Mastering Verb Forms
Mastering the dizzying array of Latin verb forms is no easy feat. A typical verb has a truly impressive number of different configurations. Depending on how you count, a regular verb can have 250 or more. How can a learner possibly keep them all straight? Forget about keeping them straight, how can the Latin student keep from feeling completely overwhelmed?
Never fear, there is a tool that can help tame Latin verbs. Many of my students have had success with the synopsis sheet I’m sharing here. The synopsis sheet allows them to separate the solid mass of Latin verb forms into manageable, organized categories. It offers a comprehensive review of forms that helps learners feel in control of the information, rather than drowning in it. It is synoptic in the original meaning of σύνοψις: seen together. It’s seen together in a way that strengthens understanding, rather than inducing panic.
Synopsis
You’re probably already familiar with the concept of the synopsis. That is, students review the conjugation of several tenses by writing out only one form per tense, instead of six or twelve. You may specify, for instance, that they list just the 1st person plural, active and passive, for all tenses of the indicative.
The advantage of doing a synopsis rather than conjugating a verb in full is that students can review multiple tenses more efficiently. And if we ask them to do 1st plural this time, we can ask them to do another person and number the next time. Over time they’ll review every individual form.
This sheet asks students to create synopses for both indicative and subjunctive on the left side of the sheet. I specify a gender so that they’ll become used to changing the 4th principle part in perfect system passive forms to agree with the subject. On the right hand side students write out infinitives, imperatives, and participles.
Gratias Tibi, Sr. Dolores
I’ve been using variations of this form for almost four decades of teaching Latin. I can’t take credit for the earliest version. My first year teaching the elderly nun who was instructing the school’s only Latin student fell ill. Sr. Dolores passed on to me not only the student, but also her copy of Jenney’s 1st Year Latin (the edition with Charlton Heston riding his chariot on the cover – I still have the book). In the book I found a hand-written, mimeographed synopsis sheet.
Sr. Dolores was in the habit of assigning the synopsis of a different verb to her student every night. I continued the practice, and found that it really helped the student to firm up his knowledge of verb forms. That was in the fall of 1987, and I’ve been using the synopsis sheet ever since. Over that time I’ve constantly refined and adapted the form to better help my students.
A Valuable Tool
Now, a learner of Latin needs to do more than simply memorize forms. For decades now I’ve been hearing about studies showing that students who learn grammatical rules or forms don’t necessarily know how to use them. Well, of course. As Varro said, Non omnes qui habent citharam sunt citharoedi. That is, not all who own a harp are harpists. At the same time, if I don’t have access to a harp I’ll never learn to play.
Our job as teachers is to help our students learn how to make meaning out of the forms they’ve learned. I can’t tell you how often I’ve been through something like this: I ask a student what to do with a form such as, for instance, legendo. My student recognizes the verb “read,” and then says something like, “It’s the form on the bottom right.”
From there we go on to talk about how putting “read” into that form (the future passive participle) shapes its meaning in the sentence. Knowing the forms is just one step, but a vital step, in understanding the full meaning of the word. Countless students have found this synopsis sheet a valuable tool in taking that step.
Synopsis Sheet Download
In future posts I’ll discuss in more detail how I help students master some of the more specific sections of this sheet. I’m planning a post right now, for instance, on how to approach the indicative portion of the synopsis. In the meanwhile, I’m posting a downloadable version of my synopsis sheet below. Sr. Dolores shared with me, and I’m passing it along. Feel free to use it if you’d like, and pass it on to anyone else who might find it helpful.
Nota Bene – I’ve revised the synopsis sheet since I first posted this article. The NEW IMPROVED! version available for download below now has the infinitive box directly above the participles. I made the change to help students see the connection between some of the infinitive forms and participle forms. There is also a downloadable, printable version of the synopsis sheet for sale HERE for $1.25 that does not have the Aeterna Latina logo.
