RLW: Lesson - Grammar - Dependent Clauses in Latin Review

Dependent Clauses in Latin Review

In Latin I and II, several different types of dependent clauses were introduced, which can be roughly broken down into two categories:

• Indicative Dependent Clauses - express actual events - completed with an indicative mood verb
  • Temporal (while, after, before, when: dum, postquam, ubi, priusquam, etc.)
  • Causal (because, since: quod, quia, etc.)
  • Concessive (although: quamquam)
  • Relative (with a relative pronoun: qui, quae, quod - who, which)
  • Indirect statement (accusative + infinitive construction)
• Subjunctive Dependent Clauses - varied expressions - all completed with a subjunctive mood verb
  • Indirect Questions (introduced with interrogatives)
  • Indirect Commands (introduced with ut/ne)
  • Purpose Clauses (introduced with ut/ne)
  • Result Clauses (introduced with ut/ut non, usually include a "so" word in the introductory clause)

The subjunctive dependent clauses tended to grow out of the subordination of independent subjunctive uses (for instance: the result clause is a subordinated potential clause, while indirect commands are subordinated subjunctive imperatives).

Time and Dependent Clauses in Latin

One major difference between English and Latin is how the two languages deal with tense (or temporal aspects) in dependent clauses. English is almost fully literally in its expression of time: if the dependent clause is describing past action, some past tense or aspect is used:

• While we were walking, I saw my friend.

Meanwhile, Latin tends to treat the tense of a dependent clause in terms of its relationship in time to the main clause:

• Present tense is used to express action that is happening at the same time as the independent verb's action
• Past tense is used to express action that happened before the time of the independent verb's action
• Future tense is (rarely) used to express action that will happen after the time of the independent verb's action

So, as an example, the "walking" in the sentence above is happening at the same time as the "seeing" (the subordinator "while" means: at the same time). So, in Latin, "were walking" is expressed in the present tense:

• Dum ambulamus, amicum meum vidi.

Sequence of Tenses

In the subjunctive mood dependent clauses, this is even taken a step further, as most subjunctive dependent clauses are governed by a strict set of rules called the sequence of tenses. Below is a chart outlining the rules of sequence, but we'll explore it in context as we learn new dependent clauses. For now, just refresh your memory on the basics:

Sequence of Tenses

Sequence	Tense of Introductory Verb	Tense of Subjunctive Dependent Verb
Primary Sequence	Present Future Future Perfect	Incomplete uses Present tense Action at the same time or after introductory verb
		Complete uses Perfect tense Action before the introductory verb
Secondary Sequence	Imperfect Perfect Pluperfect	Incomplete uses Imperfect tense Action at the same time or after introductory verb
		Complete uses Pluperfect tense Action before the introductory verb