Latin 2 Quiz: Writing With Prepositional Phrases
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Writing With Prepositional PhrasesQuestion 1 of 15

Which Latin sentence means 'They swim across the river'?

Trans flumen natant.
Trans flumine natant.
Trans fluminis natant.
Trans flumina natant.
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Latin 2 Quiz

Latin 2 Quiz: Writing With Prepositional Phrases

Practice Writing With Prepositional Phrases in Latin 2 with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Writing With Prepositional Phrases, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Latin 2.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Which Latin sentence means 'They swim across the river'?

  1. Trans flumen natant. (correct answer)
  2. Trans flumine natant.
  3. Trans fluminis natant.
  4. Trans flumina natant.
Explanation: Trans takes the accusative case, and flumen is the accusative singular of the river. So trans flumen natant means they swim across the river. The tempting error is trans flumina natant: flumina is the same case but plural, so it would mean across the rivers, not one river.

Question 2

Choose the Latin for 'They fight on behalf of the allies.'

  1. Pro socios pugnant.
  2. Pro sociis pugnant. (correct answer)
  3. Pro socii pugnant.
  4. Pro socio pugnant.
Explanation: The preposition pro meaning 'on behalf of' always takes the ablative case, so 'allies' must be sociis, the ablative plural. The tempting form socios is accusative and would follow a preposition like ad, not pro; socii is nominative and socio is singular. Therefore 'They fight on behalf of the allies' is Pro sociis pugnant.

Question 3

Which Latin sentence means 'Nobody lives without a single friend'?

  1. Nemo sine amicum vivit.
  2. Nemo sine amici vivit.
  3. Nemo sine amicis vivit.
  4. Nemo sine amico vivit. (correct answer)
Explanation: The preposition sine takes the ablative case, and the ablative singular of amicus is amico. So the phrase must be sine amico, giving Nemo sine amico vivit. The tempting error is sine amicum, because amicum is the accusative form, but sine never governs the accusative.

Question 4

Which Latin sentence means 'He dines at a friend's house'?

  1. Apud amico cenat.
  2. Apud amicus cenat.
  3. Apud amicos cenat.
  4. Apud amicum cenat. (correct answer)
Explanation: Apud takes the accusative case, so the object must be accusative. Amicum is accusative singular, giving 'at a friend's (house).' The tempting error is amicos, which is also accusative but plural; it would mean 'at friends' houses,' not one friend's. The other choices use nominative or ablative forms, which cannot follow apud.

Question 5

Which Latin sentence means 'The farmer runs into the field'?

  1. Agricola in agro currit.
  2. Agricola in agri currit.
  3. Agricola in agrum currit. (correct answer)
  4. Agricola in agros currit.
Explanation: To express motion 'into' with in, the noun must be accusative: agrum. Agricola is the nominative subject and currit means 'runs'. The tempting error is 'in agro', which is ablative and means 'in the field' (location), not motion into it.

Question 6

Which of the following Latin sentences correctly expresses 'The poet writes without fear' using an appropriate prepositional phrase with correct case selection?

  1. Poeta sine timore scribit — 'sine' (without) governs the ablative, and 'timore' is the ablative singular of the third-declension noun 'timor, timoris,' correctly indicating the absence of fear. (correct answer)
  2. Poeta sine timorem scribit — 'sine' (without) governs the accusative to show the direct object of the preposition, and 'timorem' is the accusative singular of 'timor,' correctly expressing that fear is what is lacking.
  3. Poeta ex timore scribit — 'ex' (out of/without) governs the ablative, and 'timore' is the ablative singular of 'timor,' correctly expressing the absence of fear when used with a mental state noun.
  4. Poeta sine timoris scribit — 'sine' (without) governs the genitive to show the thing that is absent, and 'timoris' is the genitive singular of 'timor,' correctly indicating that the poet lacks fear.
Explanation: When working with Latin prepositions, your first task is always to identify which grammatical case that preposition governs — this is non-negotiable and must be memorized, since the case ending changes the entire meaning of the phrase. The preposition sine (without) always and exclusively governs the ablative case. The noun timor, timoris (fear) is a third-declension masculine noun, and its ablative singular form is timore. So Poeta sine timore scribit — answer A — is correct: the preposition is paired with the right case, and the sentence accurately renders "The poet writes without fear." Answer B fails because timorem is the accusative singular of timor. While accusative is common with many prepositions (like ad or per), sine never takes the accusative. This choice reflects a common trap: confusing which prepositions govern which cases. Answer C uses the correct case (timore is indeed ablative), but the wrong preposition entirely. The word ex means "out of" or "from," not "without." Swapping prepositions while keeping the right case still produces a grammatically flawed and semantically inaccurate sentence. Answer D uses timoris, which is the genitive singular of timor. Latin does use the genitive to show possession or absence in some constructions, but sine never governs the genitive — this is simply a false rule invented by the distractor. Study tip: Build a cheat sheet of prepositions grouped by the case they govern (ablative vs. accusative vs. both contextually). For sine, let the phrase "sine = strictly ablative" help you remember.

