Exercise 1

The following Latin sentences contain gerund and gerundive forms.

Please
a) identify them first within each sentence
b) then determine whether the identified form is gerund or gerundive
c) then identify in which case the identified form is within the sentence – consider that the
function of either gerund or gerundive is often derived by the function of case, e.g. through
case ablative functions like specification (to be good at something) or mode (learning by
doing)
d) identify from which word or with which word it’s co-dependent
e) identify the syntactical function
f) try and determine the semantic function. Finally,
g) you may translate the sentence into English.
e.g. Nemo est casu bonus; virtus discenda est.
a) discenda
b) gerundive (why? Because gerund is a neutral noun that has no plural form, the
ending -a cannot belong to it
c) nominative
d) codependent with est (auxiliary verb) and virtus (subject)
e) predicate noun, part of the predicate (case-number-gender-agreement with
subject)
f) gerundive in combination with verb to be signifies necessity in relation to the
sentence subject: virtue is/has to be learned
g) Noone is good by chance; virtue has to be learned

1. Cato dicere solebat: „Ceterum censeo Carthaginem delendam esse.“

2. Ars scribendi a Phoenicibus inventa esse putatur.
3. Vocabulis discendis memoria exercetur.
4. Lacedaemonii liberos ad labores tolerandos et ad pericula subeunda educabant.
5. Praetor latrones puniendos curavit.
6. Nolite omittere ullam occasionem memoriam exercendi!
7. Feriis ambulandi, ludendi, dormiendi cupidi sumus.
8. Militibus summa cum virtute pugnandum erat.
9. Urbs militibus diripienda tradita est.
10. Romani decemviros legibus scribendis creaverunt.
11. Liberis non omnia exempla imitanda sunt.
12. Nostri erudiendi causa discimus.
Excercise 2
Following is a new construction we haven’t covered yet; gerundive as genitive attribute of
causa:
 e.g. Nostri erudiendi causa discimus
– literally: because of us to be/get educated, we learn; i.e. we learn in order to
educate ourselves (NB: nostri is NOT a possessive pronoun, but rather the
genitive of the personal pronoun).
This construction expresses the cause of an action.
It finds its equivalent in the attributive genitive + gerund construction:
e.g. magister pueros ante urbem exercendi causa producit
Both gerundive and gerund with causa can express purpose too, much like:
a) “naked” gerundive accusative
(magister pueros ante urbem erudendos producit)
b) ad + gerund construction
(magister pueros ante urbem ad ludendum producit)
Please translate the following sentences into Latin:
1. The teacher leads the boys outside the city to play and train (“for the sake of”)
2. Did you do this to gain (yourself) fame?
Exercise 3
1. The city of Rome grew, conquering more and more foreign places.
2. One must recognize (“it must be recognized”) that literature (litteras pl.) has to
be studied in order to become a good orator.
3. We are born to act.
4. I show my pupils Ceasar’s books about the Gallic wars in order to teach them
the Latin language.
5. We learn by doing and do in order to learn.