Teacher's Choice Prose, approx. 300 words
Review nominative, accusative, prepositional phrases, vocabulary in context, and first summaries and translations.
AP Latin Unit 1 Review: Teacher's Choice - Latin Prose
- 4 topics
- AP exam review verified for 2027
Unit 1 is about reading Latin prose accurately: define words in context, explain how each noun, verb, adjective, and pronoun works, summarize the passage, and translate it into idiomatic English.
Fiveable's AP Latin Unit 1 review covers 4 topics, with guided practice questions for the unit.
AP Latin unit 1 topics
Teacher's Choice Prose, approx. 300 words
Practice verb tenses, active and passive voice, linking verbs, and omitted forms of sum.
Teacher's Choice Prose, approx. 300 words
Work on genitive, dative, accusative of duration, pronouns and antecedents, and implied meaning.
Teacher's Choice Prose, approx. 300 words
Review ablative uses, subjunctive, imperative, participles, adjectives, and citing Latin evidence.
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Unit 1 review notes
1.1
Nominative, accusative, and prepositions
Start with the basic sentence skeleton: who acts, who receives, and what small words add. Reading 1.1 is usually the gentlest text, so build the habit of finding subject, verb, and object before translating.
- Gender, number, case: Noun endings, set by declension, show how a noun works in its sentence.
- Nominative: Usually marks the subject of a verb, so find it early.
- Accusative: Usually marks the direct object, the noun receiving the action of the verb.
- Prepositional phrase: A preposition plus a noun, most often ablative or accusative, adding place, means, or direction.
Take one sentence from your reading and label subject, verb, object, and any prepositional phrase before translating.
1.2
Verbs, tenses, voice, and linking verbs
Reading 1.2 adds verb control. Stem and ending give person, number, tense, voice, and mood, and forms of sum may be left out and must be inferred.
- Six indicative tenses: Present, imperfect, future, perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect each place action differently in time.
- Active and passive: Active means the subject does the action; passive means the subject receives it.
- Indicative mood: Used for statements of fact, the default mood in narrative prose.
- Linking verbs: When a verb connects two ideas, both are usually nominative; sum may be omitted.
Pick five verbs and name person, number, tense, and voice, then translate each with the right English tense.
1.3
Genitive, dative, time, and pronouns
Reading 1.3 widens case use and begins inference. Match pronouns to antecedents and notice how meaning goes beyond the literal words.
- Genitive uses: Shows possession, description, the whole in a partitive, or a quasi-object such as cupiditas regni.
- Dative: Shows to whom or for whom something is done, often with verbs of giving, saying, and showing.
- Accusative of duration: Shows how long something happens, as in multos annos.
- Pronoun and antecedent: A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in gender and number; case depends on its own clause.
Find one pronoun in your text and name its antecedent, gender, number, and case.
1.4
Ablative, subjunctive, participles, and evidence
Reading 1.4 combines more complex forms with the first evidence task. You may be given an interpretation and asked to cite and explain Latin that supports it.
- Ablative uses: Shows means, agent, manner, place, time, or separation, so context decides the translation.
- Subjunctive and imperative: Subjunctive expresses wishes, possibility, conditions, and dependent clauses; imperative gives commands.
- Participles: Verbal adjectives that agree with nouns, carry tense and voice, and may take objects.
- Adjective agreement: Adjectives match noun gender, number, and case and may be used substantively.
Quote two or three Latin words from your reading and explain how they support a given interpretation.
Key terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Indirect Discourse | A construction that reports speech or thought without direct quotation, common in Caesar, Livy, and other narrative prose. |
| Metaphor | A direct comparison between unlike things that adds meaning, which you may need to recognize when inferring implied meaning. |
| Metonymy | Substituting a closely associated word for the thing meant, which can affect how you translate and interpret a phrase. |
| Personification | Giving human qualities to non-human things or ideas, a figurative feature to notice when summarizing implied meaning. |
| Irony | A gap between stated and actual meaning that can change how you read an author's tone in a passage. |
| Repetition | Repeated words or structures that emphasize an idea and can serve as textual evidence for an interpretation. |
| Alliteration | Repeated initial consonant sounds that create rhythm and emphasis, which you can cite as a stylistic feature. |
| Imagery | Vivid language that appeals to the senses and helps you explain how a Latin passage creates its effect. |
| Epithet | A descriptive word or phrase attached to a person or thing, which can shape characterization in a reading. |
How to review unit 1
Mistakes to avoid in Teacher's Choice - Latin Prose
Translating in word order
Latin word order is flexible, so let endings, not position, decide subject and object.
Ignoring omitted sum
Missing a linking verb leaves two nominatives with no connection in your translation.
Naming a case without function
Saying 'ablative' is not enough; explain whether it shows means, agent, manner, place, time, or separation.
Mismatching pronoun case
A pronoun matches its antecedent in gender and number, but its case comes from its own clause.
Quoting too much or too little Latin
Evidence should be specific words that actually support the claim, followed by an explanation.
Teacher's Choice - Latin Prose on the AP exam
Sight prose multiple choice
Unseen prose questions test vocabulary in context, forms and syntax, translation of phrases, and stylistic features, all practiced in Teacher's Choice readings.
Translation and short answer
Literal translation and explaining forms with correct grammar terms support the Short Answer and Translation free-response questions, which use Pliny and Vergil passages.
Evidence-based analysis
Citing specific Latin and explaining how it supports an interpretation, begun in Reading 1.4, prepares you for the analytical free-response questions.
Study unit 1 other ways
Unit 1 printables
Print the unit cheatsheets ($3) for Unit 1. Yours to keep, no subscription needed.
get printablesFrequently Asked Questions
What's on the AP Latin Unit 1 progress check (MCQ and FRQ)?
The AP Latin Unit 1 progress check in AP Classroom has about 12 multiple-choice questions and 1 free-response question, a modified Short Essay. Both parts draw from the unit's four Teacher's Choice prose readings, 1.1 to 1.4, so they test reading, grammar, vocabulary, and evidence. Expect questions on meaning in context, forms and syntax, translation of phrases, and how Latin evidence supports an interpretation. Since teachers choose the prose, practice with unseen passages helps. Find matched practice on the Unit 1 page.
How do I practice AP Latin Unit 1 FRQs?
Practice AP Latin Unit 1 FRQs by translating each prose reading literally, explaining key forms, and citing specific Latin words as evidence for an interpretation. Readings 1.1 to 1.4 build these skills, and 1.4 starts the evidence work. The Progress Check 1 free-response is a modified Short Essay. On the real exam, FRQs 1 (Short Answer), 2 (Translation), and 3 (Short Essay) use the required Vergil and Pliny passages, not Teacher's Choice texts. Try this routine: - Translate a paragraph word for word, then smooth it out.
- Name the case, tense, or construction of five tricky words.
- Write two sentences quoting Latin that back up a claim. Use the Unit 1 page for more.
How should I study AP Latin Unit 1?
Study AP Latin Unit 1 by reading a little Latin often, reviewing core vocabulary, and checking grammar as you translate. Start with the easier readings, then move to longer prose. Small daily practice beats long cram sessions, and every reading gets you more comfortable. 1. Learn the vocabulary collection for each reading from the core list.
2. Translate each 300-word reading in chunks, marking verbs and subjects first.
3. Review forms you missed, like cases, tenses, and subjunctives.
4. Summarize each paragraph in English in one sentence.
5. By Reading 1.4, pick Latin phrases that support your teacher's interpretation.
6. Try unseen passages and questions. Start on the Unit 1 page.