ut (It Happened That)

It Happened That

Level 5

It happened that, I bring it about that: ut plus the subjunctive.

How It Works

The clause works as a noun. In Accidit ut Marcus aegrotaret it is the subject of accidit. In Efficiam ut venias it is the object of efficiam.

The negative is ut non: Efficiam ut non venias (I will bring it about that you do not come). The verb follows the sequence of tenses.

This clause looks like a result clause but has no signal word such as tam.

Accidit ut Marcus aegrotaret.
It happened that Marcus fell ill.
Accidit is the verb of happening, and the ut clause is what happened.
Efficiam ut venias.
I will bring it about that you come.
Efficiam is future here, and venias is the present subjunctive in the ut clause.
Factum est autem ut moreretur mendicus.
It happened that the beggar died.
Luke 16:22. Moreretur is the imperfect subjunctive of the deponent morior.
Saepe fit ut errent homines.
It often happens that people make mistakes.
Fit is the verb of happening, and errent is the present subjunctive.
Fecit ut omnes riderent.
He made everyone laugh.
Fecit ut brings about a result. Riderent is the imperfect subjunctive after the past fecit.

Putting the verb of the ut clause in the indicative.
Accidit ut Marcus aegrotabat.
Accidit ut Marcus aegrotaret.
Ut with the indicative means as or when. To say that it happened that Marcus fell ill, the verb is subjunctive: aegrotaret.

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ut (It Happened That)Level 5It Happened That

These ut clauses work like result clauses.

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