Color Coded Latin: A Teaching Method

by Kathleen Canning

© 2011



Download "Color Coded" Latin Teaching Method
  1. Preface
  2. Color Chart
  3. First Declension
  4. Second Declension
  5. Third Declension
  6. Fourth Declension
  7. Fifth Declension
  8. First Conjugation
  9. Second Conjugation
  10. Third Conjugation
  11. Fourth Conjugation
  12. Irregular Verbs
  13. Latin Sentences Using Declensions and Conjugations
  14. The Genitive Case
  15. The Dative Case
  16. Prepositional Phrases
  17. Pronouns
  18. Interrogative Pronouns
  19. Demonstrative Pronouns
  20. Subjunctive ARE Verbs
  21. Subjunctive Long ERE 2nd Conjugation Verbs
  22. Subjunctive ERE 3rd Conjugation Verbs
  23. Subjunctive I-Stem 3rd Conjugation Verbs
  24. Subjunctive IRE 4th Conjugation Verbs


Latin Irregular Verbs Sum & Possum:

Sum is the verb "to be". Possum is the verb "to be able". Neither will ever take a direct object.

That is why we should say, it is I, not it is me. However, people say it is me all of the time. When dealing with the verb (to be) think of the verb as being followed by an equal sign. "To be" does take a predicate nominative.

Sometimes, the verb will be followed by a noun, a pronoun or even an adjective but they will always be considered to be in the nominative case.

The farmer is a poet. Farmer = poet. What is on one side of the verb equals what is on the other side.

Farmer = poet and poet = farmer. In Latin both nouns would take nominative endings and also agree in number and gender.

In English , which is not an inflected language, we might not think in terms of nominative for the word poet, unless we are in a grammar school English class. That might explain people's reluctance to accept (it is I ) (it is he) . We fall into the speech pattern that we most often hear which is ,(it is him or it's them).

The verb to be is also frequently followed by prepositionl phrases. The phrases will be put into either the ablative or accusative case . The case will depend on the preposition introducing the phrase.

He was in the house. In the house is an ablative phrase. He walked into the house. Into the house is an accusative phrase. But they are not direct objects.

The women is pretty. Pretty is a predicate adjective. pretty = woman= nominative case.

The soldier is strong and brave. Strong and brave are adjectives . strong/brave = soldier= nominative case.

The verb possum ,to be able, is a compound of sum, to be. A prefix is added to forms of sum to form possum in Latin.

Infinitives [ to + a verb] follow the verb to be able. He is able to lead. Potest ducere. In English we sometimes say, He can lead the troops, but even if you said that in Latin ,you would still need the infinitive as, he can is the same as he is able. This infinitive is called a complementary infinitive and it completes the meaning of be able.

At this point all you really need to know is that sum and possum do not take direct objects.

The verb charts for Sum (I am) and Possum (I am able) are very easy to learn . See the charts on the next two pages.

123456
sumeramerofuifueramfuero
eseraserisfuistifuerasfueris
esterateritfuitfueratfuerit
------
sumuseramuserimusfuimusfueramusfuerimus
estiseratiseritisfuistisfueratisfueritis
sunteranterunt*fueruntfuerantfuerint

Look closely at the Verb To Be in its 6 tenses.

Memorize column one.

Column 2 & 3 look very much like the endings for regular tenses 5-6 and then 4-5-6 of Sum look like regular 4-5-6 endings with "fu" used as a prefix.

The English form of the verb "to be":

123456
I amI wasI will beI have beenI had beenI will have been
you areyou wereyou will beyou have beenyou had beenyou will have been
he ishe washe will behe has beenhe had beenhe will have been
------
we arewe werewe will bewe have beenwe had beenwe will have been
you areyou wereyou will beyou have beenyou had beenyou will have been
they arethey werethey will bethey have beenthey had beenthey will have been

To turn this chart into possum just add pos or pot to the first 3 tenses of sum and potu to tenses 4-5-6. (shortcut) Change fu to potu.

In tenses 1-2-3 choose pos if the verb starts with s. There will always be a double ss.

If the verb does not start with s use pot.

123456
possumpoterampoteropotuipotuerampotuero
potespoteraspoterispotuistipotueraspotueris
potestpoteratpoteritpotuitpotueratpotuerit
------
possumuspoteramuspoterimuspotuimuspotueramuspotuerimus
potestispoteratispoteritispotuistispotueratispotueritis
possuntpoterantpoterintpotueruntpotuerantpotuerint

English form of the verb "to be able":

I amI wasI will beI have beenI had beenI will have been
ableableableableableable
------
you areyou wereyou will beyou have beenyou had beenyou will have been
ableableableableableable
------
he ishe washe will behe has beenhe had beenhe will have been
ableableableableableable
------
we arewe werewe will bewe have beenwe had beenwe will have been
ableableableableableable
------
you areyou wereyou will beyou have beenyou had beenyou will have been
ableableableableableable
------
they arethey werethey will bethey have beenthey had beenthey will have been
ableableableableableable

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