AP Latin : Grammar, Syntax, and Scansion in Prose Passages
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Latin
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Example Questions
Example Question #91 : Prose
Ac mihi quidem videtur, iudices, hic introitus defensionis adulescentiae M. Caeli maxime convenire, ut ad ea, quae accusatores deformandi huius causa, detrahendae spoliandaeque dignitatis gratia dixerunt, primum respondeam. Obiectus est pater varie, quod aut parum splendidus ipse aut parum pie tractatus a filio diceretur. De dignitate M. Caelius notis ac maioribus natu et sine mea oratione et tacitus facile ipse respondet; quibus autem propter senectutem, quod iam diu minus in foro nobiscumque versatur, non aeque est cognitus, ii sic habeant, quaecumque in equite Romano dignitas esse possit, quae certe potest esse maxima, eam semper in M. Caelio habitam esse summam hodieque haberi non solum a suis, sed etiam ab omnibus, quibus potuerit aliqua de causa esse notus.
How should "obiectus est" be translated?
He is opposed
He opposes
He opposed
He is having been opposed
He is opposed
When the perfect passive participle is combined with a form of the verb "sum, esse," it creates what is called a periphrastic, which changes the translation of the participle a bit. The perfect passive participle "+ sum, esse" (present tense) forms the perfect passive translation of the verb. It should be translated as: he is opposed.
(Passage adapted from Cicero's Pro Caelio, Section 2 (56 BCE))
Example Question #92 : Prose
Ac mihi quidem videtur, iudices, hic introitus defensionis adulescentiae M. Caeli maxime convenire, ut ad ea, quae accusatores deformandi huius causa, detrahendae spoliandaeque dignitatis gratia dixerunt, primum respondeam. Obiectus est pater varie, quod aut parum splendidus ipse aut parum pie tractatus a filio diceretur. De dignitate M. Caelius notis ac maioribus natu et sine mea oratione et tacitus facile ipse respondet; quibus autem propter senectutem, quod iam diu minus in foro nobiscumque versatur, non aeque est cognitus, ii sic habeant, quaecumque in equite Romano dignitas esse possit, quae certe potest esse maxima, eam semper in M. Caelio habitam esse summam hodieque haberi non solum a suis, sed etiam ab omnibus, quibus potuerit aliqua de causa esse notus.
The word "videtur" should be translated as __________.
she watches
he sees
he is watched
it seems
it seems
The word "videtur" comes from "video, videre, vidi, visus." "Videtur" is the passive voice form of "videt." When this verb is in the passive voice, it is most often translated as to seem. "It seems" is therefore the best choice.
(Passage adapted from Cicero's Pro Caelio, Section 2 (56 BCE))
Example Question #93 : Prose
Ac mihi quidem videtur, iudices, hic introitus defensionis adulescentiae M. Caeli maxime convenire, ut ad ea, quae accusatores deformandi huius causa, detrahendae spoliandaeque dignitatis gratia dixerunt, primum respondeam. Obiectus est pater varie, quod aut parum splendidus ipse aut parum pie tractatus a filio diceretur. De dignitate M. Caelius notis ac maioribus natu et sine mea oratione et tacitus facile ipse respondet; quibus autem propter senectutem, quod iam diu minus in foro nobiscumque versatur, non aeque est cognitus, ii sic habeant, quaecumque in equite Romano dignitas esse possit, quae certe potest esse maxima, eam semper in M. Caelio habitam esse summam hodieque haberi non solum a suis, sed etiam ab omnibus, quibus potuerit aliqua de causa esse notus.
The word "haberi" should be translated as __________.
I will have held
to hold
to be held
I will hold
to be held
The word "haberi" comes from the verb "habeo, habere, habui, habitus," which means to have/hold. Haberi is the passive infinitive form of this verb. Since there is no special clause that it is a part of, it should be translated to be held.
(Passage adapted from Cicero's Pro Caelio, Section 2 (56 BCE))
Example Question #1 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Prose Passages
In nova fert animus mutatas dicere formas
corpora; di, coeptis (nam vos mutastis et illas)
adspirate meis primaque ab origine mundi
ad mea perpetuum deducite tempora carmen!
