Chapter 1/Lesson 5-Accusative

Noun declension tables

	1st declension		2nd declension
	Feminine		Masculine		Masculine		Masculine		Neuter
	SINGULAR	PLURAL	SINGULAR	PLURAL	SINGULAR	PLURAL	SINGULAR	PLURAL	SINGULAR	PLURAL
nominative	puell-a	puell-ae	serv-us	serv-ī	puer	puer-ī	ager	agr-ī	bell-um	bell-a
accusative	puell-am	puell-ās	serv-um	serv-ōs	puer-um	puer-ōs	agr-um	agr-ōs	bell-um	bell-a
			Nota Bene: Puer uses the same suffixes as all other 2nd declension masculine nouns, except it omits the -us suffix in the nominative. Ager, a second declension noun meaning 'field' has no suffix in the nominative like puer, and in addition drops the 'e' when in other cases other than the nominative (see table) Memorise this extended table.

Exercises

Give the accusative singular for:

1. lud-us
2. magn-us
3. triclīni-um
4. bell-um
5. puell-a
6. serv-us
7. ager

SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Give the accusative singular.▲

1. ludum
2. magnum
3. triclīnium
4. bellum
5. puellam
6. servum
7. agrum

Give the accusative singular for:

1. lud-us
   
   
   
   
2. magn-us
   
   
   
   
3. triclīni-um
   
   
   
   
4. bell-um
   
   
   
   
5. puell-a
   
   
   
   
6. serv-us
   
   
   
   
7. ager
   
   
   
   

SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Give the accusative singular.▼

1. ludum
   
   
   
   
2. magnum
   
   
   
   
3. triclīnium
   
   
   
   
4. bellum
   
   
   
   
5. puellam
   
   
   
   
6. servum
   
   
   
   
7. agrum
   
   
   
   

Give the accusative plural for:

1. lud-us
2. magn-us
3. triclīni-um
4. bell-um
5. puell-a
6. serv-us
7. ager

SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Give the accusative plural.▲

1. ludos
2. magnos
3. triclīnia
4. bella
5. puellas
6. servos
7. agros

Give the accusative plural for:

1. lud-us
   
   
   
   
2. magn-us
   
   
   
   
3. triclīni-um
   
   
   
   
4. bell-um
   
   
   
   
5. puell-a
   
   
   
   
6. serv-us
   
   
   
   
7. ager
   
   
   
   

SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Give the accusative plural.▼

1. ludos
   
   
   
   
2. magnos
   
   
   
   
3. triclīnia
   
   
   
   
4. bella
   
   
   
   
5. puellas
   
   
   
   
6. servos
   
   
   
   
7. agros
   
   
   
   

Give the nominative singular for:

1. bon-ī
2. bell-a
3. triclīni-a
4. puell-am
5. agr-ōs
6. serv-ōs
7. puell-ae

SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Give the nominative singular.▲

1. bonus
2. bellum
3. triclīnium
4. puella
5. ager
6. servus
7. puella

Give the nominative singular for:

1. bon-ī
   
   
   
   
2. bell-a
   
   
   
   
3. triclīni-a
   
   
   
   
4. puell-am
   
   
   
   
5. agr-ōs
   
   
   
   
6. serv-ōs
   
   
   
   
7. puell-ae
   
   
   
   

SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Give the nominative singular.▼

1. bonus
   
   
   
   
2. bellum
   
   
   
   
3. triclīnium
   
   
   
   
4. puella
   
   
   
   
5. ager
   
   
   
   
6. servus
   
   
   
   
7. puella
   
   
   
   

Grammar: The Accusative

As you learned in the last lesson, the verb 'esse' (to be) usually takes the nominative case, because then the word after it is a complement. Most other verbs take the 'accusative' case.

In a sentence, the accusative is the "what" - in English grammar, this is known as the direct object.

For example: The girl sells the box.

What did the girl sell? The box. Thus, box is the direct object, and when we translate it into Latin:

Example
English:	The girl	sells	the box.
Latin:	Puella	vendet	cistam.
Explanation:	NOMINATIVE	VERB	ACCUSATIVE

Cistam, then, is in the accusative, because it is the direct object.

Again, when an adjective describes a noun in the accusative case, the adjective must agree in number, case, and gender.

