AP Latin : Grammar, Syntax, and Scansion in Poetry
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Latin
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Example Questions
Example Question #262 : Sight Reading
Arma gravi numero violentaque bella parabam
edere, materia conveniente modis.
par erat inferior versus—risisse Cupido
dicitur atque unum surripuisse pedem.
'Quis tibi, saeve puer, dedit hoc in carmina iuris?
Pieridum vates, non tua turba sumus.
quid, si praeripiat flavae Venus arma Minervae,
ventilet accensas flava Minerva faces?
quis probet in silvis Cererem regnare iugosis,
lege pharetratae Virginis arva coli?
crinibus insignem quis acuta cuspide Phoebum
instruat, Aoniam Marte movente lyram?
sunt tibi magna, puer, nimiumque potentia regna;
cur opus adfectas, ambitiose, novum?
an, quod ubique, tuum est? tua sunt Heliconia tempe?
What is the role of the underlined word "Minervae" in line 7?
Describes "Venus"
Describes "arma" (line 7)
Direct object of "praeripiat"
Subject of "ventilet"
Describes "arma" (line 7)
The word "Minervae" comes from "Minerva," "Minervae." In the context of this sentence, it is clear that "Minervae" is describing "arma" in line 7. It could do this in either the dative or genitive case—either would be correct. The correct choice is "Describes 'arma.'"
(Passage adapted from Amores by Ovid, I.1–15)
Example Question #81 : Grammar, Syntax, And Scansion In Poetry
Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux, 5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, 10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.
Which use of the subjunctive is "vivamus" in line 1?
Result
Optative
Hortatory
Purpose
Hortatory
"Vivamus" is an independent use of the subjunctive, ruling out the possibility of it being a result or purpose clause. You may translate "vivamus" as let us live, a phrase meant to urge someone to action. This is different from optative, in which "utinam" or some other word indicating a wish would be present. The correct answer is "hortatory."
Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13
Example Question #263 : Sight Reading
Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux, 5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, 10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.
"Nobis cum" in ine 5 is an example of __________.
Litotes
Ellipsis
Anastrophe
Zeugma
Anastrophe
Typically in Latin, a preposition comes before its object, but here "nobis" comes prior to the word "cum" in the sentence. This inversion of the typical word order is an example of anastophe.
Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13
Example Question #2 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages
Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux, 5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, 10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.
"Da" in line 7 is an example of __________.
Noun in the vocative case
Noun in the nominative case
Imperative verb
Adverb
Imperative verb
The word "da" comes from the verb "do," "dare," "dedi," "datus." This is the imperative singular form of that word.
Example Question #3 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages
Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux, 5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, 10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.
What is the case of "senum" in line 2?
Locative
Nominative
Accusative
Genitive
Genitive
The word "senum" comes from "senex," "senis," a third declension noun. The "-um" ending only appears in the genitive plural form of this declension. Therefore, the answer is "genitive."
Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13
Example Question #4 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages
Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux, 5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, 10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.
What is the case of "fecerimus" in line 10?
Future perfect
Future
Present
Perfect
Future perfect
The word "fecerimus" comes from the verb "facio," "facere," "feci," "factus." It uses the perfect stem of this word, with the addition of the ending "-erimus." This is how you form the future perfect tense.
Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13
Example Question #81 : Grammar, Syntax, And Scansion In Poetry
Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux, 5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, 10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.
"Dormienda" in line 6 is an example of a(n) __________.
gerundive
perfect passive participle
adjective
adverb
gerundive
The "-nd-" in "dormienda" is a clue that this word is either a gerund or gerundive. Gerunds in Latin, however, are nouns that only take second declension singular endings. Since this word has first declension endings and is acting as an adjective, we know that it is a gerundive.
Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13
Example Question #1 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages
Ni te plus oculis meis amarem,
iucundissime Calve, munere isto
odissem te odio Vatiniano:
nam quid feci ego quidve sum locutus,
cur me tot male perderes poetis? 5
isti di mala multa dent clienti,
qui tantum tibi misit impiorum.
quod si, ut suspicor, hoc novum ac repertum
munus dat tibi Sulla litterator,
non est mi male, sed bene ac beate, 10
quod non dispereunt tui labores.
di magni, horribilem et sacrum libellum!
quem tu scilicet ad tuum Catullum
misti, continuo ut die periret,
Saturnalibus, optimo dierum! 15
non non hoc tibi, false, sic abibit.
nam si luxerit ad librariorum
curram scrinia, Caesios, Aquinos,
Suffenum, omnia colligam venena.
ac te his suppliciis remunerabor. 20
vos hinc interea valete abite
illuc, unde malum pedem attulistis,
saecli incommoda, pessimi poetae.
"Iucundissime" (line 2) is an example of what type of word?
Pluperfect infinitive
Superlative adverb
Pluperfect subjunctive verb
Perfect passive participle
Superlative adverb
The word "iucundissime" comes from the word "iucundus," "a," "um," an adjective. For regular adjectives, the "-issimus/a/um/e" ending indicates a superlative.
(Passage adapted from "Catullus 14," ln.1-23)
Example Question #7 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages
Cenabis bene, mi Fabulle, apud me
paucis, si tibi di favent, diebus,
si tecum attuleris bonam atque magnam
cenam, non sine candida puella
et vino et sale et omnibus cachinnis. 5
haec si, inquam, attuleris, venuste noster,
cenabis bene; nam tui Catulli
plenus sacculus est aranearum.
sed contra accipies meros amores
seu quid suavius elegantiusve est: 10
nam unguentum dabo, quod meae puellae
donarunt Veneres Cupidinesque,
quod tu cum olfacies, deos rogabis,
totum ut te faciant, Fabulle, nasum.
What tense is "accipies" in line 9?
Perfect
Imperfect
Future
Present
Future
"Accipies" comes from the word "accipio, accipere, accepi, acceptus." It is a 3rd-IO conjugation verb. Since the ending of "accipies" is "-s" and it uses the present stem, it could only be either present, future, or imperfect tense. It does not, however, have the characteristic "-ba-" of the imperfect tense, and the present tense form of this word would be "accipis." It is in the future tense.
(Passage adapted from "Catullus 13," ln.1-14)
Example Question #1 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages
Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire,
et quod vides perisse perditum ducas.
fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles,
cum ventitabas quo puella ducebat
amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla. 5
ibi illa multa cum iocosa fiebant,
quae tu volebas nec puella nolebat,
fulsere vere candidi tibi soles.
nunc iam illa non vult: tu quoque impotens noli,
nec quae fugit sectare, nec miser vive, 10
sed obstinata mente perfer, obdura.
vale puella, iam Catullus obdurat,
nec te requiret nec rogabit invitam.
at tu dolebis, cum rogaberis nulla.
scelesta, vae te, quae tibi manet vita? 15
quis nunc te adibit? cui videberis bella?
quem nunc amabis? cuius esse diceris?
quem basiabis? cui labella mordebis?
at tu, Catulle, destinatus obdura.
"Cui" (line 16) is an example of a __________.
noun
passive infinitive
relative pronoun
participle
relative pronoun
"Cui" is a form of the relative pronoun "qui, quae, quod."
(Passage adapted from "Catullus 8," ln.1-19)
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