1. So far, the verbs we have seen all end in the letter T.

2. We have come across three kinds of nouns. Some nouns which end with A are:

puella, villa, magistra

3. Some nouns which end with US are:

dominus, servus, Valerius

We’ve also come across one word ending in ER that belongs to this group, PUER. Maybe once upon a time it was PUERUS but has dropped that ending.

4. Some nouns which don’t end in A or US are:

urbs, Milphio, mater

5. Now let’s look at the nouns ending with A. When those nouns are telling you WHERE something is (for instance, when they come after the word IN), their ending is a bit different.

Examples: in culinA, in ItaliA (long A)

Note the difference: this ending takes longer to say.

6. Now what about words that end with US? How do they end when telling WHERE something is?

Examples: in domO, in tablinO (long O)

7. And then there are the other words. How do they end?

Examples: in urbe, sub monte

8. Here’s the official grammar terminology for what you’ve learnt so far:

DECLENSION : group of nouns which all share the same set of endings. Fill in the blanks for the missing endings, using the endings you listed above.

First declension: group of nouns which end in A / long A

Second declension: group of nouns which end in US (sometimes ER) / long O

Third declension: group of nouns which ends with other endings (S, O, ER, X, IS ….) / E.

CASE : ending which shows how a noun works in a sentence

NOMINATIVE case: A/ US / ER / all the funny third declension endings, which tell us the noun is the SUBJECT, the one doing the action, the thing you’re talking about.