Dr. Mcgaiusch. 49 Worksheet Impersonal Verbs & Intransitive Passives

Latin 3H – Groooooovvy! Nomen

Dr. McGaiusCh. 49 Worksheet – Impersonal Verbs & Intransitive Passives

What’s in
Ch. 49? / I. IMPERSONAL VERBS (page 167)
To translate most impersonal verbs, use “it” to translate into English. Ex.: ningit = it is snowing
 Many Latin impersonal verbs are not used impersonally in English: me oportet = I ought
…most commonly govern the accusative or dative case of the person. mihi licet = I may
 impersonal verbs often take a complementary infinitive.
II. Intransitive verbs in the passive (page 168)
 Intransitive verbs must be used impersonally in the passive
 Verbs of motion in the passive impersonal  you must supply a subject from the context
 Verbs which take the dative are used impersonally in the passive: mihi persuadetur = I am persuaded.
P.S. The genders of 3rd Declension nouns (page 169)
 Caesar Augustus (page 97)

The Short List for this chapter’s vocab:

dēleō, dēlēre, dēlēvī, dēlētus/a/um = to destroy
cōnfirmō, cōnfirmāre, cōnfirmāvī, cōnfirmātus/a/um = to strengthen, encourage
cēdō, cēdere, cessī, cesssus/a/um = to yield, give way to (+ dative)
restituō, restituere, restituī, restitūtus/a/um = to restore
adiciō, adicere, adiēcī, adiectus/a/um = to add to
minor, minārī, minātus sum = to threaten (+ dative)
assequor, assequī, assecūtus sum = to pursue, catch up, attain
iuvō, iuvāre, iūvī, iūtus/a/um = to help; to please; often used impersonally:
mē iuvat, iuvāre, mē iūvit+ ACCUSATIVE + infinitive = it delights me
licet, licēre, licuit + DATIVE + infinitive = it is allowed, permitted
opportet, opportēre, opportuit + ACCUSATIVE + infinitive = it behooves  one ought to
placet, placēre, placuit+ DATIVE + infinitive = it pleases  to decide
mihi placet = it pleases me or I decide
taedet, taedēre, taeduit, taesum est + ACCUSATIVE of the person bored + GENITIVE of the thing/person that is boring + infinitive = it bores
mē taedetludī = I am bored of school or school bores me
accidit, accidere, accidit, _____ + DATIVE + ut = (it) happens (impersonal)
prōvincia, prōvinciae F. = province
exsilium, exsiliīN. = exile
saeculum, saeculīN. = generation, age
aetās, aetātisF = age
gēns, gentis F = race, people
cōnsēnsus, cōnsēnsus M. = agreement
fās (indeclinable) N. = right (especially divine or moral right, as opposed to legal right)
nēfās (indeclinable) N. = wrong, crime (especially divine or moral crime, as opposed to legal crime or scelus)
quis? = who?, quid? = what? (This is used in questions)
quis, quis, quid = anyone, anything
(short for aliquis, aliquis, aliquid) “after sī, nisi, num and nē, all the “ali’s drop away.”
barbarus, barbara, barbarum = barbarian
ūniversī, ūniversae, ūniversa = all
validus, valida, validum = strong, healthy
ultrā + ACCUSATIVE = beyond
quasi = as if

I. Impersonal verbs (definition) :

2. Give at least 6 examples of impersonal verbs + their meanings:

“it is raining” = “it is snowing” =

“it was shining” = “it is thundering” =

3. What is the impersonal ending on perfect participles? Give 3+ Examples:

4. Accusative : give 4+ examples of impersonal verbs that take the accusative of the person (+ infinitive):

5. Dative : give 3+ examples of impersonal verbs that take the dative of the person (+ infinitive):

6. Impersonal verbs are often followed by an (Select: interjection / infinitive / imperative / relative clause of purpose), and if the impersonal verb is a “verb of the head” they will often introduce

(Select: brain damage / malware / indirect statement / relative clause of characteristic)

RULE: Intransitive verbs must be used impersonally in the passive.

II. What is an intransitive verb? Explain:

2. Explain the rule given above & give an example from Latin:

3. Translate: Ferōciter pugnātur: Ferōciter pugnātum est:

4. Another related idea: Verbs of motion can be used impersonally in the passive:

Verbs of motion (go, come, run, arrive, etc) can be used impersonally in the passive, BUT (1) translate them in the ACTIVE voice & (2) supply a subject form context. [they make no sense in the English passive]

EXAMPLE: Ad silvam itur = They/we/you’ll* come to the forest. (*supply subject from the context)

TRANSLATE: Ad silvam itum est =

Ad silvam ibitur = / per viās errātum est. =

undique concurritur =

undique concursum est =

in eandem speluncamvenitur =

in eandem speluncamventum est =

III.

