Cambridge Preterm Latin language pack

checklist of grammar topics for Latin students
On arriving at Cambridge you will be assessed on the following topics. The assessment will fall into four parts (in each part you will be
given some choice):
Section A: Vocabulary: you will be expected to know the vocbulary of the AS Level list (supplied here)
Section B: Accidence: you will be expected to write down from memory any word-table (or paradigm) of any word supplied in the
pack (you will not be tested on archaic forms)
Section C: Principal Parts: you will be expected write down from memory the principal parts of the verbs in the list included in
this pack
Section D: Syntax: you will be expected to translate from Latin into English a few sentences that exhibit the points of syntax as
specified below
The assessment will take form as an hour-long online test. Many elements of the test will be generated
randomly by computer, so each test will be unique. Some elements will be very simple and some will be
more challenging. The test will be marked out of 100 points and only you and your Director of Studies will
be given the results. The test is merely designed as a diagnostic tool and will not count towards any final
mark or grade at all.
adjectives and nouns, etc.
• understanding of gender, case, and number in nouns and adjectives
• noun and adjective declension of all five patterns of the words that appear in the AS vocabulary list
• form and use of demonstratives
• form and use of personal, reflexive, and relative pronouns
• form and use of comparatives, including irregulars
• form and use of gerunds and gerundives
verbs
• understanding of the formation and function of person, number, tense, voice and mood in verbs
• understanding of verbal ‘aspect’
• conjugation of regular verbs in all tenses, voices and moods, including participles and infinitives (supplied in pack)
• conjugation of the main irregular verbs in in all tenses, voices and moods, including participles and infinitives (supplied in pack)
syntax
• understanding of case usage and prepositions (documents supplied in pack)
• constructions with comparative expressions
• form and use of participles, including participles used adverbially (= circumstantially or predicatively)
• understanding of verbs that take infinitives , e.g. uolo
• understanding of independent mood usage, such as potential, deliberative and contrafactual subjunctives
• understanding of the sequence of tenses
• understanding of indirect speech, command and question structures
• a general understanding of the variety of subordinate clauses in Latin (documents supplied in pack)
N.B. The tables and documents are meant to be fairly comprehensive and of use for future reference (e.g. when reading poetic and
archaic texts). Sometimes long marks (macra ¯) and short marks (breuia ˘) have been printed over vowels as an aid in distinguishing
certain elements; in some paradigms such marks are given in the leading word only. Note too that U is employed for V throughout:
this is standard scholarly Latin practice today and will be found in the University exams.