Weeks 19–20: Comprehensive Review of Vocabulary, Paradigms, and Syntax

Introduction

Congratulations—you’ve worked through the essential building blocks of Koine Greek: alphabet, vocabulary, nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions. Before you take the competency exam, it’s time to step back and review everything together.

This review isn’t just about memorizing forms. It’s about bringing vocabulary, paradigms, and syntax together so you can read, recognize, and translate New Testament Greek with confidence.

Step 1: Vocabulary Review

By now, you should recognize 200–300 core words introduced through the Scripturial app and 1,486 words introduced through the Greek To Me tools. These are among the most common in the NT.

Strategies for Review:

1. Daily flashcards or app practice (Greek → English, English → Greek).

2. Write sentences using new vocabulary.

3. NT word hunts: pick a word and find it in 5–10 verses.

👉 Goal: Instant recognition of common words without hesitation.

Step 2: Paradigms Review

You’ve learned the major paradigms:

Nouns

• First and Second Declensions → regular patterns.

• Third Declension → irregular stems, essential vocabulary (πνεῦμα, σῶμα, πίστις, ὄνομα).

Verbs

• Present active indicative → continuous present action.

• Future active → stem + σ + endings.

• Imperfect active → augment (ἐ-) + continuous past.

• Middle/Passive endings → subject involvement or passive sense.

Articles and Adjectives

• Articles agree with nouns in gender, case, number.

• Adjectives can be attributive (the good man) or predicate (the man is good).

👉 Goal: Be able to write out and translate all major paradigms from memory.

Step 3: Syntax Review

Syntax is how words combine into meaningful sentences.

• Word order is flexible—endings determine function.

• Articles bind phrases together.

• Conjunctions connect clauses (καί = and, ἀλλά = but, ἵνα = so that).

• Prepositions change meaning depending on case (ἐν + dat. = in, εἰς + acc. = into, ἐκ + gen. = out of).

👉 Goal: Identify subject, verb, object, and modifiers in any short NT passage.

Step 4: Practice Reading

Now is the time to practice whole sentences.

1. John 1:5

• καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει.

• Parse:

  • Subject: τὸ φῶς → “the light.”

  • Verb: φαίνει (present active) → “shines.”

  • Prepositional phrase: ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ → “in the darkness.”

• Translation: “And the light shines in the darkness.”

2. Romans 5:1

• Δικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως, εἰρήνην ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν.

• “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God.”

3. Matthew 5:14

• ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου.

• “You are the light of the world.”

Step 5: How to Progress In Competence

1. Vocabulary – Aim for instant recall of  core words.

2. Paradigms – Be able to write out and translate noun and verb paradigms.

3. Syntax – Translate simple NT sentences by recognizing endings and connectors.

4. Daily Practice – Even 15 minutes a day is better than long, irregular study sessions.

Practice Assignments

1. Vocabulary Drill
Write down 25 words you’ve struggled with. Practice them daily until you can recall them instantly. Then move on to 25 more.

2. Paradigm Writing
Write out from memory:

• λύω in the present, future, and imperfect tenses.

• πατήρ (father) in full third declension forms.

• Article chart (ὁ, ἡ, τό).

3. Translation Exercise
Translate the following into English:

1. ὁ μαθητὴς γράφει τὴν γραφήν.

2. ἐπίστευον τῷ κυρίῳ.

3. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου.

4. Composition Practice
Write 3 original Greek sentences using vocabulary, articles, and verbs in different tenses. Translate into English.

5. Daily NT Reading
Choose one chapter (e.g., John 1). Each day, translate 3–5 verses. Focus on recognizing vocabulary, parsing verbs, and following syntax.

Encouragement

You’ve made it to the final stretch of Level I! This review isn’t just preparation for the exam—it’s the moment when scattered pieces begin to click into a unified whole.

As you practice, you’ll notice how much you already know: words that once seemed strange will now leap off the page with familiarity. Each translation will give you confidence that you really can read the New Testament in Greek.

Stay consistent, lean into the review, and remember—you’ve come this far because you’ve built habits of daily practice. Keep them strong, and you’ll be ready to pass the competency exam with confidence.