<span style="color: #0000ff">Many of you parents are interested in helping your child study Latin, but  may feel a little unsure of the grammar. I  have decided to explain to you some fundamental grammatical concepts so you will be able to help your child more successfully.  Don't worry- I won't go into great detail- just enough to give you some idea of what your child needs to know.  I hope this helps!</span>

<span style="color: #0000ff">One of the points I try to stress to the students is that Latin verbs are actually simpler and more straightfoward than English verbs!  It is really true!</span>

<span style="color: #0000ff">For example:</span>

<em><span style="color: #0000ff">Look at these forms of the verb 'to walk.'  You will notice that the form 'walk' is used in 5 out of the 6 forms:</span></em>

<em><span style="color: #0000ff">I <span style="color: #ff0000">walk</span>,  you <span style="color: #ff0000">walk</span>,  s/he walks </span></em>

<em><span style="color: #0000ff">we <span style="color: #ff0000">walk</span>,  y'all <span style="color: #ff0000">walk</span>,  they <span style="color: #ff0000">walk </span> </span></em>

<em><span style="color: #0000ff">(When I teach, I like to use the locution 'y'all' for the plural because it makes it clear that the writer/ speaker means 'you plural.'  So I will use it henceforth on this blog.)</span></em>

<em><span style="color: #0000ff">Therefore, in English, we need the pronouns to show us who is doing the walking.  But in Latin there is no need for pronouns to show who is doing the walking.   The endings, which I have highlighted, tell us who is walking.  These are called 'personal endings' and they are used for every Latin verb.</span></em>

<em><span style="color: #0000ff">ambul<span style="color: #ff0000">O</span></span></em><em><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="color: #ff0000"> </span>= I walk,  ambula<span style="color: #ff0000">S </span>= you walk, ambula<span style="color: #ff0000">T </span>= s/he walks</span></em>

<em><span style="color: #0000ff">ambula<span style="color: #ff0000">MUS</span> = we walk,  ambula<span style="color: #ff0000">TIS </span>= y'all, ambula<span style="color: #ff0000">NT </span>= they walk</span></em>

<em><span style="color: #0000ff">Compare the Latin with the English.   In Latin the one-word verb conveys all the necessary information you need to know about who is doing the action.  It is much simpler and straightforward than the English way!   But your child learned, by osmosis,  the more difficult English way of  using verbs, so the Latin way seems odd.</span></em>

<em><span style="color: #0000ff">The highlighted endings above are what I am asking your child to know by heart.  Once he or she has these understood and memorized, the only other tricky thing is to learn the new vocabulary words of each chapter. </span></em>