4. Nominative and Accusative /Lesson 2 (Greek) /Practice (examples)

Practice (examples)

If you are in a class, buddy up with someone and practice together. I will answer the first couple so you can see what I want you to do.

1. "Peter hears the apostle."

  • oJ PevtroV ajkouvei to;n ajpovstolon.
  • ejgwv ajkouvw aujtovn.
    • ejgwv is first person because you are talking about yourself. It is nominative because ejgwv is the subject. It is singular because you are speaking about one person.
    • aujtovn is third person singular masculine because ajpovstoloV is a singular masculine noun (all nouns are third person). It is accusative because it is the direct object.

2. "David hears an apostle."

  • oJ Dauivd ajkouvei ajpovstolon.
  • suv ajkouveiV aujtovn.
    • suv is second person because you are speaking to me. It is nominative because suv is the subject. It is singular because you are speaking about one person.
    • aujtovn is third person singular masculine because ajpovstoloV is a singular masculine noun. It is accusative because it is the direct object.

3. "Jacob and David hear the apostles."

  • oJ PevtroV kai; oJ Daui;d ajkouvousi tou;V ajpostovlouV.
  • aujtoiv ajkouvousi aujtouvV.
    • aujtoiv is third person because you are speaking about Jacob and David. It is nominative because "Peter and David" is the subject. It is plural because you are speaking about two people. (Note: even though there are two subjects, the verb is still singular. This is just the way Greek is.)
    • aujtouvV is third person plural masculine because ajpostovlouV is a plural masculine noun. It is accusative because it is the direct object.

4. "Maria receives the teacher."

  • hJ MarivaV lambavnei to;n didavskalon.
  • aujthv lambavnei aujtovn.
    • aujthv is third person because you are speaking about Maria. It is nominative because "Mary" is the subject. It is singular because you are speaking about one person. It is feminine because Mary is a girl.
    • aujtovn is third person singular masculine because didavskalon is a singular masculine noun. (However, if the teacher were female, you would have used ajthvn. Also tovn would have been the feminine form thvn, which you do not yet know.) It is accusative because it is the direct object.

5. "I take Jacob."

  • lambavnw to;n =Iavkwbon.
  • lambavnw aujtovn.
    • You could have written ejgw lambavnw aujtovn, but the ejgwv is not necessary.
    • aujtovn is third person singular masculine because you are speaking about Jacob. It is accusative because Jacob is the direct object.

Teaching hint: If a student gets the wrong answer, figure out how to say their answer in Greek. For example, if a student translates "I hear Jacob" as ajkou;w aujtovuV, ask them how they would say "I hear them" (which is ajkou;w aujtouvV). Working like this in reverse really helps both the teacher and the student.

Do you get the idea?