Nunc discetis Latine scribere. Now you'll learn how to write in Latin.
Some basic advice:
Always be sure to read all of the chapter introductions and footnotes in your book very carefully. The footnotes often explain idiosyncratic features of the Latin words--how to use them properly in certain situations.
Before translating any English sentence into Latin, make sure you have read it through carefully at least twice. You must be sure that you understand the exact relationship between all the words. What are the parts of speech for each word? What do the adjectives and adverbs modify? What kinds of phrases and clauses are in the sentence? Are verbs action or linking verbs, transitive or intransitive, active or passive? All these questions and more should come to your mind as you read each English sentence. The better you understand it, the better your Latin translation can be.
IT OFTEN HELPS TO RESTATE OR PARAPHRASE THE ENGLISH SENTENCE USING DIFFERENT WORDS WHILE KEEPING THE MEANING AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE. Your book and my lectures will sometimes give you advice on how to rephrase--pay attention to details!
Once you know what the English sentence says and how its parts function, then you can begin to compose the Latin sentence using all the appropriate Latin constructions.
Word Order Notes
Unless otherwise stated the following rules generally apply to regular Latin word order.
Verbs tend to come at the end of their clause.
Subjects or predicate nominatives usually come first in a linking verb clause.
Subjects or direct objects usually come first in an action verb clause.
Personal pronouns (me, tibi, nobis) are usually postpositive (in second position) in their clause unless they are emphatic: Ego discessi, tu mansisti. I left, but YOU stayed.
Adjectives tend to come directly after the noun they modify unless they are emphatic. However, several common adjectives are usually emphatic: magnus, multus, hic/haec/hoc, ille/illa/illud for example.
Adverbs tend to come before the word they modify, but certain adverbs prefer to come after.
Conjunctions (et, atque, aut, neque) usually come directly between the two words, phrases, or clauses they join, but -que and -ve are added to the end of the first word in the second item being connected:
arma et virum BUT arma virumque,
Possunt bene canere tarde ambulantes aut celeriter currentes.
Possunt bene canere tarde ambulantes celeriterve currentes.
The conjunctions nam, et, atque, ubi, and at come at the start of their clause; the conjunctions enim, autem, quidem, and igitur usually are postpositive (normally second position).
Pay attention to the usual order for prepositions (mostly before their object but not with mecum and honoris causa.
