IN ENGLISH: the Present Participle Has Two Functions

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Dr. J Taylor Latin II LAT 1121 Participles study guide - Taken from English Grammar for Students of Latin by Norma Goldman and Ladislas Szymanski. Wayne State University: Ann Arbor, 1983. Pages 80-90.

The Present Participle: In English the present participle is easy to recognize because it is the –ing form of the verb: running, working, studying.

IN ENGLISH: The present participle has two functions: 1. as part of a verb phrase to form the progressive forms a. Theseus is entering the labyrinth. b. Ariadne was trying to help Theseus

2. as an adjective to describe a noun or pronoun a. a descriptive attributive adjective i. Theseus was an outstanding hero

b. a predicate adjective i. Theseus was outstanding. 1. Outstanding refers back to the subject Theseus c. an adjective introducing a participial phrase i. Theseus, seeing the Minotaur, was not afraid. 1. The entire phrase seeing the Minotaur works as an adjective modifying Theseus. ii. No one saw Theseus killing the Minotaur. 1. The entire phrase killing the Minotaur works as an adjective modifying Theseus.

IN LATIN: the Present Active Participle: always active in meaning Present Stem of the Verb + -ns, -ntis and is an adjective of the third declension Declined like a third declension and agrees in case, gender and number with the noun or pronoun it modifies.

1. What is the case of the noun or pronoun it modifies? 2. What is the gender and number of the noun and pronoun it modifies?

The present active participle is used as an adjective to describe a noun or pronoun, or to introduce a participial phrase.

1. A descriptive attributive adjective a. Theseus was an outstanding hero. = Theseus erat heros praestans.

i. Case: Hero is predicate word = nominative ii. Gender & Number: Heros is masculine singular iii. Present active participle iv. Nominative masculine singular b. Theseus saw the burning palace. = Theseus regiam conflagrantem vidit. P a g e | 2

i. Case: Palace is direct object = accusative ii. Gender & Number: Regia (palace) is feminine singular iii. Present active participle iv. Accusative feminine singular

2. a predicate adjective a. this use of the present active participle is rare. It is only used when the participle functions completely as an adjective. i. Theseus est sapiens. Theseus is wise.

3. an adjective introducing a participial phrase a. Theseus, seeing the Minotaur, was not afraid. Theseus Minotaurum videns non timebat. i. Case: Theseus is subject = nominative ii. Gender & Number: Theseus is masculine singular iii. Videns is present active participle, nominative masculine singular

b. No one saw Theseus killing the Minotaur. = Nemo Theseum Minotaurum necantem vidit. i. Case: Theseus is direct object = accusative ii. Gender & Number: Theseus is masculine singular iii. Necantem is present active participle, accusative masculine singular

PAST PARTICIPLE IN ENGLISH: the past participle is the verb form used following “I have”: I have taken, I have helped, I have written. The regular verbs form their past participle with the dictionary form of the verb + -ed, -d, or –t.

The Past Participle has two functions: 1. as part of a verb phrase a. active b. passive 2. as an adjective to describe a noun or pronoun a. a descriptive attributive adjective

IN LATIN: the past participle is called the PERFECT PASSIVE PARTICIPLE since it is normally passive in meaning. The past participle must be learned with each verb as the fourth principal part ending in –tum or –sum. It is an adjective of the first and second declension declined like bonus, -a, -um: cantatum (having been sung). Like all adjectives in Latin, it must agree in case, gender and number with the noun or pronoun it modifies.

The perfect passive participle has two major functions: 1. as a part of a verb phrase to form perfect tenses of the passive voice a. The city of Troy was burned by the Greeks. = Urbs Troia a Graecis incensa est. i. Case: City is subject = nominative P a g e | 3

ii. Gender & Number: Urbs (city) is feminine singular. iii. Incensa is the Perfect passive participle (fem. + sing.) + est

2. as an adjective modifying a noun a. a descriptive attributive adjective i. The Greeks burned the captured city. = Graeci urbem captam incenderunt. ii. Case: City is direct object = accusative iii. Gender & Number: Urbem (city) is feminine singular iv. Captam is the perfect passive participle accusative feminine singular v. Hecuba buried her murdered sons. = Hecuba filios necatos sepelivit. vi. Case: sons I direct object = accusative vii. Gender & Number: Filios is masculine plural viii. Necatos is the perfect passive participle accusative masculine plural

b. as an adjective in a participial phrase i. introducing the participial phrase 1. Driven by the wind, the Greek ships came to Troy. = Pulsae vento naves Graecae Troiam advenerunt. 2. Case: Ships is subject = Nominative 3. Gender & Number: Naves (ships) is feminine plural 4. Pulsae is the perfect passive participle nominative feminine plural

5. The Trojans saw the horse left behind by the Greeks. = Troiani equum a Graecis relictum viderunt. 6. Case: Horse is direct object = accusative 7. Gender & Number: Equum (horse) is masculine singular 8. Relictum is perfect passive participle accusative masculine singular

ii. within an ablative absolute 1. This ablative absolute construction is very common in Latin: it consists of two words in the ablative case, most often a noun and a participle. Although it is grammatically independent (and therefore “absolute”) of the subject or the object of the main clause, it is logically connected to explain the circumstances surrounding the action of the main verb. 2. Minotauro necato, Theseus ab insula discessit. = (literal) With the Minotaur having been killed, Theseus left the island. Usually ablative absolutes are changed into better English such as “After the Minotaur was killed, Theseus left the island.” P a g e | 4

FUTURE PARTICIPLES: IN ENGLISH: There are no future participles

IN LATIN: there are two future participles, active and passive. They are verbal adjectives, verb forms used as adjectives. 1. The Future Active Participle is used to express an action about to be performed and corresponds to the English expression “about to” + the present form of the verb. It is formed with the stem of the perfect passive participle (4th principal part of the verb) + -urus, -ura, -urum. It is an adjective of the first and second declension, declined like Bonus-a, -um. Since it is an adjective, it must agree in case, gender and number with the noun it modifies. A. The gladiators about to die saluted the emperor. = Gladiatores morituri imperatorem salutaverunt. Morituri is the future active participle, nom. Masc. pl modifying gladiators

The future active participle is often used with a form of esse to express an imminent action, an action about to take place. This usage is called the ACTIVE PERIPHRASTIC, from the word periphrasis meaning speaking in a round about manner. It is a round about way of expressing future time. Example: The Sirens are about to sing. Sirenes cantaturae sunt. Cantaturae sunt is the active periphrastic, future active participle + sunt

2. The FUTURE PASSIVE PARTICIPLE is commonly called the GERUNDIVE. It is formed from the PRESENT STEM + -NDUS, NDA, NDUM. It is an adjective of the first and second declension declined like bonus-a,-um. (legendus, a, um, about to read). Since it is an adjective, it must agree with the noun it modifies in case, gender and number. A. I have a book to be read (which ought to be read, must be read). = Librum legendum habeo. i. legendum is the future passive participle (gerundive) acc. Masc. sing. modifying librum iii. although it literally means “about to be” + the past participle, it is not so much the fact that the act will take place in the future that is being expressed, but rather then idea of obligation or necessity to perform the act..

B. The Future Passive Participle (gerundive) is often used with a form of esse as a verb phrase expressing obligation or necessity. This usage is called the PASSIVE PERIPHRASTIC. Example: This book must be read. = Hic liber legendus est. Legendus est is the passive periphrastic, future passive participle (gerundive) + est

Source: Taken from English Grammar for Students of Latin by Norma Goldman and Ladislas Szymanski. Wayne State University: Ann Arbor, 1983. Pages 80-90.