Overview of Greek Grammar

Modern Greek Syntax

• Affirmative Sentence Structure: Follows SVO (Subject, Verb, Object) pattern, similar to English.
  • Greek morphology is richer, aiding clarity in subject-object identification.
  • Flexibility in order for emphasis (e.g., English: "Roaches, I can’t tolerate"; Greek has similar structure).
• Interrogative and Negative Sentences: Can follow different patterns (VOS, VSO).
• Ancient Greek Syntax: Commonly followed SOV pattern.

Noun Phrases: Possessive Adjectives and Personal Pronouns

• Modern Greek:
  • Possessive adjectives appear after the noun (e.g., "book my").
  • Definite article is mandatory before the noun.
  • Personal pronouns appear before the verb (e.g., "to me" before the verb).
• Ancient Greek:
  • Possessive adjectives appear before the noun.
  • Personal pronouns appear after the verb, similar to English.
• Imperative Mood:
  • Pronouns follow the verb (e.g., "give me the book").

Phrase Structure

• Comparisons available between Modern Greek, English, and Spanish.

Parts of Speech

• Table of Common Parts:
  • Genders, Cases, Numbers, Tenses, Persons, Moods, Voices
  • Verbs, Nouns, Adjectives, Numbers, Participles, Adverbs, Pronouns, Prepositions, Articles, Particles.
• Note: Only certain numbers (one, three, four) decline by gender and case.

Genders

• Three Genders: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter.
• Formal Gender: Different from English natural gender.
• Example: "Wall" is masculine, "door" feminine, "floor" neuter.

Cases

• Modern Greek Cases:
  • Nominative: Subjects
  • Genitive: Possession
  • Accusative: Objects
  • Vocative: Calling
• Ancient Greek:
  • Included Dative, now replaced by accusative in Modern Greek.

Numbers

• Two Numbers: Singular, Plural.
• Dual Number: Used in Classic Greek, no longer present.

Tenses

• Present: Continuous and habitual actions.
• Imperfect: Continuous or repeated past actions.
• Past: Simple past form.
• Future: Simple and continuous forms using subjunctive and particle.
• Perfect, Pluperfect, Future Perfect: Formed using the verb "have" and subjunctive.

Persons

• Three Persons: 1st, 2nd, 3rd (pronouns genderless in 3rd person).

Moods

• Modern Greek: Indicative and imperative.
• Ancient Greek: Included Subjunctive, Optative, Imperative, and Infinitive moods.

Voices

• Two Voices in Modern Greek:
  • Active: Normal action representation.
  • Passive: Normal passive representation.
• Ancient Voice:
  • Middle: Intransitive verbs (self-action).
  • Some Modern Greek verbs retain middle voice forms.

Additional Resources

• Links for further exploration of verbs, nouns, numbers, and parts of speech in Greek.