For example:

Example
English:	The girl	sells	the big	box.
Latin:	Puella	vendet	magnam	cistam.
Explanation:	NOMINATIVE	VERB	ADJECTIVE ACCUSATIVE	NOUN ACCUSATIVE

Examples of Adjectives Agreeing with the Nominative and Accusative Case

Abbreviations: NOM = nominative, ACC = accusative, S = singular, P = plural, m. = masculine, f. = feminine

Latin	English	Summary
bon-us lūd-us	The good school	(NOM S m.)
bon-um lūd-um	The good school	(ACC S m.)
bon-ī lūd-ī	The good schools	(NOM P m.)
bon-ōs lūd-ōs	The good schools	(ACC P m.)
bon-us puer	The good boy	(NOM S m.)
bon-ī puer-ī	The good boys	(NOM P m.)
bon-ōs puer-ōs	The good boys	(ACC P m.)
bon-um puer-um	The good boy	(ACC S m.)
bon-a puell-a	The good girl	(NOM S f.)
bon-am puell-am	The good girl	(ACC S f.)
bon-ae puell-ae	The good girls	(NOM P f.)
bon-ās puell-ās	The good girls	(ACC P f.)

Exercise 3

Determine whether the adjective agrees with the substantive in all three categories: case, gender, number.

Questions:	Does it Agree?
1. magn-us agr-ōs	True/False
2. magn-a puella	True/False
3. poet-a* bon-us	True/False
4. magn-um serv-um	True/False
5. poet-ae* magn-ae	True/False
6. bell-a magn-a	True/False

* Nota bene: Poeta (meaning poet) is a masculine noun, even though it ends in -a.

See table above. Determine whether the adjective (magnus, bonus..) agrees with the substantives (ager, puella, poeta) in both case (nominative, accusative...), gender (masculine, female and neuter) and number (singular and plural).

SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Answer▲

1. False. Magnus doesn't agree with agrōs; in number and case.

   Magnus: Masculine, singular, nominative.

   Agrōs: Masculine, plural, accusative.

2. True. Magna agrees with puella.

   Magna: Feminine, singular, nominative.

   Puella: Feminine, singular, nominative.

3. True. Bonus agrees with poeta.

   Bonus: Masculine, singular, nominative.

   Poeta: Masculine, singular, nominative.

4. True. Magnum agrees with servum.

   Magnum: Neuter, singular, nominative.

   Servum: Neuter, singular, nominative.

5. False. Magnae doesn't agree with poetae; in gender.

   Magnae: Feminine, plural, nominative.

   Poetae: Masculine, plural, nominative.

6. True. Bella agrees with magna.

   Bella: Neuter, plural, nominative.

   Magna: Neuter, plural, nominative.

See table above. Determine whether the adjective (magnus, bonus..) agrees with the substantives (ager, puella, poeta) in both case (nominative, accusative...), gender (masculine, female and neuter) and number (singular and plural).

SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Answer▼

1. False. Magnus doesn't agree with agrōs; in number and case.

   Magnus: Masculine, singular, nominative.
   
   
   
   

   Agrōs: Masculine, plural, accusative.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
2. True. Magna agrees with puella.

   Magna: Feminine, singular, nominative.
   
   
   
   

   Puella: Feminine, singular, nominative.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
3. True. Bonus agrees with poeta.

   Bonus: Masculine, singular, nominative.
   
   
   
   

   Poeta: Masculine, singular, nominative.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
4. True. Magnum agrees with servum.

   Magnum: Neuter, singular, nominative.
   
   
   
   

   Servum: Neuter, singular, nominative.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
5. False. Magnae doesn't agree with poetae; in gender.

   Magnae: Feminine, plural, nominative.
   
   
   
   

   Poetae: Masculine, plural, nominative.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
6. True. Bella agrees with magna.

   Bella: Neuter, plural, nominative.
   
   
   
   

   Magna: Neuter, plural, nominative.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   

Grammar: The Use of the Accusative

Lesson Vocabulary
Latin	English
puell-a f.	girl
puer m.	boy
bell-um n. (2nd decl.)	war
(puer) ama-t	(the boy) loves
(puer) curri-t	(the boy) runs
(puer) porta-t	(the boy) carries
(puer) specta-t	(the boy) watches
(puer) da-t	(the boy) gives
fuisse fuī fuistī (puer) fuit fuimus fuistis fuērunt	to have been I have been you have been (the boy) has been we have been you (pl.) have been they have been
Nota Bene: 'fuisse' and all the forms of it, the past tense of 'esse', behaves exactly like the present tense.

The newly introduced verbs, ama-t, curri-t, and porta-t take the accusative as the 'object'. Unless specified, any verb you look up in the dictionary will take the accusative, not the nominative. This means transitive verbs, which are verbs that happen to someone or something, e.g.:

I heal you. (acc.)
You make my day. (acc.)
She hit your arm. (acc.)

In the examples above, the bold words are the subject of the sentence clause- and because something happens "to" them, they can't be in nominative.

