English-to-Greek Drill module (by sets)
(html/javascript version)

Mode: evaluate answer on demand

Settings | Multiple Answers | Difficulty Levels

This module provides drill in the composing Greek declensional and conjugational forms, using randomly constructed sets. This drill has the added value of the ability to display the paradigm relevant to the form asked for. Ability to display dictionary information for the word is also present.

No Greek font is needed for the main action of this module. But if the Greek font Athenian is installed and if you want a hint, you may press the button for Dictionary Info and a small window will open. (Netscape for Windows mishandles alpha with circumflex and alpha with acute and smooth, and therefore the program omits items containing those characters (less than 5% of the forms) when Netscape for Windows is detected as the browser. Other browsers use all the available forms. The Dictionary Info button produces no action in Netscape for Windows.)

In the left panel are the settings for the drill.

Use vocabulary from Unit and to Unit: the numbers from 3 to 42 correspond to Units in the book. Making selections sets the range of unit exercises drawn on for generating the set of drill forms. For instance, the setting from 8 to 13 will produce a set using no vocabulary later than unit 13 in the book and containing mostly words from units 8-13 (but a few words from units earlier than 8 may also appear, depending on your other settings).

Difficulty level from Unit and to Unit: the numbers from 3 to 42 correspond to Units in the book. These settings allow you to limit the kinds of forms that will be presented in the random set. For a key to the difficulty levels, see below. For instance, the setting from 16 to 20 will produce a set using imperfect indicative (o-verbs and e-contract verbs), future active and middle indicative and infinitive (except a-contract type), aorist active and middle indicative and infinitive (except mi-verbs), plus the verb fhmi and the indefinite pronoun tis. Conversely, if you want work only with mi-verbs indicative and infinitives, select the range from 23 to 24.

A choice pop-up allows you to confine the set to verbs or to nouns, adjective, and pronouns, or to allow all kinds of forms to appear in the set.

In the upper frame, there is a selection item that allows you to move to a less challenging form of the drill, in which the answer is evaluated one letter at a time instead of on demand.

Operation of the drill: spell out the answer by clicking on a red vowel or a blue consonant in the large rectangle of Greek characters. If you wish to add a diacritic, do so AFTER you type the vowel: click on one of the black diacritics in the top row of the large rectangle of Greek characters. When you think your answer is complete, click on the button "Check Answer". If you are correct, a green check mark will appear after the entry. If there is an error, the first erroneous character will be replaced by a red X on a gray background, and this box will be the active box if you choose to retype your answer. Any subsequent erroneous characters are changed to a red X on a white background up to the point where the correct answer would end. If your answer has too many letters, the surplus characters are replaced by a red X on a light red background.

If you want to try again, replace the character at the point of the red X with gray background. Then continue typing, repeating the correct characters and replacing the remaining red X's on white background (but not the red X's on light red background). Then click on "Recheck answer". At any time, you can also click on "Show Answer".

Click on the NEXT button to move on to the next word.

The program does not recognize alternative forms with nu movable. Always omit optional nu when you enter an answer.

Additional information: The dictionary info button opens a small window (except in Netscape for Windows) containing the dictionary information for the Greek word, which may be used as a hint. The paradigm button opens the Paradigms module in a separate screen and loads the particular paradigm that illustrates the current form. The Paradigm module requires that you have Adobe Acrobat Reader or its plug-in installed.

MULTIPLE ANSWERS

A hint will often be given when multiple answers are possible. For instance, "short" or "long" indicate that the shorter or longer of two possible forms is wanted; or the root of the verb may be given, as in "throw (bal-)" as opposed to "throw (rip-). If no hint is given, the shorter form is usually the one expected first; thus for echo the future hexo before the future scheso.

DIFFICULTY LEVELS

The data set allows classification of each form by its difficulty level, based on its position in the sequence of learning in the book. Here is a listing of the difficulty levels:

NOUN/ADJECTIVE DECLENSION
3 o-declension
4 a-declension long-vowel feminine
5 a-declension short-vowel and masculine
6 article
7 vowel decl. adjectives with 3 endings
9 vowel decl. adjectives with 2 endings
12 relative pronoun
13 demonstratives
14 consonant declension: plosive stems
15 consonant declension: liquid, nasal, irregular rho stems, sigma stems; interrogative tis
17 indefinite tis
21 consonant declension: i and u stems, eu, au, ou stems; irregular (gunh, xeir, uios; pronoun autos
22 consonant adjectives; personal pronouns
25 adjectives polus, megas; numerals 1-4, oudeis, mhdeis; reflexive pronouns, reciprocal pronoun
30 comparatives in -wn, -iwn
33 indirect interrogative/indefinite relative
36 toioutos, tosoutos
42 contract and Attic declension and declension with omega

VERBAL CONJUGATION
8 omega-verbs present active indication
9 omega-verbs present active infinitive
10 present indicative and infinitive of eimi (be)
11 omega-verbs present middle-passive indicative and infinitive
13 e-contract-verbs present indicative and infinitive (active and m/p)
16 omega-verbs and e-contract-verbs imperfect (active and m/p), and imperfect of eimi
18 omega-futures and e-contract-futures (indicative and infinitive, active and middle), and future of eimi
19 strong and weak aorists active and middle indicative and infinitive
20 present and imperfect of fhmi
23 mi-verb present indicative, infinitive, imperfect (active and m/p)
24 mi-verb aorist indicative and infinitive (active and middle)
26 participles except a-contract or o-contract present, aorist passive, and perfect active and m/p
28 oida
29 a-contract and o-contract verbs present indicative, infinitive, participle and imperfect; future with a-contraction
31 subjunctive except perfect
32 omega-verb and mi-verb optative except perfect
33 present optative of contract verbs; future optative of e-contract and a-contract type
35 all aorist passive and future passive except imperative
37 all perfects except imperative
40 all imperatives
41 pluperfect and future perfect, and athematic perfect