Latin Imperfect Tense

^^Tense:^^ Indicates the time when something is happening

In English, we think of tense as ==PAST==, @@PRESENT@@, and %%FUTURE%%

Latin tenses are not as simple…

Latin has THREEpasttensesTHREE past tenses!!!
This note will focus on the ^^IMPERFECT TENSE^^

The imperfect tense denotes a ==repeated==, āˆ—āˆ—habitualāˆ—āˆ—**habitual**, or %%ongoing%% action

For this in English, we typically use words such as %%WAS%%, ^^WHERE^^, @@USED TO,@@ ==or KEPT== to indicate the imperfect tense

Ex:

  • He kept running until he ran out of breath
  • She was walking through the fields
  • I used to dance

Imperfect tense endings

Conjugating steps:

-Go to the infinitive

-Cut off the -re and the preceding vowel

-add the linking vowel

-add the endings

Ā Linking vowel chart for the imperfect tense

Examples:

singularplural
Amabam (I was loving)Amabamus (we were loving)
amabas (you were loving)Amabatis (y’all were loving)
amabat (he/she was loving)Amabant (they were loving)
singularplural
VerberabamVerberabamus
VerberabasVerberabatis
VerberabatVerberabant
singularplural
PonebamPonebamus
PonebasPonebatis
PonebatPonebant