How to breakdown a Latin sentence

In the old days of teaching, grammar was the first step in the Trivium. One of the things emphasized was recognition of grammatical patterns. Teachers would have students diagram sentences, like this, in order to learn grammar and how language is built. Now there are many ways to do this and it can even be helpful, especially in beginning Latin to diagram sentences and parse out the different parts of a sentence. The method I…

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Ancient ways to learn Latin

Begin by working up from Monosticha Catonis, Disticha Catonis, Sententiae Publii Syrii, Sentences from the Vulgate, Sentences from Latin literature, Selections from Sacra Historia, and then read Vulgate, Gospels, Psalms, Proverbs. The student at this point should be ready to read Eutropius and then either Florus or Caesar. After that it is up to the teacher to decide but reading selections from Cicero and Pliny would be good. In the third level the teacher should…

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