Prepositional Phrases: Accusative and Ablative Cases

1. Prepositional Phrases: Accusative and Ablative Cases By: Harrison Jamin

2. What Is A Prepositional Phrase? • A prepositional phrase usually consists of a preposition and a noun(object). • So, the basic formula is: Preposition + object. • Example: In the house. • However, a prepositional phrase can also contain a modifier(an adjective). • So, this formula would be: preposition+modifier+object. • Example: In the large, spacious house.

3. Prepositional Phrases: Ablative Case • The same rule used in English applies to Latin. (prep. + object) or (prep. + Modifier + object) • An example of a prepositional phrase in the ablative case is: Ex arborecadit (He falls out of the tree) • Tip: Ex can be written as E if the next word begins with a consonant. Example: E ramis (out of the branches) • Here is an example of an ablative prepositional phrase with a modifier. • In magna villa sedet.

4. Prepositional Phrases: Accusative Case • The accusative case contains nouns that receive verbs(direct objects). • An example of an accusative prepositional phrase is: In villamcurrit. • Here is one with a modifier: In magnamvillamcurrit.

5. How To Tell the Difference • Accusative prepositional phrases will contain prepositions like “into” or “toward”. These all are actions that a noun receives. • Ablative prepositional phrases will contain prepositions like “in”, “under”, or “out of”. The words in these phrases are usually adverbs and the noun does not directly receive them. • Try to identify which phrases are ablative and which are accusative in the following example:

6. 1. Ex arborecadit. • 2. In urbemvenit. • 3. In villamcurrit. • 4. Princeps in urbe est. • 5. Puer in piscinamcadit. • 6. Ad ianuamdormit.

7. Answers • 1. ablative • 2. accusative • 3. accusative • 4. ablative • 5. accusative • 6. accusative