Breakdown of Puer minus diligens est; ideo idem mendum iterum describit nec statim corrigit.
Questions & Answers about Puer minus diligens est; ideo idem mendum iterum describit nec statim corrigit.
It is a very basic clause:
- Puer = the boy; nominative singular, the subject.
- est = is.
- diligens = careful / diligent, used as a predicate adjective.
- minus = less, modifying diligens.
So the structure is subject + form of esse + predicate adjective:
The boy is less careful/diligent.
Latin can express comparison in more than one way.
- diligentior = more diligent
- minus diligens = less diligent
So minus + adjective is an analytic way to make a comparison, much like English less careful. It is perfectly normal Latin.
In this sentence, minus diligens means less careful or not so careful. A form like diligentior would mean the opposite direction: more careful.
Diligens is a third-declension adjective. In the nominative singular, it has the same form for masculine and feminine.