Apart from completing the Latin quotations with the verbs listed below, the purpose of this exercise is to illustrate a point that was made at a very early stage when the lengthy topic of the subjunctive began.
At times, English can convey subjunctive ideas with the use of auxiliary verbs such as “could”, “might”, “may”, and “would”. Professional translations will very often do this if it is stylistically appropriate i.e. it does not sound clumsy or archaic. However, that is not guaranteed and the examples below show, at this level, where you need to consider the thinking that underpins the usage of moods. In [A] the actions are presented as factual, whereas in [B] the actions are treated as prospective i.e. they refer to actions that are expected or intended.
[A] Indicative
[i] There was silence until he returned.
Dōnec __________ silentium fuit (Livy)
[ii] While these things are being done, your father is brought alongside in a very small boat; and nobody has caught sight of the man until he boards the ship.
Dum haec __________, lembō advehitur tuus pater pauxillulō, neque quisquam hominem cōnspicātust [ = cōnspicātus est], dōnec in nāvem __________ (Plautus)
[iii] I was anxious until the moment when we came to challenge the jurors.
Ūsque eō timuī dōnec ad reiciendōs iūdicēs __________ (Cicero)
[iv] But if I cannot completely persuade you, at least (wait) until what we are doing about Spain is known
Quod sī tōtum tibi persuādēre nōn possum, saltem, dum, quid dē Hispāniīs agāmus, __________ (Cicero)
[v] For, while I was dealing with that … I was as if nurturing my own pains
Nam, dum illud __________ … quasi fovēbam dolōrēs meōs (Cicero)
[vi] As long as the king was with me ….
Quoad mēcum rēx __________… (Cicero)
[vii] Take a look at our house whenever you can [ = as long as you will be able].
Domum nostram, quoad __________, invīsās (Cicero)
[viii] As long as you wish me to hope, I shall comply with your wishes.
Quoad mē vōs spērāre __________, vōbīs obtemperābō (Cicero)
[ix] I have all the account books both of this man and of his father, and I have read and studied them with utmost care — of the father for as long as he lived, yours for as long as you say you kept them.
Habeō et ipsīus et patris eius acceptī tabulās omnīs, quās dīligentissimē lēgī atque dīgessī, patris, quoad __________, tuās, quoad __________ tē cōnfēcisse (Cicero)
[x] They remained at Rome until Lucius Metellus set out for the province.
Rōmae fuērunt quoad L. Metellus in prōvinciam __________ (Cicero)
aguntur; ais; fuit; poteris; profectus est; rediit; scītur; subit; tractābam; vēnimus; vīxit; vultis
[B] Subjunctive; examples with dōnec + subjunctive are rare
[i] Now, don’t wait for me to return [literally: until I return] home by this street.
Nunc nē expectētis, dum hāc domum __________ viā (Plautus)
[ii] The matter will be solved in the blink of an eye [literally: by the time you sneeze]
Dum tū __________, rēs erit solūta (Plautus)
[iii] And so I sat down in the middle of the road until I could write out a summary of these things for you.
Itaque subsēdī in ipsā viā, dum haec… summātim tibi __________ (Cicero)
[iv] And I have not moved from Thessalonica …until you (could / might) write something to me about him.
He ought to have been a little quieter until he received a reply [literally: until replies were brought back]
Dēbuit esse paulō quiētior, dum respōnsa __________ (Cicero)
[v] For I did not have to wait until he returned from Cosa.
Nōn enim ego … illum expectāre, dum dē Cosānō __________, dēbuī, (Cicero)
[vi] As I had decided to await Pomptinus, I thought it most convenient, until he arrived, to spend the days with Pompey.
Nec mē Thessalonīcā commōvī … quoad aliquid ad mē dē eō __________ (Cicero)
[vii] Quod Pomptīnum statueram exspectāre, commodissimum dūxī diēs eōs, quoad ille __________, cum Pompēiō cōnsūmere (Cicero)
[viii] He will need to hold out until Pompey arrives.
Erit ad sustentandum, quoad Pompēius __________ (Cicero)
[ix] Continue to feed clover until it dries out
Usque ōcinum datō, dōnec __________ (Cato)
[x] When Pompey was arriving, the townspeople allowed him to approach nearer and nearer, until he came close to the very gates and the wall.
Pompēiō adveniente oppidānī usque eō passī propius accēdere, dōnec ad ipsās portās ac mūrum __________ (Bellum Africum)
adpropinquāret; ārēscat; perscrīberem; redeam; redīret; referrentur; scrīberēs; sternuās; veniat; venīret
____________________
[A]
[i] rediit
[ii] aguntur; subit
[iii] vēnimus
[iv] scītur
[v] tractābam
[vi] fuit
[vii] poteris
[viii] vultis
[ix] vīxit; ais
[x] profectus est
[B]
[i] redeam
[ii] sternuās
[iii] perscrīberem
[iv] referrentur
[v] redīret
[vi] scrīberēs
[vii] venīret
[viii] veniat
[ix] ārēscat
[x] adpropinquāret
