1. Lesson 26 Imperfect Tense
Oct , 2014

2. Past Tenses
So far, we have learned two types of past tenses in Latin: perfect and imperfect.
Although both are past tense, they express different shades of the past.

3. Review: Perfect Tense
The perfect tense expresses past action completed.
It is formed from the 3rd principal part of the verb.
It uses these endings:
i -imus
isti -istis
it -erunt

4. Review: Perfect Tense rego, regere, rexi, rectus: rule
REXI minus –i ==== REX-
rexi reximus
rexisti rexistis
rexit rexerunt

5. Review: Perfect Tense Perfect tense can be translated 3 ways: I verbed
I did verb
I have verbed

6. Imperfect Tense
Imperfect tense is past tense that expresses action occurring over a period of time.
The action is repeated, customary, or continuous.
It is formed using the 2nd principal part of the verb.
Its endings are:
bam bamus
bas batis
bat bant
-BA! -BA!

7. Imperfect Tense porto, portare, portavi, portatus: carry
PORTARE minus RE === PORTA-
portabam portabamus
portabas portabatis
portabat portabant
-BA! -BA!

8. Imperfect Tense Imperfect tense can be translated 5 ways:
I was verbing
I used to verb
I kept on verbing
I verbed
I would (ordinarily, usually) verb

9. Perfect vs. Imperfect Tense
You used to send money.
He was holding the sign.
He has held the sign.
We have not heard the report.
We kept on hearing the report.
We were beginning to yield.
They would not watch the fight.
They did not watch the fight.
Imperfect
Perfect

10. Imperfect Tense of “Sum”
The verb “sum” (to be) has its own forms for imperfect tense.
eram (I was, used to be) eramus (we were, used to be)
eras (you were, used to be) eratis (you were, used to be)
erat (h/s/i was, used to be) erant (they were, used to be)
-ERA! -ERA!

11. Practice Sentences: Imperfect and Perfect Tenses (turn in Latin + English)
Multosne libros legistis?
Puellae puerique litteras scribebant.
In casam veniebam; ibi amicum meum vidi.
Marcus amicum vocabat, sed amicus non audivit.
Multos equos in viis videbamus, sed nunc ubi sunt equi?
Multi viri in agris habitabant, sed nunc ad oppida migraverunt.