Overview

Shelmerdine's text is designed to be a complete, but streamlined introductory course in Latin. It covers all aspects of Latin grammar in a familiar pedagogical flow, with brief explanations of English grammar as needed within the text itself, providing students with an intext reference point for new Latin material. ""Real Latin"" readings occur throughout the text, early and often, in the form of sentences and short passages. They are unconnected, providing the instructor the option of covering them as time and need allows. A variety of exercises provide different approaches to mastery of the language, especially in the early chapters. The text is designed as a streamlined and uncluttered approach to Latin and grammar, providing a complete course, but without the nuance of more advanced explanations that hinder the first year student's mastery of the material.Shelmerdine's text focuses on the first year students' need to know and ability to master, in the hopes that success itself will breed further success and satisfaction on the part of the student. Ancillaries include: Online drills [like flashcards], online ""guided"" exercises [more sophisticated than drills], and crossword puzzles. Also available are Latin Resource Guides for instructors. Go to the Focus Student Page. Available to be used in conjunction with ""Introduction to Latin"" are :Latin Flash Drills and Latin Vocabulary Drills available through Centaur Systems.

Full Product Details

Author:   Susan C. Shelmerdine
Publisher:   Focus Publishing/R Pullins & Co
Imprint:   Focus Publishing/R Pullins & Co
Edition:   Revised edition
Dimensions:   Width: 17.80cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 25.40cm
Weight:   0.653kg
ISBN:  

9781585102709

ISBN 10:   1585102709
Pages:   352
Publication Date:   01 January 2007
Audience:   Adult education ,  Further / Higher Education
Replaced By:   9781585103904
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Print
Availability:   Awaiting stock  

Language:   English

Table of Contents

Introduction to Latin Preface ix Map of Italy xii The Latin Alphabet and Pronunciation 1 Chapter One 5 Introduction to the Sentence Parts of Speech What Different Words Do Sentence Patterns: Intransitive, Transitive The Verb First and Second Conjugations Present Active Indicative and Infinitive Principal Parts Indicative Uses: Statements, Questions Infinitive Use: Complementary Infinitive Chapter Two 13 Latin Cases Nominative and Accusative Case Uses The Noun First and Second Declensions Gender Dictionary Entry The Conjunction A Note on Reading Latin: Using Expectations Chapter Three 21 Genitive Case Uses: Possession, Part of the Whole Dative Case Uses: Indirect Object, Reference Expectations Sentence Pattern: Intransitive Verbs used with a Dative Chapter Four 27 The Adverb; Adverbial Modification Ablative Case Use: Means/Instrument The Preposition: Uses with the Accusative and Ablative Expressions of Place Word Order Chapter Five 33 The Adjective: First and Second Declensions Agreement The Gap Present Indicative and Infinitive of sum Sentence Pattern: Linking More Uses of the Ablative: Accompaniment Manner Reading Chapter I 41 Map of Troy and the Aegean 42 Chapter Six 45 Imperfect and Future Active Indicative First and Second Conjugations Commands First and Second Conjugation Imperatives Vocative Case First and Second Declensions Chapter Seven 51 Third Declension Nouns Imperfect and Future of sum Dative of Possession i-Stem Noun Reference Section Chapter Eight 59 Perfect Active Indicative and Infinitive First and Second Conjugations Historic Present Forms of possum Infinitive Use: As a Noun Chapter Nine 65 Third Conjugation Present Active Indicative and Infinitive Present Active Imperative The Pronoun: Part 1 Personal pronouns: ego, tu Chapter Ten 71 The Pronoun: Part 2 Demonstrative pronouns: is, ea, id; hic, haec, hoc; ille, illa, illud Special Adjectives in -ius Sentence Pattern: Factitive Reading Chapter II 79 Chapter Eleven 83 Third Conjugation: Imperfect and Future Active Indicative Numerals Expressions of Cause Chapter Twelve 89 Third Declension Adjectives Expressions of Time Chapter Thirteen 95 Fourth Conjugation: Present Active Indicative and Infinitive Present Active Imperative The Pronoun: Part 3 Interrogative pronouns Reflexive pronouns Possessive Adjectives and Possession Using eius Ablative of Specification / Respect Map of Caesar's Gaul 100 Chapter Fourteen 103 Fourth Conjugation: Imperfect and Future Active Indicative Accusative of Degree and Extent Chapter Fifteen 109 Third and Fourth Conjugations Perfect Active Indicative Pluperfect and Future Perfect Active Indicative (All conjugations) Perfect Active Infinitives (All conjugations) Chapter Sixteen 115 Fourth Declension Fifth Declension Locative Case Reading Chapter III 123 Chapter Seventeen 127 Present, Imperfect, and Future Passive Indicative (All conjugations) Present Passive Indicative Sentence Pattern: Passive Ablative of Agent Chapter Eighteen 137 Dependent Clauses (1) - Adverbial Time, Cause, Condition, Place Dative with Adjectives Chapter Nineteen 143 The Pronoun: Part 4 Relative Pronouns Dependent Clauses (2) Adjectival Noun Chapter Twenty 151 Perfect, Pluperfect, and Future Perfect Passive Indicative (All conjugations) Perfect Passive Indicative (All conjugations) Paradigm of vis, vis, f. Reading Chapter IV 157 Chapter Twenty-One 161 Irregular verbs: volo, nolo, malo Negative Commands with nolo Infinitive Noun Clauses (1): Objective Infinitive Chapter Twenty-Two 167 Review of Infinitive Forms Future Infinitives (Active and Passive) Infinitive Noun Clauses (2): Indirect Statement Tenses of the Infinitive in Indirect Statement Chapter Twenty-Three 175 Intensive Pronouns: ipse, idem Indefinite Pronoun: quidam Deponent Verbs; Semi-Deponent Verbs Special Intransitive Sentence Pattern: Verbs used with an Ablative Chapter Twenty-Four 183 Participles Participle Uses Ablative Absolute Chapter Twenty-Five 193 Irregular verbs eo fero Reading Chapter V 201 Chapter Twenty-Six 205 Comparison of Adjectives Comparison of Adverbs Chapter Twenty-Seven 213 Present and Perfect Active Subjunctive Subjunctive of sum Independent Uses of the Subjunctive Exhortation / Command, Wish, Doubt Chapter Twenty-Eight 221 Imperfect and Pluperfect Active Subjunctive Use of Tenses in the Subjunctive Dependent Uses of the Subjunctive (1 - Adverbial Clauses) Purpose, Result, Circumstance, Cause, Concession Chapter Twenty-Nine 233 Passive Subjunctive (all tenses) Dependent Uses of the Subjunctive (2 - Noun Clauses) Indirect Question Indirect Command Noun Result

