N&H Prose Composition, preliminary exercises

Here you can discuss all things Latin. Use this board to ask questions about grammar, discuss learning strategies, get help with a difficult passage of Latin, and more.
Post Reply
Amiros
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 4:57 am
Location: Berlin
Contact:

N&H Prose Composition, preliminary exercises

Post by Amiros »

Ok, so after finally overcoming Moreland & Fleischer a few months ago, I've decided it's about time that I deepen my Latin knowledge with a composition book. So I'm doing N&H Prose Composition, but since the answer key doesn't include the preliminary exercises, which I really need for revision, I will post them here hoping anyone would help. So here goes.

Preliminary Exercise A

1. The land was ruled by a good king.
Terra ab rege bonō regebātur/recta est.

2. The soldier was killed by an arrow.
miles ab sagittā interficiēbātur/interfectus est.

3. The boy killed the bird with a stone.
puer avem lapide interficiēbat/interfecit.

4. The Roman general was defeated by Hannibal.
imperator romanus ab Hannibale superabātur/superātus est.

5. The soldier killed the peasant with a sword.
miles agricolam cum gladiō interficiēbat/interfecit.

6. We have been conquered by the enemy.
ab hostilibus vincebāmur/victī sumus.

7. The walls were defended by the citizens.
Murī a civibus defendebantur/defensī sunt.

8. Our city was built by Romulus.
Urbs ab Romulō aedificabātur/aedificata est.

9. The Romans fortified their city with a wall.
Romanī urbem eōrum murō munibant/munivērunt.

10. Gaul is separated from Britain by the sea.
Gallia a Britanniā mare dividitur.

11. A high wall defends the camp.
murus altus castrum defendit.

12. We are loved by our friends, and we love them.
Ab amicīs amāmur, eōsque amāmus.

13. We shall not be conquered by the enemy.
Ab hostilibus nōn vincantur.

14. The camp is defended by a long wall.
Castrum a murō longō defenditur.

15. The citizens defended the city.
Civēs urbem defendebant/defendērunt.

16. Cities are defended by the citizens.
Urbēs a civibus defenduntur.

17. We have taken the camp.
Castrum accepimus.

18. The camp has been taken by us.
Castrum a nobīs accipiēbātur/acceptum est.

19. They are teaching the boys.
Puerōs docent.

20. The boys are taught by books.
Puerī librīs docentur.

Thanks!
Latin: Trying to ge back to it. Again. (Again.)
Ancient Greek: Hoping to have time to get back to that in the future...
Other: Hebrew [native]; English [advanced]; German [advanced]; Palestinian Arabic [beginner]

Craig_Thomas
Textkit Member
Posts: 156
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2010 9:42 am
Contact:

Re: N&H Prose Composition, preliminary exercises

Post by Craig_Thomas »

2. The soldier was killed by an arrow.
miles ab sagittā interficiēbātur/interfectus est.
The agent of a passive verb is usually only preceded by ā/ab when it is a person exercising his will; an inanimate agent, like an arrow, should appear in the bare ablative.
5. The soldier killed the peasant with a sword.
miles agricolam cum gladiō interficiēbat/interfecit.
Cum is not normally used with an instrumental ablative.
9. The Romans fortified their city with a wall.
Romanī urbem eōrum murō munibant/munivērunt.
Presumably it's their own city the Romans are defending, so you have to use a form of the reflexive adjective suus, and can't say urbem eōrum, which means "the city of those [other] men". Murō munīre seems tautological to me, as munīre means "to build a wall around".
11. A high wall defends the camp.
murus altus castrum defendit.
Castrum means "fort"; "camp" is the plural, castra.
13. We shall not be conquered by the enemy.
Ab hostilibus nōn vincantur.
You've used the 3rd person and the subjunctive, but the question asks for the 1st person and the future indicative.
14. The camp is defended by a long wall.
Castrum a murō longō defenditur.
Castra again. As with 2, above, an inanimate agent is not preceded by ā or ab.
17. We have taken the camp.
Castrum accepimus.
Castra.
18. The camp has been taken by us.
Castrum a nobīs accipiēbātur/acceptum est.
Cstr.

Amiros
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 4:57 am
Location: Berlin
Contact:

Re: N&H Prose Composition, preliminary exercises

Post by Amiros »

Thanks Craig! :) I certainly have a lot to revise.

Sorry for the double posting, my browser seemed not to send the first. I'll continue with the other thread. Combining the two by one of the moderators would be appreciated.
Latin: Trying to ge back to it. Again. (Again.)
Ancient Greek: Hoping to have time to get back to that in the future...
Other: Hebrew [native]; English [advanced]; German [advanced]; Palestinian Arabic [beginner]

Post Reply