Ante mare et terras et quod tegit omnia caelum 5
unus erat toto naturae vultus in orbe,
quem dixere chaos: rudis indigestaque moles
nec quicquam nisi pondus iners congestaque eodem
non bene iunctarum discordia semina rerum.
nullus adhuc mundo praebebat lumina Titan, 10
nec nova crescendo reparabat cornua Phoebe,
nec circumfuso pendebat in aere tellus
ponderibus librata suis, nec bracchia longo
margine terrarum porrexerat Amphitrite;
utque erat et tellus illic et pontus et aer, 15
sic erat instabilis tellus, innabilis unda,
lucis egens aer; nulli sua forma manebat,
obstabatque aliis aliud, quia corpore in uno
frigida pugnabant calidis, umentia siccis,
mollia cum duris, sine pondere, habentia pondus. 20
What is the case of "di" (line 2)?
Dative
Genitive
Vocative
Nominative
Vocative
The form "di" comes from the word "deus, dei" and is a shortened form of "dei," the nominative and vocative plural form (gods). We know that "di" is vocative because of the imperatives in the sentence. The author is speaking directly to (and commanding) them.
(Passage adapted from Metamorphoses by Ovid, ln.1-20)
Example Question #2 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Prose Passages
In nova fert animus mutatas dicere formas
corpora; di, coeptis (nam vos mutastis et illas)
adspirate meis primaque ab origine mundi
ad mea perpetuum deducite tempora carmen!
Ante mare et terras et quod tegit omnia caelum 5
unus erat toto naturae vultus in orbe,
quem dixere chaos: rudis indigestaque moles
nec quicquam nisi pondus iners congestaque eodem
non bene iunctarum discordia semina rerum.
nullus adhuc mundo praebebat lumina Titan, 10
nec nova crescendo reparabat cornua Phoebe,
nec circumfuso pendebat in aere tellus
ponderibus librata suis, nec bracchia longo
margine terrarum porrexerat Amphitrite;
utque erat et tellus illic et pontus et aer, 15
sic erat instabilis tellus, innabilis unda,
lucis egens aer; nulli sua forma manebat,
obstabatque aliis aliud, quia corpore in uno
frigida pugnabant calidis, umentia siccis,
mollia cum duris, sine pondere, habentia pondus. 20
In line 4, there is an example of __________.
a golden line
chiasmus
litotes
pleonasm
a golden line
Line 4 presents an example of a Golden Line, a very special type of synchesis in the grammatical construction of a sentence. It follows the pattern A-B-V-A-B, where the first A-B of the pattern are adjectives describing the latter A-B of the pattern and separated in the middle by a verb. The words "mea perpetuum deducite tempora carmen" fit this pattern exactly.
(Passage adapted from Metamorphoses by Ovid, ln.1-20)
Example Question #3 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Prose Passages
In nova fert animus mutatas dicere formas
corpora; di, coeptis (nam vos mutastis et illas)
adspirate meis primaque ab origine mundi
ad mea perpetuum deducite tempora carmen!
Ante mare et terras et quod tegit omnia caelum 5
unus erat toto naturae vultus in orbe,
quem dixere chaos: rudis indigestaque moles
nec quicquam nisi pondus iners congestaque eodem
non bene iunctarum discordia semina rerum.
nullus adhuc mundo praebebat lumina Titan, 10
nec nova crescendo reparabat cornua Phoebe,
nec circumfuso pendebat in aere tellus
ponderibus librata suis, nec bracchia longo
margine terrarum porrexerat Amphitrite;
utque erat et tellus illic et pontus et aer, 15
sic erat instabilis tellus, innabilis unda,
lucis egens aer; nulli sua forma manebat,
obstabatque aliis aliud, quia corpore in uno
frigida pugnabant calidis, umentia siccis,
mollia cum duris, sine pondere, habentia pondus. 20
What is the case of "mare" (line 5)?
Dative
Ablative
Genitive
Accusative
Accusative
The word "mare" comes from "mare, maris," a third declension neuter word. This is the accusative form of that word. It must be accusative because it is the object of "ante," which only takes the accusative case.
(Passage adapted from Metamorphoses by Ovid, ln.1-20)
Example Question #1 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Prose Passages
Primus amor Phoebi Daphne Peneia, quem non
fors ignara dedit, sed saeva Cupidinis ira,
Delius hunc nuper, victa serpente superbus,
viderat adducto flectentem cornua nervo
'quid' que 'tibi, lascive puer, cum fortibus armis?' 5
dixerat: 'ista decent umeros gestamina nostros,
qui dare certa ferae, dare vulnera possumus hosti,
qui modo pestifero tot iugera ventre prementem
stravimus innumeris tumidum Pythona sagittis.
tu face nescio quos esto contentus amores 10
inritare tua, nec laudes adsere nostras!'
filius huic Veneris 'figat tuus omnia, Phoebe,
te meus arcus' ait; 'quantoque animalia cedunt
cuncta deo, tanto minor est tua gloria nostra.'
