXTRA GRAMMAR NOTES:

Probably the most common type of English sentence has at its core three elements: a SUBJECT (the person or thing doing the action), a VERB (the action), and an OBJECT (the person or thing having the action done to it). Thus, in the sentence "the dog bites the man", "the dog" is the SUBJECT, "bites" is the VERB, and "the man" is the OBJECT.

Note the word order in English – it's usually Subject – Verb – Object.
In a Latin sentence, word order is more flexible. There are two ways in a Latin sentence to tell which word is the subject and which word is the object:

• The word order is usually (but not invariably) SUBJECT – OBJECT – VERB. So, if you wanted to say "the dog bites the man" in Latin, you'd have to change the word order around and say "the dog the man bites". You'd know that "the man" is the object, because it comes second in the sentence (remember, Subject – Object – Verb).

• The word itself will change. Words which are the Object will usually end in "m" (at this stage!).
So –

Caecilius Grumionem laudat = "Caecilius praises Grumio". Here, we can see that Grumio is the object, because his name has had an "m" put on the end of it and it comes second in the sentence.

Grumio Caecilium laudat = "Grumio praises Caecilius". Here, Caecilius is the object, since his name has been changed to have an "m" on the end, and he comes second in the sentence.

You don't have to worry too much about technical grammar`terminology yet, but the technical name for a Latin word in the "subject" form (e.g. "Caecilius", "Metella", "Grumio") is NOMINATIVE, and in the "Object" form (e.g. "Caecilium", "Metellam", "Grumionem") is ACCUSATIVE.


Hope that's reasonably clear. If not, PM me, and as always send me any work you're able to do and I'll mark it and send it back!