1 Subject and object: recap
Before introducing complements, let us review subjects and objects.
Activity 1 Complete the sentence
a.
τὴν κόρην
b.
ἡ κόρη
c.
τὸν Ξανθίππον
d.
[a noun in the accusative case]
e.
[a noun in the nominative case]
The correct answers are a, c and d.
Discussion
The sentence starts with a noun in the nominative case, ἡ Ἀφροδίτη. The nominative case ending shows that Aphrodite is the subject. The sentence continues with a verb (φιλεῖ), showing what Aphrodite is doing. The meaning of the verb prompts a question: ‘who or what does Aphrodite love?’, which raises the expectation of an object. A noun in the accusative case would satisfy this expectation and complete the sentence.