The words "victa serpente" in line 3 is an example of __________.
exclamation
ablative absolute
gerundive
infinitive
ablative absolute
The phrase "victa serpente" is translated as with the serpent defeated and is an example of an ablative absolute. The ablative absolute is typically formed with a participle/adjective + a noun, which are both in the ablative case.
(Passage adapted from Metamorphoses by Ovid, 1.452-465)
Example Question #562 : Ap Latin Language
Saepe pater dixit: 'generum mihi, filia, debes,'
saepe pater dixit: 'debes mihi, nata, nepotes';
illa velut crimen taedas exosa iugales
pulchra verecundo suffuderat ora rubore
inque patris blandis haerens cervice lacertis 5
'da mihi perpetua, genitor carissime,' dixit
'virginitate frui! dedit hoc pater ante Dianae.'
ille quidem obsequitur, sed te decor iste quod optas
esse vetat, votoque tuo tua forma repugnat:
Phoebus amat visaeque cupit conubia Daphnes, 10
quodque cupit, sperat, suaque illum oracula fallunt,
utque leves stipulae demptis adolentur aristis,
ut facibus saepes ardent, quas forte viator
vel nimis admovit vel iam sub luce reliquit,
sic deus in flammas abiit, sic pectore toto 15
uritur et sterilem sperando nutrit amorem.
In line 3, there is an example of which of the following?
Simile
Metaphor
Metonymy
Synchesis
Simile
The word "velut" translates as just as. Line 3 is comparing the father's words from lines 1 and 2 to that of a crime. It is a simile.
(Adapted from Metamorphoses by Ovid, 1.481-496)
Example Question #6 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Prose Passages
Pallas anum simulat: falsosque in tempora canos
addit et infirmos, baculo quos sustinet, artus.
tum sic orsa loqui 'non omnia grandior aetas,
quae fugiamus, habet: seris venit usus ab annis.
consilium ne sperne meum: tibi fama petatur 5
inter mortales faciendae maxima lanae;
cede deae veniamque tuis, temeraria, dictis
supplice voce roga: veniam dabit illa roganti.'
adspicit hanc torvis inceptaque fila relinquit
vixque manum retinens confessaque vultibus iram 10
talibus obscuram resecuta est Pallada dictis:
'mentis inops longaque venis confecta senecta,
et nimium vixisse diu nocet. audiat istas,
si qua tibi nurus est, si qua est tibi filia, voces;
consilii satis est in me mihi, neve monendo 15
profecisse putes, eadem est sententia nobis.
cur non ipsa venit? cur haec certamina vitat?'
What part of speech is "faciendae" in line 6?
Present active participle
Perfect passive participle
Gerund
Gerundive
Gerundive
The "-nd-" in "faciendae" should be a giveaway that the word should be either a gerund or gerundive. Gerunds, however, only have masculine singular endings (second declension) and acts as a noun, so this word could only be a gerundive, since it is an adjective.
(Passage adapted from Metamorphoses by Ovid, VI.26-42)
Example Question #1 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Prose Passages
Pallas anum simulat: falsosque in tempora canos
addit et infirmos, baculo quos sustinet, artus.
tum sic orsa loqui 'non omnia grandior aetas,
quae fugiamus, habet: seris venit usus ab annis.
consilium ne sperne meum: tibi fama petatur 5
inter mortales faciendae maxima lanae;
cede deae veniamque tuis, temeraria, dictis
supplice voce roga: veniam dabit illa roganti.'
adspicit hanc torvis inceptaque fila relinquit
vixque manum retinens confessaque vultibus iram 10
talibus obscuram resecuta est Pallada dictis:
'mentis inops longaque venis confecta senecta,
et nimium vixisse diu nocet. audiat istas,
si qua tibi nurus est, si qua est tibi filia, voces;
consilii satis est in me mihi, neve monendo 15
profecisse putes, eadem est sententia nobis.
cur non ipsa venit? cur haec certamina vitat?'
Why is "audiat" (line 13) subjunctive?
Potential
Result clause
Optative
Jussive
Potential
The word "audiat" indicates the potential that the girl would listen to Minerva's words, provided the conditions she states in her retort are met. This is the potential use of the subjunctive.
(Passage adapted from Metamorphoses by Ovid, VI.26-42)
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