Level 3+; Subjunctive [37] dependent uses; tense sequences [ii] practice

These two exercises are deliberately intended for you to focus on subtlety. The sequence of tenses discussed in the previous post do not only apply to clauses of purpose. However, here we will only use this clause type.

[1] Translate the following sentences:

[i] Domum iter fac ut captīvōs dēfendās.

[ii] Domum iter faciēbat ut captīvōs dēfenderet.

[iii] Mox domum iter fēcerit ut captīvōs dēfendat.

[iv] Postērō diē domum iter fēcerat ut captīvōs dēfenderet.

[v] Rōmam adīmus ut aurum celātum inveniāmus.

[vi] 2 subjunctives in the same sentence (hortatory and purpose)

Rōmam (1) adeāmus (2) ut aurum celātum inveniāmus.

[vii] Ad scholam currō ut discipulum cōnfīrmem.

[viii] Ad scholam cucurrī ut discipulum cōnfirmerem.

[ix] Ad Galliam fugite ut hostēs saevōs ēvādere possītis.

[x] Ad Galliam fugērunt ut hostēs saevōs ēvādere possent.

[xi] Pompeiās redībāmus ut vīllam emerēmus.

[xii] Pompeiās redīte ut vīllam emātis.

[xiii] Dominus servum in vincula iēcit nē fugeret.

[xiv] Dominus servum in vincula iaciet nē fugiat.

[xv] Cīvēs saxa iēcerant nē hostēs urbem caperent.

Again, a sentence with (1) a hortatory subjunctive, and (2) subjunctive of purpose

[xvi] Saxa (1) iaciāmus (2) nē hostēs urbem capiant.

[2]

Match the Latin sentences with the English translations listed below.

[i] Puer ad macellum mittitur ut pānem emat.

[ii] Puer ad macellum saepe mittēbātur ut pānem emeret.

Careful with the next two: remember that the Latin perfect can translate in two different ways in English.

[iii] Puer ad macellum missus est ut pānem emeret.

[iv] Puer ad macellum missus est ut pānem emat.

[v] Puer ad macellum missus erat ut pānem emeret.

[vi] Puer ad macellum missus erit ut pānem emat.

[vii] Mitte puerum ad macellum ut pānem emat.

Send the boy to the market so that he may buy bread.

The boy had been sent to the market to buy bread.

The boy has been sent to the market to buy bread.

The boy is being sent to the market to buy bread / … so that (in order that) he may buy bread

The boy was often sent to the market to buy bread. / …so  that (in order that) he would buy bread

The boy was sent to the market to buy bread.

The boy will have been sent to the market to buy bread.

____________________

[1]

[i] Make a journey home so that you may defend the prisoners.

[ii] He was making a journey home in order that he might defend / (in order) to defend the captives.

[iii] Soon he will have made a journey home in order that he may defend / (in order) to defend the captives.

[iv] The next day he had made the journey home in order that he might defend the captives.

[v] We go to Rome in order that we may find the hidden gold.

[vi] (1) Let’s go (Latin: hortatory subjunctive) to Rome ¦ (2) in order that we may find / (in order) to find the hidden gold.

[vii] I’m running to the school in order that I may support / (in order) to support the student.

[viii] I ran to the school in order that I might support / (in order) to support the student.

[ix] Flee to Gaul in order that you may be able to escape the savage enemies.

[x] They fled to Gaul in order that they might be able to escape the savage enemies.

[xi] We were returning to Pompeii in order that we might buy a villa.

[xii] Return to Pompeii so that you may buy the villa.

[xiii] The master put the slave into chains so that he would not flee.

[xiv] The master will throw the slave into chains so that he may not escape.

[xv] The citizens had thrown stones so that the enemies would not capture the city.

[xvi] (1) Let’s throw (Latin: hortatory subjunctive) stones ¦ (2) so that the enemies do not capture the city.

[2]

[i] The boy is being sent to the market to buy bread / … so that (in order that) he may buy bread

[ii] The boy was often sent to the market to buy bread. / …so  that (in order that) he would buy bread

[iii] The boy was sent to the market to buy bread.

[iv] The boy has been sent to the market to buy bread.

[v] The boy had been sent to the market to buy bread.

[vi] The boy will have been sent to the market to buy bread.

[vii] Send the boy to the market so that he may buy bread.

Level 3+; Subjunctive [36] dependent uses; tense sequences [i]

The term tense sequence can also be applied to English although usage is different. It means that the tense of the verb in the main clause can affect the tense of the verb in the subordinate clause. Although not expressing a subjunctive, we can see this in English indirect speech:

I tell him every day that I need to leave at 5pm.

