Exercises 10, 11, 12    (counts as three lessons)

Gerunds and Gerundives

1. The GERUND is a verbal noun, active in meaning, neuter in gender: it is found only in the genitive, dative, accusative and ablative [= "the oblique cases"]. The accusative is chiefly used with ad to express purpose. Its nominative is not used and it has no plural. The infinitive takes the place of the nominative (a verbal noun as subject) and of the gerund as direct object. The infinitive is also a verbal noun, but while the infinitive has different tenses, the gerund denotes the verbal activity without specific reference to time.

The verbal nature of the gerund allows it to be modified by adverbs and to govern the same case as the verb from which it is derived.

The use of the gerund with a direct object is usually avoided unless the object is a neuter pronoun or adjective. In place of the gerund with a direct object, the gerundive is preferred [see part 2].

Examples:

1. Nom. [infinitive]: errare est humanum

2. Gen. ars docendi

3. Dat. locus pugnando idoneus ("a place suitable for fighting")

4. Acc. paratus ad pugnandum ("ready for fighting/to fight")

5. Abl. discimus docendo ("we learn by teaching")

Exercises for practice: translate:

1. for (the purpose of) living well and happily

2. the desire to have more (things)

3. by sparing the enemy

4. human beings were born for action (for doing)

5. water is useful for (dative) drinking

6. the art of writing

7. desire for (= of) ruling

8. desirous of conquering

9. for the sake of learning

10. The mind is nourished by learning and thinking.

11. Praising is easy, understanding difficult.

12. By living long we see much.

13. The greatest pleasure is taken from learning.

14. Have you a plan for withdrawing?

2. The GERUNDIVE is a verbal adjective, passive in meaning; it is used in all genders, numbers, and cases. In the nominative (and sometimes in the accusative) the gerundive is used to express obligation and necessity. Amici tibi sunt consolandi ["you must console your friends"]. If the verb is intransitive, the gerundive is used in an impersonal construction: hostibus parcendum est ["one must spare the enemy"].

The person on whom the obligation rests goes into the dative [dative of agent with the future passive periphrastic], unless the verb itself takes the dative in which event a/ab is used with the ablative [ablative of agent]: hostibus a nobis parcendum erat ["we ought to have spared the enemy"].

The gerundive is preferred to the gerund with a direct object. The gerundive, since it is an adjective goes into the same case as its noun. The case depends on the introductory word.

Examples:

Nom. vir laudandus "a man to be praised / who ought to be praised"

Gen. studium pacis petendae "desire of seeking peace" [lit., "desire of peace to be sought"]

Dat. locus castris ponendis idoneus "a place suitable for pitching camp"

Acc. ad urbem capiendam "for capturing the city / to capture the city"

Abl. discimus bonis libris legendis "we learn by reading good books"

English does not have a gerundive construction. Rather we translate both constructions as if they were gerunds. To decide which construction should be used in Latin, look for a direct object: use the gerundive if there is a direct object; use the gerund if there is not. Be especially careful of intransitive verbs (special verbs) that take the dative since these may use the gerund construction even though their English equivalents may seem to take a direct object.

Exercises for practice: translate into Latin:

1. for the purpose of writing a letter [a letter = litterae, f. pl.]

2. useful for waging war

3. You must overcome your enemies.

4.  by reading good books

5.  [Old age takes us away] from doing things.

6.  desire of waging wars

7.  for the purpose of making peace

8.  We must not harm the enemy.

9. [optional] Each [man] must use his own judgment.  [use impersonal construction]

3. Uses of the cases

1. Accusative: the accusative of both gerund and gerundive is chiefly used with ad (rarely with other prepositions). The accusative with ad shows purpose.

2. Dative: the dative of the gerund and gerundive is used after a few verbs and adjectives (e.g. praeficere, praeesse, operam dare, adsum, utilis, impar). It can also be used to express aim or purpose [dative of purpose].

--Scribendo operam dat "he is giving his attention to writing".

--comitia consulibus creandis "meeting for electing the consuls"

3. Ablative: the ablative of the gerund and gerundive is chiefly used to denote instrument or cause, or with the prepositions ab, de, ex, in.

--unus homo nobis cunctando restituit rem "one man restored our state by delaying"

--libris legendis delector "I take delight in reading books"

4. Genitive: the genitive of gerund and gerundive is used with nouns and adjectives as objective genitive and as appositional genitive.

--studium urbis capiendae "zeal for taking the city"

--qui hic mos obsidiendi vias "what sort of custom is this, of blocking up the roads?" *

* Note that the genitive of the gerund is often used with an object to avoid repetition of -arum, -orum.

The genitive of gerund and gerundive is used with causa and gratia to express purpose. Causa and gratia follow their case: dicendi causa "for the purpose of speaking"

4. Special notes and exceptions

1. The gerund with an object is especially avoided when the construction depends on a preposition or if it is in the dative.

2. The gerund construction is used in the genitive or ablative if the object is a neuter pronoun or adjective

3. To avoid repeating -orum or -arum an accusative object may be used with the genitive of the gerund.

Exercises:

1. By eating much we increase. [see note 4.2 above]

2. He wrote a lot (= many things) about the founding of the city.

3. He encouraged the men [who were] (being) eager for (= of) departing.

4. Philosophy ought to be called the art of living well.

5. The weapon is made for the purpose of killing people [= human beings]

6. Do they have a plan of destroying the state.

7. The opportunity (occasio, -onis, f) ought to have been used.

8. I brought a woman desirous of seeing the city.

9. They have come to bring war.

10. I am delighted by reading the orators.

11. This book is worthy of reading

12. He was giving his attention [to give attention, operam dare] to reading good books.

13. He came to our city for the purpose of praising himself.

14. Philosophers are desirous of discovering ["discover" investigo I] truth [=true things].

15. We have the opportunity (facultas, -tatis, f.) of receiving gifts.