Question 7

A student writes the following Latin sentence: Servi cum domino laborant. He intends it to mean 'The slaves work with the master.' A classmate argues that the sentence is wrong because 'cum' should be enclitic (attached to a pronoun) here. Which of the following evaluations is most accurate?

  1. The student's sentence is correct. 'Cum' as a standalone preposition governing the ablative is proper when its object is a noun such as 'domino'; the enclitic rule applies only when 'cum' follows personal or reflexive pronouns. (correct answer)
  2. The classmate is correct. 'Cum' must always appear as an enclitic in Latin when expressing accompaniment, regardless of whether its object is a noun or pronoun; 'domino cum laborant servi' would be the corrected form.
  3. The student's sentence is correct in meaning but incorrect in word order; Latin convention requires the prepositional phrase 'cum domino' to appear after the verb, so 'Servi laborant cum domino' is the only acceptable form.
  4. The classmate is correct. When 'cum' governs a noun in the ablative, it must be written as a suffix on that noun, producing 'dominoque' to indicate accompaniment; 'cum domino' is only used with verbs of combat or conflict.
Explanation: When you encounter a question about the preposition cum in Latin, the key distinction to keep in mind is whether its object is a noun or a pronoun — because this determines whether cum stands alone or attaches as an enclitic. In classical Latin, cum functions as a standard standalone preposition governing the ablative case when its object is a noun. So cum domino ("with the master") is perfectly correct — domino is an ablative noun, and cum precedes it exactly as expected. The student's sentence Servi cum domino laborant is grammatically sound, making A the correct answer. The enclitic rule is a specific, narrow exception: when cum accompanies personal pronouns (like mecum, tecum, nobiscum) or reflexive pronouns (like secum), it attaches to the end of that pronoun. This convention does not extend to ordinary nouns. B is wrong because it overgeneralizes this enclitic rule to all uses of cum, which is false — nouns take cum as a freestanding preposition. C is a trap: while Latin word order is flexible, there is no strict rule requiring cum domino to follow the verb. Prepositional phrases can appear in various positions without being "wrong." D introduces a completely fabricated rule — cum never suffixes onto nouns to produce forms like dominoque (that ending is actually the enclitic -que, meaning "and"). Restricting cum domino to contexts of combat is invented. Your study tip: memorize the short list of pronoun-cum enclitics (mecum, tecum, secum, nobiscum, vobiscum) as a fixed set, and remember that outside this list, cum behaves like any other preposition.

Question 8

A student must write 'The book is on the table' in Latin, knowing that 'mensa, -ae' (first declension, feminine) means 'table.' She must decide whether to use 'in' + ablative or 'super' + accusative. Which of the following correctly assesses her options?

