What is gerundival attraction?

Gerundival attraction is what happens when a gerund needs to take a direct object - something grammatically incorrect in Latin (a gerund cannot take a direct object).For example, the phrase 'I reply by writing a letter' 'respondeo epistulam scribendo' is not grammatically correct in Latin.In order to convey the same meaning, we use gerundival attraction:The direct object is 'attracted' to the case of the gerund e.g. epistulam scribendo > epistula scribendo (acc. noun > abl. noun)The gerund is 'attracted' to the number and gender of the direct object e.g. epistula scribendo > epistula scribenda (nt. sg. gerund > fem. sg. gerund)We now have the grammatically correct sentence: 'respondeo epistula scribenda' 'I reply by writing a letter'n.b. 'scribenda' now looks very like a gerundive of obligation and if you translate it as a gerundive, the sentence still means more or less the same thing - 'I reply with a needing-to-be-written letter'. What has actually happened here is that we have turned the gerund into a gerundive so that it can take a direct object.

JL
Answered by Jenny L. Latin tutor

7413 Views

See similar Latin A Level tutors

Related Latin A Level answers

All answers ▸

How does Cicero build up Pompey's achievement and abilities during the pirate campaign?


What happens if I don't know a word or construction in a prose composition question?


Discuss Virgil's use of the themes of furor and pietas in Aeneid Book 12.


Briefly explore the conflict between Pietas and Furor in Virgil's Aeneid


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning