Getting started on Classical Latin

4.4 Unravelling sentences

Activity 10

In the following passage, mark as many subjects, verbs and objects as you can.

James was to drive them. The first day we travelled thirty-two miles; there were some long heavy hills, but James drove so carefully and thoughtfully that we were not at all harrassed. He never forgot to put on the drag as we went downhill, nor to take it off at the right place. He kept our feet on the smoothest part of the road, and if the uphill was very long, he set the carriage wheels a little across the road, so as not to run back, and gave us a breathing. All these little things help a horse very much, particularly if he gets kind words into the bargain.

(Anna Sewell, Black Beauty, Chapter 15)

Answer

Subject Verb Object
James was to drive them
we travelled thirty-two miles
some long heavy hills were
James drove
we were
He forgot to put (on) the drag
we went
to take (off) it
He kept our feet
the uphill was
he set the carriage wheels
to run (back)
(he) gave a breathing
All these little things help a horse
he gets kind words

Latin, like English, is not always straightforward:

The dark and vicious place where thee he got

Cost him his eyes.

(Shakespeare, King Lear, 5.3.171–2)

In the words in heavy lettering above, Shakespeare varies the word order from a standard English word order. Thee is the old English objective form of thou, and the normal order would be ‘he got [= begot] thee’. Poets, for special effect or to improve the metrical rhythm, often do vary the order. Consider this example from Shakespeare's Sonnet no. 133:

Me from myself thy cruel eye hath taken

(Shakespeare, Sonnet no. 133, 5)

Here we must resort to analysis to determine the structure:

  1. Which is the verb? – ‘hath taken’

  2. Who/what has done the action? – ‘thy cruel eye’ (subject)

  3. What has been taken? – ‘me’ (object)

Similarly:

To me fair friend, you never can be old;

For as you were when first your eye I eyed,

Such seems your beauty still.

(Shakespeare, Sonnet no.104, 1–3)

What is the grammatical structure in ‘when first your eye I eyed'?

  1. What is the verb? – ‘eyed’

  2. Who/what is doing the action? – 'I' (subject)

  3. What is being eyed? – ‘your eye’ (object)

This sort of analysis will be important in your study of Latin. But, as it is the case-ending on the noun which indicates whether it is subject or object, it will be easier to sort out which is which than it is in some English.

Activity 11

To make sure you have understood the principles established so far, see if you can pick out the subject, verb and object in the following examples.

Our hearts you see not;

(Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, 3.1, 170)

For that security craves great Lucifer

(Marlowe, Doctor Faustus, 2.1.36)

This casket India's glowing gems unlocks

(Pope, The Rape of the Lock, 1.133)

Wit, brav'ry, worth, his lavish tongue bestows

(Johnson, London, 126)

Much he the place admired, the person more.

(Milton, Paradise Lost, 9.444)

Two massy [massive] keys he bore, of metals twain

(Milton, Lycidas, 110)

In Peace the thoughts of War he could remove

(Dryden, Absalom and Achitophel, 25)

Answer

Subject Verb Object
you see Our hearts
great Lucifer craves (for) that security
This casket unlocks (India's) glowing gems
his lavish tongue bestows wit, brav'ry, worth
he admired the place, the person
he bore two massy [massive] keys
he could remove the thoughts (of War)