  1. Only 'in mensa' is correct; 'super' is a poetic preposition that does not appear in classical prose, and 'super mensam' with the accusative is also grammatically impossible in standard Latin.
  2. Both 'in mensa' and 'super mensam' can express the book being on the table; 'in mensa' uses the ablative for location and can mean 'on' or 'in,' while 'super mensam' uses the accusative and more precisely means 'above/on top of the table.' Either is defensible depending on nuance. (correct answer)
  3. Only 'super mensam' is correct because 'in' + ablative exclusively means 'inside,' making it semantically wrong for a book resting on a surface; 'in mensa' would therefore imply the book is enclosed within the table.
  4. Only 'in mensa' is correct; 'super' must always take the ablative in classical Latin, so 'super mensa' would be required, but that form is redundant with 'in mensa' and is therefore avoided by convention.
Explanation: When translating location in Latin, you need to think carefully about which prepositions can express "on top of" a surface — and whether a single preposition has flexible meanings depending on context. In with the ablative (in mensa) is the workhorse of Latin spatial expressions. While it can mean "inside," it regularly means "on" when the noun refers to a surface — Romans naturally said in mensa to mean "on the table," just as they said in via for "on the road." The ablative here signals static location, not motion. Super with the accusative (super mensam) also appears in classical prose and emphasizes "above" or "on top of," making it a reasonable choice when you want to stress the book's position atop the surface. Both constructions are grammatically and semantically defensible, which is exactly what answer B captures. Answer A is wrong on two counts: super does appear in classical prose (Cicero and Caesar both use it), and super + accusative is a standard construction, not grammatically impossible. Answer C overstates the semantic restriction of in + ablative. "Inside" is one meaning, but surface location ("on") is equally classical — context and the nature of the noun determine meaning. Answer D invents a rule: super commonly takes the accusative in classical Latin (not ablative), so super mensa would be the non-standard form, making this distractor doubly wrong. Your takeaway: Latin prepositions often have broader meanings than their English glosses suggest. When studying spatial prepositions, always learn both the case they govern and the range of contexts where they appear.

Question 9

A student needs to write 'The citizens flee from the city' in Latin, using 'ex' or 'ab' as the preposition and 'urbs, urbis' (third declension, feminine) as the noun for city. Which sentence is most appropriate, and what is the key distinction between the two preposition choices?

  1. Cives ab urbis fugiunt — 'ab' governs the genitive when indicating origin or separation, and 'urbis' is the genitive singular of 'urbs'; this construction correctly expresses that the city is the point of departure.
  2. Cives ab urbem fugiunt — 'ab' governs the accusative when motion away from a place is expressed, and 'urbem' is the accusative singular of 'urbs'; 'ex' would only be used if the citizens were already inside the city.
  3. Cives ex urbem fugiunt — 'ex' governs the accusative to show motion outward from a place, and 'urbem' is the accusative singular of 'urbs'; this is the correct form because fleeing implies directional motion.
  4. Cives ex urbe fugiunt — 'ex' (out of/from within) + ablative 'urbe' is most appropriate because it conveys that the citizens are fleeing from inside the city outward; 'ab' + ablative would mean from the vicinity or exterior of the city. (correct answer)
Explanation: When dealing with Latin prepositions of separation or motion, two key decisions determine correctness: which preposition fits the meaning, and which case it governs. Both ex and ab take the ablative — never the accusative or genitive — so your first filter is always case. Ex (or e) means "out from within," implying the subject was inside something and is now exiting it. Ab means "away from the vicinity or exterior of" something. Since citizens fleeing a city are departing from inside it, ex + ablative is the natural, precise choice. The ablative singular of urbs, urbis is urbe, making Cives ex urbe fugiunt the correct sentence — confirming D. Looking at the wrong answers: A uses ab urbis, but urbis is genitive, not ablative. Neither ab nor ex ever governs the genitive, so this is a fundamental case error. B uses ab urbem, where urbem is accusative — again, the wrong case entirely. Prepositions of separation in Latin take the ablative, not the accusative (accusative signals motion toward a place, used with ad or in). C makes the same case mistake as B by pairing ex with urbem (accusative); the reasoning that "motion requires accusative" is a false rule that confuses Latin with other patterns. A reliable study tip: memorize that ab, ex, and de always take the ablative in Latin, while ad and in (for motion toward/into) take the accusative. That single rule eliminates B and C immediately on any similar question.

Question 10

A student must write a Latin sentence meaning 'The general speaks about the war' using the noun 'bellum, -i' (neuter, second declension). She considers using either 'de' or 'pro' with the ablative. Which sentence is both grammatically correct and semantically accurate?

