Participles

A normal verb has 3 participles:

Parans -ans -ans
Monens -ens -ens                                            Present Active
Regens -ens -ens    ______+ing
Audiens -ens -ens


Paraturus -a -um
Moniturus -a -um    Future Active
Regiturus -a -um                                            About to  _____
Auditurus -a -um


Paratus -a -um
Monitus -a -um    Past Passive
Regitus -a -um    having been_____
Auditus -a -um

A deponent verb also has 3 participles, however on the past passive don’t forget to drop the “been”:

Loquens -ens -ens    Present Active
    Speaking

Locuturus -a -um    Future Active
    About to speak

Locutus -a -um    Past Passive
    Having Spoken                                    
    (“been” removed)

Ablative Absolute

This is a construction that uses a participle. It consists of a noun or pronoun in the ablative case with a participle agreeing with it. That explains why it's called ablative. It's called absolute because none of the words are tied directly into the grammar of the main clause of the sentence. In English, we have something we call a nominative absolute. Like this: The door being open, all the flies were coming in.

Amicis audientibus Caesar e villa exit
Caesar left the house while his friends were listening

Written by George Radford

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