Having a hard time with Greek composition (using Sidgwick)
Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 11:10 pm
Hi,
I've been working with Crosby's "An Introduction to Greek" and I picked up Sidgwick's "A First Greek Writer" plus key from this site. Feeling fairly confident that I could probably make it through the first exercise or two without excessive errors, I tried Sidgwick's first exercise (the one on swans). When I checked my translation with the key, I was terribly wrong from start to finish, and I can't help thinking that I just don't have adequate preparation.
I consider myself a very capable student, but I cannot find for the life of me any real guidelines to composition. In Latin, beginning students know at least to start by putting the verb last! In Greek, I find no such helps. I've posted my composition and the key's composition side-by-side so that, hopefully, someone can see where I'm going wrong in general and nudge me in the correct direction.
Ηere's my Sidgwick exercise 1:
νῦν ἐστί μεσημβρία, καὶ ἣλιος ἐστί σφόδρα θερμός. ἡ σκιά τῶν δενδρών ἐστί ψυχρά, καί ἡ λίμνη ἐστί καλή. ὁρῶ πολλούς κύκνους, οἳ εἰσί λαμπρούς καί λευκούς. ὁ τράχηλοςἐκεῖνος τοῦ κύκνου ἐστί μακρός ἀλλά τὸ ὁ ἀριστερός πτερόν δοκεῖ εἶναι μικρόν. οὐκ αἶδα τήν αἰτίαν οὗ του. ἴσως ἐστί ἡ κακή ωόσος ἐν τοῦ τῷ πτερῷ. ἴσως ὀστέον τῷ οὗτῳ κύκνῳ διερράγη λίθῳ. ἐστί ὁ μικρον πλοῖον ἐπί τῃ λίμνῃ.
Here's the key's corrections (green = wrong placement, red = needs omission, blue = error in form):
μεσημβρία νῦν ἐστί, καὶ ἣλιος σφόδρα θερμός ἐστί. ἡ σκιά τῶν δενδρών ψυχρά ἐστί, καί ἡ λίμνη ἐστί καλή. ὁρῶ πολλούς κύκνους, οἳ λαμπροί εἰσί καί λευκοί. ὁ τράχηλοςἐκεῖνος τοῦ κύκνου μακρός ἐστί ἀλλά τὸ ὁ ἀριστερόν πτερόν δοκεῖ μικρόν εἶναι. οὐκ αἶδα τήν αἰτίαν τούτου. ἴσως κακή ἐστί ἡ ωόσος ἐν τοῦ τῷ πτερῷ. ἴσως τούτοῦ τoῦ κύκνου ὀστέον λίθῳ διερράγη. ἐπί της λίμνης ἐστί ὁ μικρον πλοῖον.
By my analysis, I have ten different words or phrases placed incorrectly (according to the key), nine incorrect forms, and four words requiring omission. The incorrect forms is attributable to lack of attention, but the incorrect placements and unnecessary words, I think, echo the need for some further instructions. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I've been working with Crosby's "An Introduction to Greek" and I picked up Sidgwick's "A First Greek Writer" plus key from this site. Feeling fairly confident that I could probably make it through the first exercise or two without excessive errors, I tried Sidgwick's first exercise (the one on swans). When I checked my translation with the key, I was terribly wrong from start to finish, and I can't help thinking that I just don't have adequate preparation.
I consider myself a very capable student, but I cannot find for the life of me any real guidelines to composition. In Latin, beginning students know at least to start by putting the verb last! In Greek, I find no such helps. I've posted my composition and the key's composition side-by-side so that, hopefully, someone can see where I'm going wrong in general and nudge me in the correct direction.
Ηere's my Sidgwick exercise 1:
νῦν ἐστί μεσημβρία, καὶ ἣλιος ἐστί σφόδρα θερμός. ἡ σκιά τῶν δενδρών ἐστί ψυχρά, καί ἡ λίμνη ἐστί καλή. ὁρῶ πολλούς κύκνους, οἳ εἰσί λαμπρούς καί λευκούς. ὁ τράχηλοςἐκεῖνος τοῦ κύκνου ἐστί μακρός ἀλλά τὸ ὁ ἀριστερός πτερόν δοκεῖ εἶναι μικρόν. οὐκ αἶδα τήν αἰτίαν οὗ του. ἴσως ἐστί ἡ κακή ωόσος ἐν τοῦ τῷ πτερῷ. ἴσως ὀστέον τῷ οὗτῳ κύκνῳ διερράγη λίθῳ. ἐστί ὁ μικρον πλοῖον ἐπί τῃ λίμνῃ.
Here's the key's corrections (green = wrong placement, red = needs omission, blue = error in form):
μεσημβρία νῦν ἐστί, καὶ ἣλιος σφόδρα θερμός ἐστί. ἡ σκιά τῶν δενδρών ψυχρά ἐστί, καί ἡ λίμνη ἐστί καλή. ὁρῶ πολλούς κύκνους, οἳ λαμπροί εἰσί καί λευκοί. ὁ τράχηλοςἐκεῖνος τοῦ κύκνου μακρός ἐστί ἀλλά τὸ ὁ ἀριστερόν πτερόν δοκεῖ μικρόν εἶναι. οὐκ αἶδα τήν αἰτίαν τούτου. ἴσως κακή ἐστί ἡ ωόσος ἐν τοῦ τῷ πτερῷ. ἴσως τούτοῦ τoῦ κύκνου ὀστέον λίθῳ διερράγη. ἐπί της λίμνης ἐστί ὁ μικρον πλοῖον.
By my analysis, I have ten different words or phrases placed incorrectly (according to the key), nine incorrect forms, and four words requiring omission. The incorrect forms is attributable to lack of attention, but the incorrect placements and unnecessary words, I think, echo the need for some further instructions. Any help would be greatly appreciated.