  1. Imperator de bellum dicit — 'de' governs the accusative to indicate the topic under discussion, and 'bellum' is the accusative singular of the neuter noun; the accusative correctly marks what the speech is directed toward.
  2. Imperator pro bello dicit — 'pro' with the ablative correctly means 'about/concerning' when paired with verbs of speaking, and 'bello' is the ablative singular of 'bellum'; this is equally valid to 'de bello.'
  3. Imperator de bello dicit — 'de' with the ablative correctly means 'about/concerning,' and 'bello' is the ablative singular of 'bellum'; this construction is the standard way to express speaking about a topic. (correct answer)
  4. Imperator pro bellum dicit — 'pro' governs the accusative when used in the sense of speaking about something, and 'bellum' is the accusative singular; this is the standard construction for discussing a topic.
Explanation: When you see a question involving Latin prepositions and their case requirements, your first instinct should be to recall which case each preposition governs — this is non-negotiable in Latin grammar, where prepositions are locked to specific cases. The preposition de always governs the ablative case and carries the meaning "about, concerning, down from." For the neuter second-declension noun bellum, -i, the ablative singular is bello (the -um ending drops and becomes -o). So Imperator de bello dicit — "The general speaks about the war" — is both grammatically correct and semantically precise. This is the standard, textbook construction for expressing a topic of speech in Latin, making C the right answer. A is doubly wrong: de never governs the accusative, and bellum here would be accusative, not ablative. The claim that accusative "marks what speech is directed toward" is invented — Latin simply doesn't work that way with de. B is tempting because bello is correctly formed as ablative singular, and pro does govern the ablative. However, pro means "on behalf of, in front of, in exchange for" — not "about/concerning." Using pro bello would mean something closer to "the general speaks in defense of the war," which is a different meaning entirely. D compounds two errors: pro governs the ablative, not the accusative, and pro doesn't mean "about" anyway. This answer gets both the case and the meaning wrong. Memory tip: Think "de = down to the details about something." It's your go-to preposition for expressing topics of discussion, always paired with the ablative.

Question 11

A student wants to write 'The children play near the river' in Latin. She knows that the Latin word for river is 'flumen, fluminis' (neuter, third declension) and must choose between 'apud' and 'prope,' both of which can mean 'near.' Which sentence is grammatically correct?

  1. Liberi prope flumen ludunt — 'prope' governs the accusative, so 'flumen' as accusative singular neuter is correct; 'apud' would also be correct here but typically implies nearness to a person rather than a place. (correct answer)
  2. Liberi prope flumine ludunt — 'prope' governs the ablative when indicating a fixed spatial relationship, so 'flumine' as ablative singular is correct; the accusative would imply motion toward the river.
  3. Liberi apud flumine ludunt — 'apud' governs the ablative when used with inanimate nouns referring to geographical features, so 'flumine' as ablative singular is correct for this context.
  4. Liberi apud fluminis ludunt — 'apud' governs the genitive case when indicating proximity to a location, so 'fluminis' as genitive singular is the required form for this preposition.
Explanation: When working with Latin prepositions, the most important thing to know is which case each preposition governs — this is non-negotiable in Latin grammar. Two key prepositions here are prope and apud, and they do not behave the same way. Prope ("near") always governs the accusative case. For a third-declension neuter noun like flumen, fluminis, the accusative singular is flumen (same as the nominative, as with all neuter nouns). So liberi prope flumen ludunt is perfectly correct — "the children play near the river." Answer A is right for exactly this reason, and its note about apud typically implying nearness to a person is also accurate. Answer B is wrong on two counts: prope never governs the ablative, and the claim that "accusative implies motion toward" is a misapplication of a rule that applies to prepositions like ad or in, not to prope, which always takes the accusative regardless of motion or rest. Answer C is wrong because apud also governs the accusative, not the ablative — and there is no special ablative rule for inanimate geographical nouns. This is a fabricated rule designed to trap you. Answer D is wrong because apud never governs the genitive. No standard Latin preposition governs the genitive case, so fluminis here is simply incorrect. A helpful study tip: memorize prepositions paired with their cases as fixed vocabulary entries — treat "prope + accusative" and "apud + accusative" as single units. When an answer choice invents a case rule, that's almost always a distractor.

Question 12

A student is asked to translate 'The girl walks through the forum' into Latin. She writes: Puella per foro ambulat. Which of the following best identifies the error and provides the corrected sentence?

