Third edition of this popular self-study guide for students of Latin. Each chapter covers a grammar point: i.e., a part of speech (noun, verb, pronoun, adjective), a word's function in a sentence (subject, direct object, indirect object), a grammatical term (tense, conjugation, declension, gender). Each chapter is divided into two sections. 1. In English, grammar is explained as it relates to English, anticipating concepts necessary for Latin. 2. In Latin, grammar is explained as it relates to Latin, with examples and explanations of the rules applied. Points out similarities, differences, and alerts students to pitfalls. Part of the O&H Study Guide series for students of foreign languages. Experience has shown that students using the O&H Latin Study Guide improve their performance in Latin grammar thanks to a better understanding of English grammar.
Bridging the Gap to Language Mastery Since 1979
The Olivia & Hill (O&H) Press provides a series of concise study guides designed to support students learning a variety of foreign languages, including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese, Russian, Latin, and ESL. Since 1979, these guides have served as a “missing link” in modern language education by bridging the gap between basic immersion and professional mastery.
While immersion methods provide the “heart” of a language through cultural flow, O&H provides the “bones” by establishing a firm grammatical structure.
The O&H Methodology: English Grammar First A core tenet of the O&H approach is addressing the “English grammar blindspot.” Many students lack the metalinguistic awareness to understand complex foreign structures because they do not first understand the corresponding English concepts.
O&H solves this by teaching English grammar first, using side-by-side comparisons to show exactly how the target language differs from English. This method provides a “mental hook” that: ● Reduces Cognitive Overload: Students focus on one new concept at a time. ● Prevents “Fossilized Errors”: We address bad habits that often form in immersion-only environments before they become permanent.
Supporting the Modern Classroom These study guides are designed for self-study, enabling a “flipped classroom” model in which students learn the mechanics at home, freeing up valuable class time for communication. This efficiency is particularly beneficial in higher education, where instructional time is limited.
Beyond the classroom, the guides help learners overcome the “intermediate plateau” to achieve professional proficiency (such as ACTFL Superior or CEFR C1/C2 levels). This precision is essential for: ● High-stakes professional writing ● Technical reporting ● Standardized testing (OPI, DALF, DELE)
In learning Latin, fluency may be the goal, but even in the early stages of learning the language I’ve benefited from a deeper understanding of English grammar. This little book boosts that understanding even more.
Each chapter addresses a particular part of speech and its function, addressing first its English forms then its Latin forms. For most chapters, the author provides a series of steps to aid in identifying which form of the Latin word to use.
You will not learn Latin by reading this book. That is not its purpose. Instead, it would be a nice reference and companion to whatever Latin text you use.
Where has this book been during my Latin career!!?? One of the biggest problems I have had, and I know others have had, is how to bring things into English. This is an excellent reference text to understand how the English works when bringing something out of Latin. If you are working with Latin, this is a must-have book as a reference source. Overall, well worth it to own if you are a person working with Latin.
I read this for my Latin I course in the Fall of ‘23.
I’m learning Latin!!! Yay!!! I think I’m done with this book for the semester, will probably pick it back up next semester when I learn about participles.
A friend here at uni who took a bunch of Latin but has moved on to other stuff and knew my interest gave me a bunch of his old Latin books. This was one of them, and saved me buying it as it is required for the course I am taking now. So far I have avoided reading it as I think I am so smart and educated I don't need to :)
An excellent book for students of Latin who first need to shore up their knowledge of English grammar before they can ascend the sublime heights of Latin grammar.
Isn't as thorough as I would have thought, just covers the equivalent of a quarter or two of basic Latin. It doesn't cover anything except for the supposedly typical uses of grammatical functions.