Grammatical Explanation Using English Sentences

Grammatical Explanation 1
English:	The boy	hits	the car.
Explanation:	NOMINATIVE	VERB	ACCUSATIVE

Grammatical Explanation 2
English:	The girl	hugs	the boy.
Explanation:	NOMINATIVE	VERB	ACCUSATIVE

Grammatical Explanation 3
English:	He who	flees,	deserves	the guillotine.
Explanation:	NOMINATIVE	VERB	VERB	ACCUSATIVE

Exercise 4: Find the Nominative and Accusative

Find the Nominative and Accusative (if present) in each the sentence.

1. The boy is good.
2. The girl kisses the boy.
3. The boy gives the book.
4. The child watches the TV.
5. Whom it concerns.
6. To the kitchen I run
7. I eat the pizza.

SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Find the Nominative and Accusative (if present) in each the sentence.▲

1. The boy {nom} is good {nom}.

   Puer {nom} est bonus {nom}.

2. The girl {nom} kisses the boy {acc}.

   Puella {nom} puerum {acc} basiat.

3. The boy {nom} gives the book {acc}.

   Puer {nom} librum {acc} dat.

4. The child {nom} watches the TV {acc}.

   Infans {nom} televisorium {acc} videt.

5. Whom {acc} it {nom} concerns.

   ???

6. To the kitchen {acc} I {nom} run.

   Ad culinam {acc} [ego {nom}] curro.

7. I {nom} eat the pizza {acc}.

   Pittam {acc} [ego {nom}] edo.

Find the Nominative and Accusative (if present) in each the sentence.

1. The boy is good.
   
   
   
   
2. The girl kisses the boy.
   
   
   
   
3. The boy gives the book.
   
   
   
   
4. The child watches the TV.
   
   
   
   
5. Whom it concerns.
   
   
   
   
6. To the kitchen I run
   
   
   
   
7. I eat the pizza.
   
   
   
   

SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Find the Nominative and Accusative (if present) in each the sentence.▼

1. The boy {nom} is good {nom}.

   Puer {nom} est bonus {nom}.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
2. The girl {nom} kisses the boy {acc}.

   Puella {nom} puerum {acc} basiat.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
3. The boy {nom} gives the book {acc}.

   Puer {nom} librum {acc} dat.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
4. The child {nom} watches the TV {acc}.

   Infans {nom} televisorium {acc} videt.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
5. Whom {acc} it {nom} concerns.

   ???
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
6. To the kitchen {acc} I {nom} run.

   Ad culinam {acc} [ego {nom}] curro.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
7. I {nom} eat the pizza {acc}.

   Pittam {acc} [ego {nom}] edo.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   

In the following sentences, identify the accusative and nominative. Then translate.

1. Puer est bonus.
2. Puella puerum amat..
3. Puer cistam portat.
4. Fīlius virum spectat.
5. Ad culīnam currit.

SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • In the following sentences, identify the accusative and nominative. Then translate.▲

1. Puer {nom} est bonus {nom}.

   The boy {nom} is good {nom}.

2. Puella {nom} puerum {acc} amat.

   The girl {nom} loves the boy {acc}.

3. Puer {nom} cistam {acc} portat.

   The boy {nom} carries the box {acc}.

4. Fīlius {nom} virum {acc} spectat.

   The son {nom} watched the husband {acc}.

5. Ad culīnam {acc} currit.

   To the kitchen {acc} [he {nom}] runs.

In the following sentences, identify the accusative and nominative. Then translate.

1. Puer est bonus.
   
   
   
   
2. Puella puerum amat..
   
   
   
   
3. Puer cistam portat.
   
   
   
   
4. Fīlius virum spectat.
   
   
   
   
5. Ad culīnam currit.
   
   
   
   

SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • In the following sentences, identify the accusative and nominative. Then translate.▼

1. Puer {nom} est bonus {nom}.

   The boy {nom} is good {nom}.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
2. Puella {nom} puerum {acc} amat.

   The girl {nom} loves the boy {acc}.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
3. Puer {nom} cistam {acc} portat.

   The boy {nom} carries the box {acc}.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
4. Fīlius {nom} virum {acc} spectat.

   The son {nom} watched the husband {acc}.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
5. Ad culīnam {acc} currit.

   To the kitchen {acc} [he {nom}] runs.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   

Lessons in this series:

• Chapter 1/Lesson 1-Nominative
• Chapter 1/Lesson 2-Adjectives
• Chapter 1/Lesson 3-Present Verbs
• Chapter 1/Lesson 4-Adverbs and Prepositions
• Chapter 1/Lesson 5-Accusative
• Chapter 1/Lesson 6-Pronouns
  

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Subject: Latin