I. NOUNS AND PREPOSITIONS
Refer to THE GREEK CASE SYSTEM chart handout for a summary of the basic functions of the cases and the meanings of prepositions.
Noun Parsing: Case, Number, Gender:
e.g., logoV is nominative, singular, masculine
1. Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative,
Vocative
2. Number: Singular, Plural
3. Gender: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter
Declensions: 1st (primarily feminine nouns), 2nd (primarily masculine and neuter nouns), 3rd (feminine, masculine, and neuter nouns). A noun's declension has no bearing on its meaning.
II. ADJECTIVES AND THE ARTICLE
Adjectives: Agree with their noun in case, number, and gender. The article is an adjective.
III. VERBS
Verb Parsing: Tense, Voice, Mood, Person, Number: e.g., apostellw is Present Active Indicative 1st-person singular
1. Tense: Present, Imperfect, Future,
Aorist, Perfect, Pluperfect
Note: The "time" sense of the tenses only applies to verbs
in the Indicative mood. For all other moods—Subjunctive, Optative, Imperative,
Participle, Infinitive—the "tense" gives the aspect (see
below) of the verb or verbal (participles and infinitives are verbals), and
the time of the verb or verbal is a function of the context.
a. Present: present time, continuous aspect:
I am running.
b. Imperfect: past time, continuous aspect:
I was running.
c. Future: future time: I will run.
d. Aorist: past time, undefined aspect: I ran.
e. Perfect: present time, perfect aspect: I
have run.
f. Pluperfect: past time, perfect aspect: I
had run.
2. Voice: Active, Middle, Passive
a. Active: subject performs the action: I
baptize my baby.
b. Middle: subject involved in the action: I
am baptizing myself.
c. Passive: subject has the action performed
to it: I am being baptized.
3. Mood: Indicative, Subjunctive, Optative, Imperative, Participle, Infinitive
a. Indicative: reality: He is talking.
b. Subjunctive: possibility: If he were to speak.
c. Optative: remote possibility: May it never be.
d. Imperative: command: Speak!
e. Participle: verbal adjective: "ing" word (see PARTICIPLES)
f. Infinitive: verbal noun: "to" + verb (see INFINITIVES)
4. Person: 1st (I/We), 2nd (You), 3rd (He/She/It, They)
5. Number: Singular (I, You, He/She/It), Plural (We, You, They)
Conjugations: w (omega): most verbs; mi (mi): a few verbs. A verb's conjugation has no bearing on its meaning.
Deponent verbs: middle or passive voice in form, but with an active meaning
Aspect: Different grammars use different terms for the three aspects: continuous/undefined/perfect (William Mounce), linear/punctilear/combined (Edward Goodrick), imperfective/perfective/stative (Stanley Porter). Mounce's terminology is used here:
1. Continuous: action seen as in progress
2. Undefined: action seen as complete or viewed
as a whole
3. Perfect: action seen as reflecting a state,
focusing on either the completed nature of the past action(s) that resulted
in the state, or on the state itself
IV. PARTICIPLES (VERBAL ADJECTIVES)
Participle Parsing: Tense, Voice, Mood (Participle), Case, Number, Gender
Adjectival or Adverbial or Periphrastic
1. Adjectival (usually articular, i.e., has the article): Attributive or Substantival
a. Attributive: functions like an adjective,
modifying a noun or pronoun
b. Substantival: functions like a noun
2. Adverbial (anarthrous, i.e., never has the article): Circumstantial, Telic, Temporal, Causal, Conditional, Concessional, Means, Modal, Resultative. Translate as meaning:
a. Circumstantial/Attendant Circumstance: happened
in addition to main verb
b. Telic/Goal: for the purpose of (intention
emphasized)
c. Temporal/Time: when/while, after
d. Causal: because
e. Conditional: if
f. Concessional: although
g. Means/Instrumental: by means of
h. Modal/Manner: in the manner of
i. Resultative: with the result of (accomplishment
emphasized)
3. Periphrastic: participle + copulative/equative verb (usually a form of eimi (or uparcw): "to be") = same as finite verb as follows:
present of eimi + present participle = present tense verb
imperfect of eimi + present participle = imperfect tense verb
future of eimi + present participle = future tense verb
present of eimi + perfect participle = perfect tense verb
imperfect of eimi + perfect participle = pluperfect tense verb
V. INFINITIVES (VERBAL NOUNS)
Infinitive Parsing: Tense, Voice, Mood (Infinitive)
1. Used to complete verbs: I want TO EAT.
2. Preposition + article + infinitive: very idiomatic
usage. Cannot be translated "literally."
3. Substantival: usually preceded by the article: "(the)
TO LIVE is Christ."
VI. CONJUNCTIONS
Coordinate and Subordinate
1. Coordinate: Join words, phrases, or clauses of equal rank:
kai (and, also, even)
de (and, but)
gar (for)
alla (but)
oun (therefore)
h (or)
2. Subordinate: Begin subordinate clauses:
oti (hoti = because)
ina (hina = in order that)
ei (if: indicative mood)
ean (if: non-indicative moods)
ote (hote = when)
VII. CLAUSES
Independent and Dependent/Subordinate
1. Independent: Can stand on its own as a sentence.
Usually carries the main or most important thought.
2. Dependent/Subordinate: Cannot stand on its
own as a sentence. Usually carries the subordinate or lesser thought. Always
has one of the following: Relative Pronoun, Infinitive, Participle, or Subordinate
Conjunction.