Latin Grammar: The Passive Periphrastic and Ways of Expressing Necessity

Respondeo: Ad praedictorum intelligentiam est notandum, quod imago dicit expressam similitudinem. Necesse est autem, omnem creaturam quoquo modo assimilari Deo; necesse est etiam, aliquam ad complementum universi expresse assimilari Deo: et ideo omnis creatura habet rationem vestigii, sed aliqua habet rationem imaginis, illa videlicet, quae assimilatur expresse. Haec autem est rationalis creatura, ut homo; et ideo concedendum est, quod homo est imago Dei, quia est eius expressa similitudo.

In the passage above, two different grammatical ways of expressing necessity are shown: through necesse est + infinitive and through the passive periphrastic. The passive periphrastic is formed by using the future passive participle of the verb plus the correctly conjugated form of sum. Remember that the participial ending must reflect the gender and number of the subject. Thus, the famous Cartago delenda est "(Carthage must be destroyed)" uses the feminine singular ending for the future passive participle of deleo and thus expresses the necessity of the action.

Part I:

The sentences written below are from the passage and express necessity using the passive periphrastic construction. Rewrite them with necesse est + infinitive using the verb of the periphrastic as your infinitive. Remember, since necesse est is an impersonal expression, no expressed subject is necessary.

1. Ad praedictorum intelligentiam est notandum, quod imago dicit expressam similitudinem.

Ad praedictorum intelligentiam , quod imago dicit expressam similitudinem.

2. Et ideo concedendum est, quod homo est imago Dei, quia est eius expressa similitude.

Et ideo , quod homo est imago Dei, quia est eius expressa similtudo.

Part II:

The sentences written below are from the passage and express necessity using the necesse est + infinitive construction. By filling in the appropriate blanks, rewrite them using the passive periphrastic instead. Notice that the necesse est phrase is no longer necessary since the passive periphrastic expresses the necessity. Also, remember that the subject accusative of the necesse est phrase must become the subject of the new sentence. Decline accordingly.

1. Necesse est autem, omnem creaturam quoque modo assimilari Deo.

autem quoque modo Deo.

2. Necesse est etiam, aliquam ad complementum universi expresse assimilari Deo.

etiam ad complementum universi expresse Deo.

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