1. THE PRESENT TENSE AND THE IMPERFECTUM (PAST)

2. THE LATIN VERB: MAIN PRINCIPLES
We form themain FOUR (4) TENSES
(PRESENS/IMPERFECTUM/PERFECTUM/PLUSQUAMPERFECTUM) of Latin using only two different roots: Let’s take the verb AMARE (to love)
ROOTS
PRESENS
IMPERFECTUM
PERFECTUM
PLUSQUAMPERFECTUM
amat
1. AM-
amabat
amavit
2. AMAV-
amaverat

3. HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF A VERB IN A VERB FORMULATION
VERB FORMULATION as it appears in dictionaries:
ROOTS:
AMO AMARE AMAVI AMATUM
1. 1st person
2. INFINITIVE
3. PERFECT ROOT
ROOT: we take out –re and we get the root:
ROOT:
AM-a
AM-A-RE (1st Conjugation)
-ERE (2nd Conjugation)
-IRE (3rd Conjugation)
ROOT: we take out –I, the ending of the 1st person:
WE FORM :
THE PRESENT: am-o, ama-s, ama-t…..
AMAV-
THE SIMPLE PAST: ama-ba-m,

4. HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF A VERB IN A VERB FORMULATION
VERB FORMULATION as it appears in dictionaries:
ROOTS:
AMO AMARE AMAVI AMATUM
1. 1st PERSON
2. INFINITIVE
3. PERFECT ROOT
ROOT: we take out –re and we get the root:
ROOT:
AM-a
AM-A-RE (1st Conjugation)
-ERE (2nd Conjugation)
-IRE (3rd Conjugation)
ROOT: we take out –I, the ending of the 1st person:
WE FORM :
THE PRESENT: am-o, ama-s, ama-t…..
AMAV-
THE SIMPLE PAST: ama-ba-m,

5. HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF A VERB IN A VERB FORMULATION
PRESENT
AM-O
VOWEL OF
THE CONJUGATION
ROOT
PERSON ENDING
AM- -A -O -S -T
-MUS
-TIS
-NT
1st person singular
“I take”
ROOT:
AM-a
WE FORM :
GENERAL ENDINGS FOR ALL THE TENSES
THE PRESENT: am-o, ama-s, ama-t…..

6. HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF A VERB IN A VERB FORMULATION
PAST (IMPERFECTUM)
AM-O
TENSE SUFFIX OF PAST
VOWEL OF
THE CONJUGATION
ROOT
ENDING
AM- -A
-BA -M -S -T
-MUS
-TIS
-NT
1st person singular
“I take”
ROOT:
AM-a
WE ALSO FORM :
1ST PERSON ADDS –M, NO –O,
THE SIMPLE PAST: ama-ba-m,

7. HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF A VERB IN A VERB FORMULATION
CAP-I-O
PRESENT
VOWEL OF
THE CONJUGATION
ROOT
ENDING
1st person singular
“I take”
CAP- -I
-IU -O -S -T
-MUS
-TIS
-NT
3RD AND 4TH CONGUGATION AD –E BEFORE –NT.

8. HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF A VERB IN A VERB FORMULATION
PAST (IMPERFECTUM)
CAPI-O
TENSE SUFFIX OF PAST
VOWEL OF
THE CONJUGATION
ROOT
ENDING
CAP-
-IE
-BA -M -S -T
-MUS
-TIS
-NT
1st person singular
“I take”
ROOT:
CAP-a
3rd and 4rd CONJUGATIONS ADD –E AFTER I IN IMPERFECTUM

9. THE PERFECTUM AND PLUSQUAMPERFECTUM: ENDINGS AND SUFFIXES
The PERFECTUM root is usually different from the present root. COMPARE:
AM-O “I love” / AMAV-I “I loved”
HABE-O “I have” / HABU-I “I had”
CAPI-O “I take” / CEP-I “I took”
AUDI-O “I hear” / AUDIV-I “I heard”
PERFECTUM means “ALREADY DONE” (PER+FACTUM):, and it is used for
PAST AND FINISHED ACTIONS

10. WRITE THE FOLLOWING LATIN FORMS OF THE VERB
PRESENT/IMPERFECTUM TENSES: PRACTICE 1
1.Write the following tenses in Latin:
1.She got:
2.We loved:
3.You heaR:
4.They took:
5.She takes:
6.I saw:
7.We loved: