PART II
WORDS AND FORMS
LESSON I
FIRST PRINCIPLES
19. Subject and Predicate.
- 1. Latin, like English, expresses thoughts by means of sentences. A sentence is a combination of words that expresses a thought, and in its simplest form is the statement of a single fact. Thus,
| Galba is a farmer | The sailor fights |
| Galba est agricola | Nauta pugnat |
- In each of these sentences there are two parts:
| Subject | Galba | Predicate | is a farmer | ||
| Galba | est agricola | ||||
| The sailor | fights | ||||
| Nauta | pugnat |
- 2. The subject is that person, place, or thing about which something is said, and is therefore a noun or some word which can serve the same purpose.
- a. Pronouns, as their name implies (pro, "instead of," and noun), often take the place of nouns, usually to save repeating the same noun, as, Galba is a farmer; he is a sturdy fellow.
- 3. The predicate is that which is said about the subject, and consists of a verb with or without modifiers.
- a. A verb is a word which asserts something (usually an act) concerning a person, place, or thing.
