The 16 rules, part 2: pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions

Rules 5-8: pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions

Rule 5: pronouns

"Possessive pronouns are formed by suffixing to the required personal, the adjectival termination."

The list is mi vi li ŝi ĝi si ni ili oni. Add -a for the possessive and -n for the object, as on a noun:

• mia libro - my book
• Li vidas min. - He sees me.

More: personal pronouns, the reflexive si, oni.

Rule 6: verbs

"The verb does not change its form for numbers or persons"

The English column calls -us the subjunctive ("she may do"); Esperanto grammars call it the conditional. The rule then gives six participles (-ant- -int- -ont-, -at- -it- -ot-) and the passive, esti plus a passive participle, with de for "by":

• Ŝi estas amata de ĉiuj. - She is loved by everyone (the Fundamento's example).

What -at- against -it- means in the past was argued over for decades; in 1967 the Akademio de Esperanto declared the aspect reading (-it- finished) the one that matches Zamenhof. More: verb tenses, participles, the passive.

Rule 7: adverbs

"Adverbs are formed by adding e to the root."

Comparison works as for adjectives:

• Mia frato kantas pli bone ol mi. - My brother sings better than I do (the Fundamento's example).

More: adverbs.

Rule 8: prepositions

"All prepositions govern the nominative case."

The nominative is the plain form, without -n:

• Mi parolas kun la amiko. - I am talking with the friend.
• Tio estas por la infanoj. - That is for the children.

When -n does follow a preposition, Rule 13 is at work, not the preposition. More: prepositions.