  1. The verb 'ambulat' is incorrect; the sentence should use 'it' instead. The corrected sentence is: Puella per foro it.
  2. The preposition 'per' is incorrect for expressing motion through a place; the sentence should use 'in' with the ablative. The corrected sentence is: Puella in foro ambulat.
  3. The noun 'foro' is in the ablative case, but 'per' requires the accusative; the corrected sentence is: Puella per forum ambulat. (correct answer)
  4. The noun 'foro' is in the ablative case, but it should be in the genitive to show possession with 'per'; the corrected sentence is: Puella per fori ambulat.
Explanation: When working with Latin prepositions, one of the most important things to remember is that each preposition governs a specific case — and using the wrong case is just as much an error as using the wrong preposition entirely. This question tests exactly that concept. The preposition per means "through" or "across" and always takes the accusative case. The accusative singular of forum (a second-declension neuter noun) is forum, not foro. The form foro is ablative (or dative), so the student's sentence Puella per foro ambulat pairs per with the wrong case. The corrected sentence, Puella per forum ambulat, properly uses the accusative, making C the right answer. Looking at the distractors: A changes the verb from ambulat to it (from ire, "to go"), but the original verb is perfectly acceptable for expressing walking — the verb was never the problem. B suggests replacing per with in plus the ablative, which would actually change the meaning to "in the forum" (location, not motion through it). In with the ablative expresses static location, not passage through a place — so this swap corrects the case but destroys the intended meaning. D claims per requires the genitive to show possession, which is entirely fabricated; per has nothing to do with possession, and the genitive of forum would be fori, which makes no grammatical sense here. A helpful strategy: whenever you see a Latin preposition, immediately ask yourself which case does this take? Keep a short list memorized — per, ad, ante, and post take accusative; cum, de, ex, and sine take ablative. That habit alone will catch errors like this one every time.

Question 13

A student writes the sentence Pueri trans viam currunt to mean 'The boys run across the road,' using 'via, -ae' (first declension, feminine). A teacher marks it incorrect. Which of the following correctly identifies whether the teacher's correction is justified, and why?

  1. The teacher is wrong to mark it incorrect, but only partially: 'trans' can govern either the accusative or the ablative depending on whether motion or location is expressed; since running is motion, 'viam' in the accusative is valid, but 'via' in the ablative would also be acceptable.
  2. The teacher is correct because 'trans' governs the ablative to indicate motion across a surface, and 'viam' is in the accusative; the corrected form should be 'Pueri trans via currunt.'
  3. The teacher is correct because 'per,' not 'trans,' is the only acceptable preposition for expressing motion across a road; 'trans' is reserved exclusively for crossing bodies of water. The corrected sentence is 'Pueri per viam currunt.'
  4. The teacher is wrong to mark it incorrect. 'Trans' governs the accusative case in classical Latin, and 'viam' is the accusative singular of 'via'; the sentence is grammatically correct and accurately expresses the boys running across the road. (correct answer)
Explanation: When working with Latin prepositions, your first instinct should always be: what case does this preposition govern? Prepositions in Latin are not flexible — each one locks onto a specific case, and the noun following it must match. Trans is a classical Latin preposition that governs the accusative case — always, without exception, regardless of whether motion or location is implied. So when a student writes trans viam, they are using viam, the accusative singular of via, -ae, which is exactly correct. The sentence Pueri trans viam currunt is grammatically sound and accurately translates to "The boys run across the road." The teacher is wrong to mark it incorrect, making D the right answer. A is wrong because it invents a false rule. Trans does not alternate between accusative and ablative depending on motion versus location — that flexibility belongs to prepositions like in or sub, not trans. Trans is accusative-only. B contains a double error: it wrongly claims trans takes the ablative, then offers trans via as the correction — but via is the nominative/ablative form, meaning the "corrected" sentence would actually be the grammatically broken version. This answer has the logic exactly backwards. C is a fabricated restriction. While per can express motion through or across a road, trans is absolutely a valid alternative and is not limited to bodies of water. Restricting trans that way has no basis in classical Latin grammar. Your study tip: memorize prepositions with their cases as fixed pairs — trans + accusative, cum + ablative, in + accusative (motion) or ablative (location). The preposition-case pairing is non-negotiable.

