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