Reviews

This is just the book I've been hoping for: it is intelligently planned and organized, and maintains a good pace without being overwhelming. The exercises are very good and make reasonable sense. Presentation of grammar and syntax is very sound from a linguistic point of view, as well as being very comprehensible to the non-specialist. The exercises are ample, well-designed, and sensible, providing some opportunity for discussion of cultural context. Of particular note are the reading chapters located after every five regular chapters, which are very useful for review and provide valuable supplementary material (but can also be omitted if time limitations so demand.) -Barbara Weiden Boyd, Bowdoin College A concise, no-nonsense approach that isn't 'over-scripted.' Shelmerdine allows the instructor scope for real teaching and meaningful interaction with students. - Peter O'Brien, Dalhousie University

This is just the book I've been hoping for: it is intelligently planned and organized, and maintains a good pace without being overwhelming. The exercises are very good and make reasonable sense. Presentation of grammar and syntax is very sound from a linguistic point of view, as well as being very comprehensible to the non-specialist. The exercises are ample, well-designed, and sensible, providing some opportunity for discussion of cultural context. Of particular note are the reading chapters located after every five regular chapters, which are very useful for review and provide valuable supplementary material (but can also be omitted if time limitations so demand.) -Barbara Weiden Boyd, Bowdoin College

This is just the book I've been hoping for: it is intelligently planned and organized, and maintains a good pace without being overwhelming. The exercises are very good and make reasonable sense. Presentation of grammar and syntax is very sound from a linguistic point of view, as well as being very comprehensible to the non-specialist. The exercises are ample, well-designed, and sensible, providing some opportunity for discussion of cultural context. Of particular note are the reading chapters located after every five regular chapters, which are very useful for review and provide valuable supplementary material (but can also be omitted if time limitations so demand.) - Barbara Weiden Boyd, Bowdoin College A concise, no-nonsense approach that isn't 'over-scripted.' Shelmerdine allows the instructor scope for real teaching and meaningful interaction with students. - Peter O'Brien, Dalhousie University Shelmerdine does make one important break with tradition: her exercises are not exclusively exercises of translation. Many of them consist of identifying cases or other forms underlined in sentences, or in finding the agreements; frequently students are given sentences with an ending left out and invited to supply it. Or again, they will be asked to change perfect verb-forms to the pluperfect, and so on. Such tasks are a staple in the teaching of modern languages, where they have proved their worth. They promote an active engagement with mechanisms of the language, and because each individual problem can be worked in an instant they develop a more instinctive sort of skill than does the slow, laborious job of writing a sentence from scratch... On balance, this book is quite a good one. I have seen no other beginner's manual, of any approach whatever, so very friendly to the student. While urging classicists to follow the lead of the modern languages, I understand that few will be ready to abandon wholly the grammar-translation method by which they were themselves taught and for which their techniques are designed. For those who do not take that step, Introduction to Latin is an excellent choice. In fact, I consider it their best choice wherever students lack basic grammatical knowledge, that is to say in all but the most elite institutions. - Benjamin Victor, Universite de Montreal [Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2007.09.07]

This is just the book I've been hoping for: it is intelligently planned and organized, and maintains a good pace without being overwhelming. The exercises are very good and make reasonable sense (as much as can be hoped for in beginning Latin!) Presentation of grammar and syntax is very sound from a linguistic point of view, as well as being very comprehensible to the non-specialist. The exercises are ample, well-designed, and sensible, providing some opportunity for discussion of cultural context. Of particular note are the reading chapters located after every five regular chapters, which are very useful for review and provide valuable supplementary material (but can also be omitted if time limitations so demand.) -- Barbara Weiden Boyd, Bowdoin College

Author Information

Susan C. Shelmerdine is Professor and Head of the department of Classical Studies at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She earned her PhD at the University of Michigan. Her research interests include Archaic Greek Literature, Homer, Mythology, Ancient Religion, and Greek and Latin Pedagogy.

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