Question 14

A student must write a Latin sentence meaning 'The messenger runs to the city' using the appropriate preposition and case. Which sentence is correct, and why is the case selection justified?

  1. Nuntius ad urbem currit — 'ad' governs the accusative, and 'urbem' is the accusative singular of the third-declension noun 'urbs,' correctly showing motion toward the city. (correct answer)
  2. Nuntius in urbem currit — 'in' governs the accusative when indicating motion into a place, and 'urbem' is accusative singular; this correctly indicates the messenger is running into the city, which is the same as running to it.
  3. Nuntius ad urbe currit — 'ad' governs the ablative to show direction of motion, and 'urbe' is the ablative singular of 'urbs,' correctly indicating motion toward the city.
  4. Nuntius in urbe currit — 'in' governs the ablative to show motion toward a location, and 'urbe' is the ablative singular of 'urbs,' correctly indicating the messenger is moving toward the city.
Explanation: When you see a question about expressing motion toward a destination in Latin, your first instinct should be to identify the correct preposition and the case it governs — these two elements must work together. In Latin, the preposition ad ("to, toward") always governs the accusative case. To express "the messenger runs to the city," you need ad plus the accusative of urbs. The third-declension noun urbs forms its accusative singular as urbem, giving you Nuntius ad urbem currit — that's answer A, and it's exactly right. Here's why the other choices fail. Answer B (in urbem currit) is grammatically sound — in + accusative does indicate motion, and urbem is correctly accusative — but it means "into the city," implying the messenger enters the city, not merely moves toward it. The question asks for "to the city," so the meaning is off even though the grammar isn't wrong. Answer C (ad urbe currit) uses ad correctly as a preposition of direction but pairs it with urbe, the ablative singular. This is the key error: ad never takes the ablative. The student has confused the preposition's case requirement. Answer D (in urbe currit) uses in + ablative, which expresses location ("in the city"), not motion at all — the opposite of what's needed, and the ablative confirms this static meaning. A reliable study tip: memorize ad + accusative = motion toward and in + ablative = location. These two pairings appear constantly in Latin 2, and mixing them up is the single most common trap on questions like this.

Question 15

A student wants to write 'The soldiers are fighting in front of the temple' in Latin. Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct and uses the appropriate prepositional phrase?

  1. Milites pro templo pugnant, where 'pro' governs the ablative and 'templo' is ablative singular of 'templum,' correctly expressing position in front of the temple.
  2. Milites ante templum pugnant, where 'ante' governs the accusative and 'templum' is accusative singular of 'templum,' correctly expressing position in front of the temple. (correct answer)
  3. Milites ante templo pugnant, where 'ante' governs the ablative and 'templo' is ablative singular of 'templum,' correctly expressing position in front of the temple.
  4. Milites pro templum pugnant, where 'pro' governs the accusative and 'templum' is accusative singular of 'templum,' correctly expressing position in front of the temple.
Explanation: When translating prepositional phrases in Latin, you need to know two things: which preposition carries the correct meaning, and which case that preposition governs. These are non-negotiable pairings — using the wrong case with a preposition is a grammatical error even if the meaning seems close. For "in front of the temple," the correct Latin preposition is ante, which means "in front of" and always governs the accusative case. The word templum is a second-declension neuter noun. Its accusative singular form is templum (same as nominative, which is typical for neuter nouns). This makes B — Milites ante templum pugnant the correct answer: ante pairs with the accusative templum, and milites pugnant correctly means "the soldiers are fighting." Choice A is a classic trap. Pro does govern the ablative, and templo is correctly ablative — but pro means "on behalf of" or "in place of," not "in front of." The case is right; the preposition is wrong for this meaning. Choice C pairs ante with the ablative templo, which is doubly problematic: ante requires the accusative, not the ablative. Getting the preposition right but assigning it the wrong case is a common beginner error. Choice D uses pro with the accusative templum, which is wrong in two ways: pro governs the ablative, and as noted above, it doesn't mean "in front of" in a positional sense. Your study tip: memorize prepositions in pairs — the word and its case. Make flashcards that say "ante + accusative = in front of" and "pro + ablative = on behalf of." Confusing these two prepositions is one of the most common traps on Latin exams.