1. Present, Imperfect and Perfect Tenses

2. English has a present tense and a past tense.

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

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

5. Latin has a present tense and TWO Past Tenses
Latin is better.
Latin has a present tense and TWO Past Tenses

6. Present Tense matrem laudat. She praises her mother.
She is praising her mother.
She does praise her mother.

7. Imperfect Tense matrem laudabat. She praised her mother.
She was praising her mother.
She used to praise her mother.

8. Perfect Tense matrem laudavit. She praised her mother.
She did praise her mother.
She has praised her mother.

9. matrem laudabat. – Imperfect Tense
She praised her mother.
matrem laudavit. – Perfect Tense
She praised her mother.

10. What’s going on here? laudabat means “she praised”?
laudavit means “she praised”?
NON INTELLEGO.

11. 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?

12. Oh, I get it now! matrem laudabat cotidie. matrem laudavit heri.
Cicero multos libros scribebat.
Cicero fratri litteras scripsit.

13. BENE!
OPTIME!
bonus discipulus es.

14. Present Tense
present stem
personal ending

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

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

17. Present Tense 1st 2nd 3rd sing. sing plural laud lauda o s t mus tis

18. Imperfect Tense
present stem
tense sign -BA-
personal ending

19. Imperfect Tense 1st 2nd 3rd sing. sing plural lauda ba m s t mus tisnt

20. perfect personal ending
Perfect Tense
perfect stem
perfect personal ending

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

22. This is the present tense.
1st principal part
laudo
This is the present tense.
“I praise”

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

24. 3rd principal part laudavi This is the perfect tense. “I praised”
perfect stem + personal ending

25. Perfect Tense Personal Endings
1st
2nd
3rd
sing.
sing
plural I
you
he, she, it we
you all
they -i
-isti
-it
-imus
-istis
-erunt

26. Perfect Tense 1st 2nd 3rd sing. sing plural laudav i isti it imus
istis
erunt

27. porto, portare, portavi
present
imperfect
perfect
portat
portabat
portavit

28. ambulo, ambulare, ambulavi
present
imperfect
perfect
ambulat
ambulabat
ambulavit

29. dico, dicere, dixi
present
imperfect
perfect
dicit
dicebat
dixit

30. rego, regere, rexi
present
imperfect
perfect
regit
regebat
rexit

31. mitto, mittere, misi
present
imperfect
perfect
mittit
mittebat
misit

32. scribo, scribere, scripsi
present
imperfect
perfect
scribit
scribebat
scripsit

33. moneo, monere, monui
present
imperfect
perfect
monet
monebat
monuit

34. FINIS