AP Latin : Grammatical and Syntactic Terminology in Poetry Passages

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Latin

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages

Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux,                    5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus,                        10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.

Which use of the subjunctive is "vivamus" in line 1?

Possible Answers:

Hortatory

Optative

Result

Purpose

Correct answer:

Hortatory

Explanation:

"Vivamus" is an independent use of the subjunctive, ruling out the possibility of it being a result or purpose clause. You may translate "vivamusas let us live, a phrase meant to urge someone to action. This is different from optative, in which "utinam" or some other word indicating a wish would be present. The correct answer is "hortatory."

Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13

Example Question #2 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages

Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux,                    5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus,                        10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.

"Nobis cum" in ine 5 is an example of __________.

Possible Answers:

Anastrophe

Litotes

Zeugma

Ellipsis

Correct answer:

Anastrophe

Explanation:

Typically in Latin, a preposition comes before its object, but here "nobis" comes prior to the word "cum" in the sentence. This inversion of the typical word order is an example of anastophe.

Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13

Example Question #3 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages

Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux,                    5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus,                        10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.

"Da" in line 7 is an example of __________.

Possible Answers:

Imperative verb

Noun in the vocative case

Noun in the nominative case

Adverb

Correct answer:

Imperative verb

Explanation:

The word "da" comes from the verb "do," "dare," "dedi," "datus." This is the imperative singular form of that word.

Example Question #4 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages

Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux,                    5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus,                        10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.

What is the case of "senum" in line 2?

Possible Answers:

Genitive

Nominative

Locative

Accusative

Correct answer:

Genitive

Explanation:

The word "senum" comes from "senex," "senis," a third declension noun. The "-um" ending only appears in the genitive plural form of this declension. Therefore, the answer is "genitive."

Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13

Example Question #5 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages

Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux,                    5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus,                        10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.

What is the case of "fecerimus" in line 10?

Possible Answers:

Future

Perfect

Future perfect

Present

Correct answer:

Future perfect

Explanation:

The word "fecerimus" comes from the verb "facio," "facere," "feci," "factus." It uses the perfect stem of this word, with the addition of the ending "-erimus." This is how you form the future perfect tense.

Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13

Example Question #6 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages

Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux,                    5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus,                        10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.

"Dormienda" in line 6 is an example of a(n) __________.

Possible Answers:

gerundive

adverb

perfect passive participle

adjective

Correct answer:

gerundive

Explanation:

The "-nd-" in "dormienda" is a clue that this word is either a gerund or gerundive. Gerunds in Latin, however, are nouns that only take second declension singular endings. Since this word has first declension endings and is acting as an adjective, we know that it is a gerundive.

Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13

Example Question #1 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages

Ni te plus oculis meis amarem,
iucundissime Calve, munere isto
odissem te odio Vatiniano:
nam quid feci ego quidve sum locutus,
cur me tot male perderes poetis?                         5
isti di mala multa dent clienti,
qui tantum tibi misit impiorum.
quod si, ut suspicor, hoc novum ac repertum
munus dat tibi Sulla litterator,
non est mi male, sed bene ac beate,                    10
quod non dispereunt tui labores.
di magni, horribilem et sacrum libellum!
quem tu scilicet ad tuum Catullum
misti, continuo ut die periret,
Saturnalibus, optimo dierum!                               15
non non hoc tibi, false, sic abibit.
nam si luxerit ad librariorum
curram scrinia, Caesios, Aquinos,
Suffenum, omnia colligam venena.
ac te his suppliciis remunerabor.                          20
vos hinc interea valete abite
illuc, unde malum pedem attulistis,
saecli incommoda, pessimi poetae.

"Iucundissime" (line 2) is an example of what type of word?

Possible Answers:

Pluperfect infinitive

Superlative adverb

Pluperfect subjunctive verb

Perfect passive participle

Correct answer:

Superlative adverb

Explanation:

The word "iucundissime" comes from the word "iucundus," "a," "um," an adjective. For regular adjectives, the "-issimus/a/um/e" ending indicates a superlative.

(Passage adapted from "Catullus 14," ln.1-23)

Example Question #7 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages

Cenabis bene, mi Fabulle, apud me
paucis, si tibi di favent, diebus,
si tecum attuleris bonam atque magnam
cenam, non sine candida puella
et vino et sale et omnibus cachinnis.                  5
haec si, inquam, attuleris, venuste noster,
cenabis bene; nam tui Catulli
plenus sacculus est aranearum.
sed contra accipies meros amores
seu quid suavius elegantiusve est:                     10
nam unguentum dabo, quod meae puellae
donarunt Veneres Cupidinesque,
quod tu cum olfacies, deos rogabis,
totum ut te faciant, Fabulle, nasum.

What tense is "accipies" in line 9?

Possible Answers:

Perfect

Present

Imperfect

Future

Correct answer:

Future

Explanation:

"Accipies" comes from the word "accipio, accipere, accepi, acceptus." It is a 3rd-IO conjugation verb. Since the ending of "accipies" is "-s" and it uses the present stem, it could only be either present, future, or imperfect tense. It does not, however, have the characteristic "-ba-" of the imperfect tense, and the present tense form of this word would be "accipis." It is in the future tense.

(Passage adapted from "Catullus 13," ln.1-14)

Example Question #8 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages

Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire,
et quod vides perisse perditum ducas.
fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles,
cum ventitabas quo puella ducebat
amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla.                         5
ibi illa multa cum iocosa fiebant,
quae tu volebas nec puella nolebat,
fulsere vere candidi tibi soles.
nunc iam illa non vult: tu quoque impotens noli,
nec quae fugit sectare, nec miser vive,                       10
sed obstinata mente perfer, obdura.
vale puella, iam Catullus obdurat,
nec te requiret nec rogabit invitam.
at tu dolebis, cum rogaberis nulla.
scelesta, vae te, quae tibi manet vita?                         15
quis nunc te adibit? cui videberis bella?
quem nunc amabis? cuius esse diceris?
quem basiabis? cui labella mordebis?
at tu, Catulle, destinatus obdura.

"Cui" (line 16) is an example of a __________.

Possible Answers:

relative pronoun

noun

participle

passive infinitive

Correct answer:

relative pronoun

Explanation:

"Cui" is a form of the relative pronoun "qui, quae, quod."

(Passage adapted from "Catullus 8," ln.1-19)

Example Question #9 : Grammatical And Syntactic Terminology In Poetry Passages

Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire,
et quod vides perisse perditum ducas.
fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles,
cum ventitabas quo puella ducebat
amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla.                         5
ibi illa multa cum iocosa fiebant,
quae tu volebas nec puella nolebat,
fulsere vere candidi tibi soles.
nunc iam illa non vult: tu quoque impotens noli,
nec quae fugit sectare, nec miser vive,                       10
sed obstinata mente perfer, obdura.
vale puella, iam Catullus obdurat,
nec te requiret nec rogabit invitam.
at tu dolebis, cum rogaberis nulla.
scelesta, vae te, quae tibi manet vita?                         15
quis nunc te adibit? cui videberis bella?
quem nunc amabis? cuius esse diceris?
quem basiabis? cui labella mordebis?
at tu, Catulle, destinatus obdura.

"Impotens" (line 9) is an example of __________.

Possible Answers:

gerund

plural noun

present active participle

verb

Correct answer:

present active participle

Explanation:

"Impotens" comes from "impotens, impotentis." It is a present active participle. All present active participles end in "-ns, -ntis."

(Passage adapted from "Catullus 8," ln.1-19)

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