Latin for Beginners

Latin pronunciation, noun endings and sentence structure form the starting points of Benjamin L. D'Ooge's introductory course. Its seventy-nine lessons lead from subjects and predicates through declensions, verb tenses and pronouns to the subjunctive and more complex constructions. Comparisons with English help explain how Latin works, and exercises require translation into both languages. The vocabulary and later practice sentences prepare students to read Caesar.

Readings drawn from history and myth connect the rules to longer passages. These include Perseus and Andromeda, the labors of Hercules, and a continuing account of a Roman boy whose later experiences take him into Caesar's army. Tables of forms, syntax summaries, reviews and vocabularies provide reference material alongside the lessons. Learners working through the book today can follow a planned sequence of practice, with sustained attention to word order and the way endings express a word's function in a sentence.