[51.] Prepositions. While, as stated above ([§ 41]), many relations expressed in English by prepositions are in Latin expressed by case forms, still prepositions are of frequent occurrence, but only with the accusative or ablative.
[52.] Rule. Object of a Preposition. A noun governed by a preposition must be in the Accusative or Ablative case.
[53.] Prepositions denoting the ablative relations from, with, in, on, are naturally followed by the ablative case. Among these are
| ā1 or ab, from, away from dē, from, down from ē1 or ex, from, out from, out of cum, with in, in, on |
1. ā and ē are used only before words beginning with a consonant; ab and ex are used before either vowels or consonants.
1. Translate into Latin, using prepositions. In the water, on the land, down from the forest, with the fortune, out of the forests, from the victory, out of the waters, with the sailors, down from the moon.
[54.] Adjectives. Examine the sentence
Puella parva bonam deam amat, the little girl loves the good goddess
In this sentence parva (little) and bonam (good) are not nouns, but are descriptive words expressing quality. Such words are called adjectives,2 and they are said to belong to the noun which they describe.
2. Pick out the adjectives in the following: “When I was a little boy, I remember that one cold winter’s morning I was accosted by a smiling man with an ax on his shoulder. ‘My pretty boy,’ said he, ‘has your father a grindstone?’ ‘Yes, sir,’ said I. ‘You are a fine little fellow,’ said he. ‘Will you let me grind my ax on it?’”