Agreement of Nouns and Adjectives in Phrases

(Cf. Wheelock 9)

LatinPraxis Index

As you continue to learn the endings of the various declensions, you will need some practice in understanding, noticing, expecting, getting an immediate feel for, and fashioning noun-phrases whose parts exhibit case agreement. How would you transpose the following phrase into the other cases?

ille bonus frâter meus = that good brother of mine (s)

 

Ille must follow its usual endings for the masculine singular:		Bonus must do the same:	So must frâter:	So must meus:
Nominative	ille	bonus	frâter	meus
Genitive	illîus	bonî	frâtris	meî
Dative	illî	bonô	frâtrî	meô
Accusative	illum	bonum	frâtrem	meum
Ablative	illô	bonô	frâtre	meô

 

 

Therefore, ille bonus frâter meus would be declined (and translated according to our conventions) as follows:

ille bonus frâter meus
  
    = that good brother of mine (s)

illîus bonî frâtris meî
  
    = of that good brother of mine

illî bonô frâtrî meô
  
    = to/for that good brother of mine

illum bonum frâtrem meum
  
    = that good brother of mine (o)

illô bonô frâtre meô
  
    = by that good brother of mine

 

And the plural would be:

illî bonî frâtrês meî
  
    = those good brothers of mine (s)

illôrum bonôrum frâtrum meôrum
  
    = of those good brothers of mine

illîs bonîs frâtribus meîs
  
    = to/for those good brothers of mine

illôs bonôs frâtrês meôs
  
    = those good brothers of mine (o)

illîs bonîs frâtribus meîs
  
    = by those good brothers of mine

 

 

That good sister of mine would look like:

 

illa bona soror mea

illîus bonae sorôris meae

illî bonae sorôrî meae

illam bonam sorôrem meam

illâ bonâ sorôre meâ

 

And the plural would be:

illae bonae sorôrês meae

illârum bonârum sorôrum meârum

illîs bonîs sorôribus meîs

illâs bonâs sorôrês meâs

illîs bonîs sorôribus meîs

 

 

If you are having trouble with the immediate recognition of such phrases, make flashcards of each item and practice comprehending them until you can do so without any effort or delay. They will soon begin to feel familiar and "right." To understand why the phrases are they way they are, you need to consult something like the tables presented here, but the second task, namely getting that "immediate feel for what is right" is just as important!

 

 

Practice by declining phrases like the following:

any new sailor

no real vice

few greedy farmers

that ancient wisdom

all of Italy

either body

one good number

study alone