gladius (The Missing Sword)
Perfect tense without -v- • Pages 120-122
Starter: Tense Reminder
Before we read today's story, let's remind ourselves about tenses:
-ba- in a verb = imperfect tense (was/were doing)
-v- in a verb = perfect tense (did/has done)
Today we'll discover that not all perfect tenses use -v-...
Reading Together: Lines 1-9
1. ōlim ego cum patre laborābam. pater gladium faciēbat. māter intrāvit.
2. 'gladius optimus abest, Catia! gladium vīdistī?' 'ō nō!'
3. 'cūr soror tua discessit?'
4. ego stupēbam. ex oppidō cucurrī et sorōrem quaesīvī.
5. tandem Aucissam prope fluvium invēnī.
Stop and Compare
Look at line 4. Catia did two things:
cucurrī = I ran (no -v-!)
quaesīvī = I looked for (has -v-)
Both are perfect tense, but formed differently!
6. soror lacrimābat.
7. 'quid accidit, Aucissa? cūr ex oppidō festīnāvistī?'
8. sed Aucissa nihil respondit.
9. tum trēs Britannōs animadvertī.
Quick Comprehension Check
- What was Catia doing with her father at the start?
- What news did the mother bring?
- How did Catia react? What did she do?
- What state was Aucissa in when Catia found her?
- Did Aucissa answer Catia's questions?
Reading Together: Lines 10-18
10. iuvenēs per pontem ambulābant. Aucissam salutāvērunt. ūnus iuvenis gladium tenēbat.
11. 'iuvenis gladium magnificum tenet, Aucissa. quis est?'
12. 'amīcus meus est, nōmine Luccus. pater et māter gladium fēcērunt. sed Luccus eum cēpit.'
13. tum rem tōtam intellēxī.
14. 'dēsiste!' sed Luccus nōn dēstitit.
15. cum Luccō pūgnāvī et gladium prehendere temptāvī.
16. sed Luccus gladium ad amīcōs iēcit.
17. duo amīcī iam gladium habēbant. per pontem cum gladiō cucurrērunt.
18. Luccum superāvī et eum sine gladiō ad parentēs dūxī.
Comprehension Questions
- Who was Luccus? What was his relationship to Aucissa?
- What happened when Catia understood the situation?
- Did Catia manage to get the sword back? Why/why not?
- What did Catia do with Luccus at the end?
- How do you think Aucissa felt about the whole situation?
In Your Exercise Books
Perfect Tense Patterns
Copy and complete this table with perfect verbs from the story:
| Perfect with -v- | English | Perfect without -v- | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| intrāvit | she entered | cucurrī | I ran |
| vīdistī | ... | respondit | ... |
| quaesīvī | ... | cēpit | ... |
| ... | ... | intellēxī | ... |
Character Questions: Answer in full sentences
- Why do you think Luccus took the sword?
- Was Aucissa betrayed by Luccus, or was she involved?
- What might happen to Luccus now?
Plenary: What We've Learned
Key Grammar Point: Not all perfect tense verbs use -v-. Many 2nd and 3rd conjugation verbs form their perfect differently:
- currō → cucurrī (I run → I ran)
- capiō → cēpī (I take → I took)
- respondeō → respondī (I reply → I replied)
Story Theme: This story introduces characters who resist Roman rule. Why might young Britons like Luccus want to fight back?