RULE: Verbs that take the dative case (in the active) become Impersonal verbs in the passive
Example : captīvīs parcitur = it is being spared to the captives  “the captives are being spared.”

Translate:

1. captīvīs parsum est =

2. mihi persuādētur =

3. tibi persuāsum est =

4. Cleopātrae imperābitur =

5. Cleopātrae imperātum erat =

6. tibi ignōscētur =

7. vōbīs ignōtum est =

The gender of 3rd declension nouns
-er type
Ch. 49/P.S. /

Most 3rd declension nouns ending in –er in the nominative singular are masculine
Exceptions: māter (F.), mulier (F.), linter (F.), iter (N.), vēr (N.)

The gender of 3rd declension nouns
-or/-ōs type
Ch. 49/P.S. /

Most 3rd declension nouns ending in -or/-ōs in the nominative singular are masculine
Exceptions: soror (F.), uxor (F.), arbor/arbōs (F.), cor (N.), aequor (N.)

The gender of 3rd declension nouns
-iō type
Ch. 49/P.S. /

Most 3rd declension nouns ending in -iō in the nominative singular are feminine
Exceptions: centuriō (M.), decuriō (M.)

The gender of 3rd declension nouns
-ās type
Ch. 49/P.S. /

All 3rd declension nouns ending in -ās in the nominative singular are feminine
Exceptions: gigās “giant” (M.)

The gender of 3rd declension nouns
-ūdō type Ch. 49/P.S. /

All 3rd declension nouns ending in -ūdō in the nominative singular are feminine

The gender of 3rd declension nouns
-e/-us/-en type
Ch. 49/P.S. /

ALL 3rd declension nouns ending in –e/-us/-en in the nominative singular are NEUTER

Examples: mare (sea), genus (race), corpus (body, stercus (dung), flūmen (river), lumen (light)

More Sentence Practice (Put translations in your composition book):

1. scelus istud faterī tibi necesse est. (fateor, fatērī, fessus sum = admit)

2. necesse est (ut) scelus istud fateāris. (fateor, fatērī, fessus sum = admit)

3.oportēbat nos abīre quod orationem Catilinae audīre nolēbāmus.

4. nōnne licebit Caesāri de hīs rēbus sententiam dīcere?

5. me ipsum amēs oportet. (= oportet ut me ipsum amēs.)

6. sapiēns scit omnes homines perīre necesse est.

7. fīlium exspectāre oportet dum redeat pater.

8. tāle mihi liceat carmen scrībere quāle omnes laudābant. (tāle…quāle = such…as)

9. nocte in templum īre nōn licitum est. (licet, licebat, licebit, licitum erat)

10. honestus sīs omnibus rēbus necesse erit. (supply ut with sīs)

11. licetne ut consul fiat iste homo? (=licetne istī hominī fierī consulī?)

12. poēta in exsilium pulsus ōrābat ut Rōmam redīre licēret.

13. poēta in exsilium pulsus ōrat ut Rōmam redīre liceat.

14. Bellum aut nōn gerī aut conficī quam primum oportet.

15. Caesaris maximē intererat quid in provinciā fieret.

16. fratris me quidem pudet pigetque. Tēne eius misēret?

17. nos misērēbat omnium hominum servitute oppressōrum.

18. cuius cīvis non refert Catilinam sine morā interfici? (refert = it is important/ it concerns)

19. nihilne putās referre utrum cadat res publica necne?

20. nonne intellegis multum interesse scelus faterī. (see above)

21. quod ē proeliō fugi me pudēbat.

22. mē nōn paenitēbat facere idem quod tu.

23. numquam tuī oblivīscar nec mē pigēbit nostri amōris meminisse.

24. dīc mihi pudeatnē te tuī sceleris necne.

Textbook Exercises:

49.1

1. Octaviānō placuit in Oriente morārī.

2. necesse erat prōvinciās praesidiīs cōnfīrmāre.

3. tandem eī licuit Romam redīre.

4. omnēs cīvēs bellōrum cīvīlium taeduit.

5. quandō nōbīs licēbat pāce fruī ?

6. nōs oportet Octaviānō pārēre, quod pācem populō Romānō restituit.

