What is an verb? “impersonal” An verb is a verb that has no personal subject “impersonal” (i.e. I/we, you, he/she/they) used in the neuter, third person singular not otherwise conjugated except for tense. IN ENGLISH: the most commonplace use of an impersonal verb can be seen in phrases relating to the weather: raining” (pluit) “it’s is sowing” (ningit) “it etc. An impersonal verb may (i.e. have as its subject) an “take” infinitive, a clause, or a neuter pronoun. infinitive: saepe necesse est prō patriā morī = it is often necessary to die for (your) country.” clause: mē delectat haec vīdisse = delights me to “it have seen these things.” neuter pronoun: hōc decet = is fitting” “this Sometimes otherwise ordinary can be used impersonally, i.e. act like an impersonal verb in special senses. apparet = appears” “it = turns out, it happens” ēvenit “it placet = is pleasing, it pleases” “it = is better” praestat “it
What is an “impersonal” verb? An “impersonal” verb is a verb that has no personal subject (i.e. I/we, you, he/she/they) used in the neuter, third person singular not otherwise conjugated except for tense. IN ENGLISH: the most commonplace use of an impersonal verb can be seen in phrases relating to the weather: “it’s raining” (pluit) “it is sowing” (ningit) etc. An impersonal verb may “take” (i.e. have as its subject) an infinitive, a clause, or a neuter pronoun. infinitive: saepe necesse est prō patriā morī = it is often necessary to die for (your) country.” clause: mē delectat haec vīdisse = “it delights me to have seen these things.” neuter pronoun: hōc decet = “this is fitting” Sometimes otherwise ordinary can be used impersonally, i.e. act like an impersonal verb in special senses. apparet = “it appears” ēvenit = “it turns out, it happens” placet = “it is pleasing, it pleases” praestat = “it is better”
Impersonal-Verbs-Licet-and-Placet.docx