Trucks and the Subjunctive in PowerPoint

Since students don’t know how to use the subjunctive in English, explaining the constructions in Latin is complicated.  The presentations linked in this blog post are a visual way to teach – or review –  the sequence of tenses for purpose clauses, indirect command, indirect question, verbs of fearing and result clauses.  Students like the truck as it races down the hill; the idea that “ut is a like a warning sign – it warns you to watch out ahead” wakes them up to its purpose in the sentence.  In addition, there is enough time for them to translate the sentences, too.  One set uses primary sequence, and the other secondary sequence.  I found it useful to show the particular subjunctive use as we got to it, and then each time I introduced a new use, I would show the slides from the beginning, to remind them how it works.  Nothing like repetition!

Trucks and the Subjunctive: Primary Sequence

Trucks and the Subjunctive: Secondary Sequence

By Ruth Breindel, who taught Latin, Greek, Linguistics and Mythology at Moses Brown School for 30 years.

More from the CANE blog

Links for the week of 2 September

Podcast on Caesar’s Army (from Prof. Francese on Latin Best Practices): http://dcc.dickinson.edu/podcasts/caesars-army” Podcast on Caesar’s Strategy and Genius (from Prof. Francese on Latin Best Practices):

Links for 25 July

Participate in the National Latin Survey. Roman fingerprints found in 2,000 year old cosmetics. A free MOOC on paleography through the University of London. Crocodile

Teaching Latin to the Young

With young students, even more than with older students, you need to think about what your goals in teaching the class are. A Latin class