7. Maecēnatem iuvābat poētās fovēre.

8. Quintum urbis strepitūs taedēbat.

9. Maecēnātī placuit Quintō fundum dare.

10. Quintum oportuit Rōmam redīre sed eī placuit in fundō manēre.

49.2

1. Antoniō nuntiātum est Octaviānum omnibus cum copiīs in Aegyptum prōgredī.

2. eī placuit prope Alexandrīam proelium committere.

3. terrā marīque ferociter pugnātum est; tandem tamen Antoniī copiae fugerent.

4. omnibus captivīs ab Octaviānō parsum est.

5. Octavianī copiae Alexandrīam progressae sunt. ubi in urbem ventum est, nuntium ad Cleopatram mīsit.

6. Cleopatrae imperātum est ut turrem relinqueret.

7. nuntius ‘si te dedideris,’ inquit, ‘tibi ignoscētur.’

8. sed eī non persuāsum est ut sē dederet.

49.3 - Translate the following into Latin, using impersonal verbs for the phrases in bold.

1. We set out at the first hour and hurried into the hills; before midday we reached the top of the mountain.

2. We decided (= it was pleasing to us) to wait there for two hours.

3. But we were not allowed to rest for long.

4. For a shepherd warned us not to delay, and we were persuaded to descend at once.

5. It was a long and difficult journey, and before we reached home, I was tired of the mountains.

Impersonal verbs (definition)
Ch. 49 /

Impersonal verbs do not have a person performing the action, so always supply “it”...
So, think of them as neuter: their perfect participles will end in -um

Examples of Impersonal verbs
Ch. 49 /

pluit = it is raining
ningit = it is snowing
tonat = it thunders
necesse est = it is necessary
fās est = it is right

Examples of Impersonal verbs + accusative of the person
Ch. 49 /

tē oportet = it behooves you = you ought
eum pudet = it shames him = he is ashamed
nōs iuvat = it delights us = we like
mē taedet = it wearies me = I am tired of (+ genitive)

Examples of Impersonal verbs + dative of the person
Ch. 49 /

tibi licet = it is allowed to you = you may
Augustō placuit = it pleased Augustus =Augustusdecided
nōbīs necesse est = it is necessary for us = we must

Impersonal verbs often take an infinitive
Ch. 49 / Examples:

nōbīs licut lūdōs spectāre = we were allowed to watch the games

Impersonal verbs often set up indirect statement
Ch. 49 / Examples:

fās est Iōvem esse rēgem deōrum = it is right that Jupiter is king of the gods.
Antōniō nūntiātum est Cleopatram esse mortuam. = It was announced to Antony that Cleopatra was dead.

Intransitive verbs must be used impersonally in the passive
Ch. 49 / Intransitive verbs are verbs which do not take a direct object.:

Antōniō nūntiātum est = It was announced to Antony
Ferōciter pugnātum est = It was fought fiercely = There was a fierce battle / They (not specific) fought firecely

Verbs of motion can be used impersonally in the passive
Ch. 49 / Verbs of motion (go, come, run, arrive, etc) can be used impersonally in the passive, BUT (1) translate them in the ACTIVE voice & (2) supply a subject form context.[they make no sense in the English passive]:

ventum est = we came; they came, you came (subject depends on the context of the sentence: literally “it was come”)

MORE EXAMPLES of Verbs of motion can be used impersonally in the passive
Ch. 49 /

Ad silvam itur = They/we/you’ll* come to the forest.
Ad silvam itum est = They/we/you’ll* came to the forest.
undique concurritur = they/the men/we* run together (clash) from all sides
undique concursum est = they/the men/we* ran together (clashed) from all sides

*supply subject from the context
Verbs that take the dative case become Impersonal verbs in the passive
Ch. 49 / If you make passive a verb that takes a dative, then also use it impersonally in the passive voice:

captīvīs parcitur = it is being spared to the captives = the captives are being spared.
captīvīs parsum est = it was spared to the captives = the captives were spared.
mihi persuādētur = it is persuaded to me = I am being persuaded
mihi persuāsum est = it was persuaded to me = I was persuaded

MORE EXAMPLES of Verbs that take the dative case become Impersonal verbs in the passive
Ch. 49 /

Cleopātrae imperābitur = Cleopatra will be ordered...
Cleopātrae imperātum erat = Cleopatra had been ordered...
tibi ignōscētur = you will be forgiven (it will be forgiven to you)
tibi ignōtum est = you have been forgiven