Present, Imperfect, and Perfect Tenses

English has a present tense and a past tense.

Present Tense She praises her mother. She is praising her mother. She does praise her mother.

Past Tense She praised her mother. She was praising her mother. She did praise her mother.

Latin is better. Latin has a present tense and TWO past tenses

Present Tense puella matrem laudat. The girl praises her mother. The girl is praising her mother. The girl does praise her mother.

Imperfect Tense puella matrem laudābat. The girl was praising her mother. The girl used to praise her mother.

Perfect Tense puella matrem laudāvit. The girl praised her mother. The girl did praise her mother. The girl has praised her mother.

puella matrem laudābat. – Imperfect Tense The girl was praising her mother. puella matrem laudāvit. – Perfect Tense The girl praised her mother.

What’s going on here? laudābat means “she was praising”? laudāvit means “she praised”? So they both happened in the past? NON INTELLEGO.

The imperfect tense is used for continuing or repeated action in the past. The perfect tense is for single events completed in the past. See the difference?

Oh, I get it now! puella matrem laudābat cotidie. The girl was praising her mother daily. puella matrem laudāvit heri. The girl praised her mother yesterday. Cicero librum scribēbat. Cicero librum scripsit. Cicero was writing a book. Cicero wrote a book.

BENE! OPTIME! bonus discipulus es.

Present Tense present stem personal ending

Personal Endings of Verbs the last part of a verb form identifies the subject three persons two numbers

Personal Endings of Verbs for the present tense 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd sing. sing plural I you he, she, it we you all they - ō /m -s -t -mus -tis -nt

Present Tense 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd sing. sing plural laud laudā ō s t mus tis nt

Imperfect Tense present stem tense sign -BĀ- personal ending

Imperfect Tense 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd sing. sing plural laudā m s t mus tis nt ba bā ba bā ba

Perfect Tense perfect stem perfect personal ending

How can I find the Perfect Stem? from the 3rd principal part

1 st principal part laud ō This is the 1 st singular present tense. “I praise”

2 nd principal part laudāre This is the present infinitive. “to praise” present stem + re

3 rd principal part laudāv ī This is the perfect tense. “I praised” perfect stem + perfect personal ending

Perfect Tense Personal Endings 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd sing. sing plural I you he, she, it we you all they -ī-ī -ist ī -it -imus -istis - ē runt

Perfect Tense 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd sing. sing plural laud ā v ī ist ī it imus istis ē runt

portō, portāre, portāvī present imperfect perfect portat portābat portāvit

ambulō, ambulāre, ambulāvī present imperfect perfect ambulat ambulābat ambulāvit

dicō, dicere, dixī present imperfect perfect dicit dicēbat dixit

regō, regere, rexī (rule) present imperfect perfect regit regēbat rexit

mittō, mittere, misī (send) present imperfect perfect mittit mittēbat misit

scribō, scribere, scripsī present imperfect perfect scribit scribēbat scripsit

moneō, monēre, monuī (warn) present imperfect perfect monet monēbat monuit

FINIS