The Vestibule of Comenius

...Invisible, Ripe Fruit, Necessary Thing, etc. original: "invisibilis, Fructus maturus, Res necessaria." These are examples of more complex pairings that do not follow the simplest patterns.) which are to be set aside at the beginning.

3. Furthermore, let them practice Declining: The process of changing the endings of nouns and adjectives to show their grammatical role (like the difference between "friend" and "friend's"). not by committing rules to memory, but through use. To this end, we have added a table below of the endings into which the Cases The different forms a noun takes depending on its role in a sentence. of the declensions fall; in the meantime, this chart will more than suffice in place of a formal Grammar book.

4. However, so that they better understand what is happening here, do not let the Cases be named by their technical titles (such as Nominative, Genitive, etc.), but instead let little questions be put before them:

1. What is this? Answer: The Latin Language. original: "Lingua Latina" (Nominative case, used for the subject).
2. Of which language is the word "Come"? original: "Venite." Answer: Of the Latin Language. original: "Linguæ Latinæ" (Genitive case, showing possession).
3. To what thing will you give your time? Answer: To the Latin Language. original: "Linguæ Latinæ" (Dative case, showing the indirect object).
4. What are you learning? Answer: The Latin Language. original: "Linguam Latinam" (Accusative case, showing the direct object).
5. Call out to it! Answer: O Latin Language! original: "ô Lingua Latina" (Vocative case, used for direct address).
6. In which language do you wish to speak? Answer: In the Latin Language. original: "Linguâ Latinâ" (Ablative case, indicating the instrument or means).

These things, I say, should be done this way from the beginning: (For once they have more easily grasped the use of these forms, they will learn the names of the Cases from a Grammar book later.) Moreover, let there be a more general formula that may serve for declining all Nouns, in both numbers Singular and plural., and without the need for questions, as follows:

1. Behold, the Blackboard. original: "Tabula Nigra."
2. A part of the Blackboard. original: "Tabulæ Nigræ."
3. I add a part to the Blackboard. original: "Tabulæ Nigræ."
4. I see the Blackboard. original: "Tabulam Nigram."
5. O you Blackboard! original: "ô tu Tabula Nigra."
6. I see something on the Blackboard. original: "in Tabulâ Nigrâ."