I told him this morning that I would need to leave at 5pm.

I had told him yesterday that I needed to leave at 5pm.

There are other variations, but the point is that the verb in the main clause (tell / told / had told) affects the tense of the verb in the subordinate clause.

This is an important feature when dealing with the Latin subjunctive because the tense of the main verb will determine the subjunctive tense in the subordinate clause. Possibly without realising it, you have already seen this in operation in the posts on purpose clauses.

[1] and [2] below are referred to in grammar as:

[1] PRIMARY sequence

[2] SECONDARY or HISTORICAL sequence

The verbs in the main clause of [1] are described as primary.

The verbs in the main clause of [2] are described as secondary or historical.

[1] Primary sequence

Ad urbem eō [present indicative] ut pānem emam [present subjunctive].

• I’m going to the city to buy bread / in order that I may buy bread.

Ad Caesarem ībimus [future indicative] ut pācem rogēmus [present subjunctive].

• We shall go to Caesar to ask for peace / in order that we may ask for peace.

Manē [imperative] in urbe ut tūtus sīs [present subjunctive].

• Stay in the city to be safe / so that you may be safe.

[1] The primary tenses are:

[i] Present

• Ad Āsiam redeō ut hostēs vincam│ I’m returning to Asia to defeat / so that I may defeat the enemy.
• Scrībit, ut nōs moneat │ He writes to warn us.
• Magister discipulum hortātur ut crās reveniat │ The teacher encourages the pupil to return / so that he may return tomorrow.
• Labōrāmus ut dīvitēs fīāmus │ We work in order to become rich.
• Bellum gerimus ¦ nē urbem capiātis │ We are waging war so that you do not capture the city.

[ii] Future

• Clamābō ut cēterī audiant │ I shall shout so that the others may hear.
• Scrībet, ut nōs moneat │ He will write to warn us.
• Ducentōs  mittēmus ut hostium iter impediāmus │ We will send 200 (men) so that we may hinder the enemy’s march.
• Bellum gerēmus nē urbem capiātis. │ We shall wage war so that you do not capture the city.

[iii] Imperative (although not a tense, the imperative also creates a primary sequence)

• Scrībe, ut nōs moneās │ Write to warn us [ = in order that / so that you may warn us]

[iv] and [v] are far less common but still form part of this primary sequence:

[iv] Perfect [ = present perfect i.e. ‘have / has done’ something]

• Hoc fēcit ut glōriam habeat │ He has done this to have glory / so that he may have glory.
• Vēnērunt ut arma nōs rogent │ They have come to ask us for weapons.
• Domum īvimus ut amīcōs videāmus │ We have gone home to see (our) friends.
• Equum ēmī nē fessus sim │ I have bought a horse so that I won’t be tired.

[v] Future perfect

• Mox epistulam scripserō ut imperātōrem dē perīculō moneam │ I will soon have written the letter to warn / so that I may warn the commander about the danger.

[2] Secondary sequence

Ad urbem īvī [perfect indicative] ut pānem emerem [imperfect subjunctive].

• I went to the city to buy bread / in order that I might buy bread.

Hoc fēcimus [perfect indicative] nē copiās Rōmānās vincerēs [imperfect subjunctive].

• We did this so that you would not conquer the Roman troops.

Rōmānī bellum gerēbant [imperfect indicative] nē hostēs patriam invāderent [imperfect subjunctive].

• The Romans were waging war so that the enemy would not invade the homeland.

Ad Aegyptum vēnerat [pluperfect indicative] ut captīvōs līberāret [imperfect subjunctive].

• He had come to Egypt in order to free / so that he would free the slaves.

[2] The secondary / historic tenses are:

[i] perfect [= did something]

Scrīpsit, ut nōs monēret │ He wrote (in order) to warn us.

Note: the term ‘perfect’ appears in [1] and [2] because the perfect tense in Latin has a double function which, in English, has two separate forms;  it is the tense which overlaps i.e. in [1] it is the equivalent of the English present perfect [have/ has done something], whereas in [2] – and very commonly – it is the equivalent of the English simple past [did something] i.e. the entire event is over; there is no sense of it being ongoing. Depending upon context:

[1] Hoc fēcit ut cōnsul fīat │ He has done this so that he may become consul.

[2] Hoc fēcit ut cōnsul fieret │ He did this so that he would / might become consul.

[ii] imperfect

Vēnātor per silvam ambulābat ut bēstiās quaereret. │ The hunter was walking through the forest to search for / so that he might search for wild animals.

[iii] pluperfect

Scrīpserat, ut nōs monēret │ He had written to warn us / in order that he might warn us.