Result clauses – GCSE Classical Greek OCR Revision

Result clauses, sometimes known as Consequence Clauses, indicate an outcome or consequence of an action.
They are introduced by ut in Latin or ὥστε in Greek, followed by a verb in the indicative or infinitive mood.
These clauses are often used in connection with certain adverbs or adjectives, which make the result clause necessary or likely.

Result clauses are usually introduced by so…that or such…that in English translations.
The keyword ὥστε is used in Greek to indicate a result, followed by an infinitive in simple statements, or indicative verb when the result is made more definite.
A result clause often comes after an exceeding expectation; it indicates something has occurred beyond the expectation or norm.
Example sentence in Greek: Οὕτω πολλοὶ ἦλθον ὥστε τὸν οἶκον πληρῶσαι - So many came that they filled the house.

The word order can vary: the main clause with the “exceeding expectation” can come first or second in Classical Greek.
Consequential clauses and result clauses are similar and can easily be confused. Remember, consequential clauses show an action that follows logically, while result clauses show a specific outcome.
It’s not always obvious if a clause is a result clause, so context and practice are key.
Always look for the keywords ut/ὥστε and assess the context to identify a Result Clause.
Result clauses often work in tandem with comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs to indicate the result of an action being beyond comparison.

Try translating English sentences into Greek with result clauses, and Greek sentences into English, as part of your practice.
Be sure to familiarise yourself with the different moods (indicative, infinitive) used in result clauses.
Identify and practice with sentences expressing extreme states and observe where result clauses are found.
This will help develop your understanding of this topic, and the more you practice, the better you will understand how to identify and translate Result Clauses.