duces: 2nd person, singular, future, active, indicative from the third conjugation verb: duco, ducere, duxi, ductum (to lead)
Remeber that as opposed to the first, second and fourth conjugations where the stem vowels are long/strong—a, e, i respectively—the third conjugation verbs have a short/weak e. Because of this quality, the stem vowel of the 3rd conjugation verbs either drops out, or gets altered when the verb is conjugated. The short e drops out in the first person singular present: duco not duceo. For the remainder of the present tense, the short e is altered to an i or a u (3rd person plural).
ducis
ducit
ducitis
ducunt
The future of third conjugation verbs also has a vowel change in the stem. Thus the future, active, indicative of ducere is:
duces
ducet
ducetis
ducent
If you will lead me, Muse, I shall sieze the crown with great praise.
Lucretius was an Epicurean philosopher and poet of the 1st Century BCE. The writing of poetry was often likened to a contest in which the winner was crowned.
12. Bonum virum natura, non ordo, facit.
Ordo: nominative, singular, masculine of the third declension noun ordo, ordinis (m.)= rank. Remember that the third declension encompasses all three genders (masculine, feminine and neuter). Nouns are placed into groups called declensions based on their genitive singular form. All third declension nouns have -is as the genitive singular ending. In first declension nouns the genitive singular ending is -ae and in second declension nouns it is -i. The stem to which you attach all the different case endings is also determined by the genitive singular form. The stem for ordo is ordin; therefore the declension of ordo is as follows:
| Declension | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom | ordo | ordines |
| Gen | ordinis | ordinum |
| Dat | ordini | ordinibus |
| Acc | ordinem | ordines |
| Abl | ordine | ordinibus |
| Voc | ordo | ordines |
facit: 3rd person, singular, present, active, indicative from the 3rd -io verb: facio, facere, feci, factum (to do/make).
Remeber that the e stem vowel in the infinitive of third conjugation verbs is short, unlike the second conjugation where the e stem vowel in the infinitive is long. Since short wovels are also weak, they are modified when the personal endings are affixed to them.
Thus in the 3rd conjugation, there is a stem change in the present. The short e drops out in the first person singular. It is changed to a long -i for the rest. The present of facere is:
facis (you do or make)
facit (he/she/it does or makes)
facitis (you do or make)
faciunt (they do or make)
Nature makes a good man, not rank.
Publius Syrus was a slave and writer of mimes in the last half of the 1st century BCE.
capiam: 1st person, singular, future, active, indicative from the 3rd -io verb: capio, capere, cepi, captum.
Capere declines much like fourth conjugation verbs because of the -io in the first principal part; however, it is still part of the third conjugation because of the short e that is the stem vowel in the infintive.
The future active indicative of capere is:
capies
capiet
capietis
capient
The present active imperative of capere is: