Ecce Romani Chapter 14 - Notes

Latin I

Imperfect Tense

A. Formation:

The imperfect tense is formed by adding the following endings (ba + personal endings) to the verb stem:

Singular 1 2 3

-bam -bas -bat

Plural 1 2 3

-bamus -batis -bant

Memorize this chart of all verbs in the imperfect tense:

	1st Conjugation	2nd Conjugation	3rd Conjugation	4th Conjugation
Infinitive	parare	habēre	mittere iacere (-io)	audire
sing. 1 2 3	parabam parabas parabat	habebam habebas habebat	mittebam iaciebam mittebas iaciebas mittebat iaciebat	audiebam audiebas audiebat
pl. 1 2 3	parabamus parabatis parabant	habebamus habebatis habebant	mittebamus iaciebamus mittebatis iaciebatis mittebant iaciebant	audiebamus audiebatis audiebant

B. Translation:

1. The imperfect tense refers to an action that was continued or repeated in the past.

2. Remember that there are five ways to translate the imperfect tense:

1. was, were

2. kept (on)

3. used to

4. began to

5. English past tense

C. Exceptions: The verbs sum and possum are irregular. Memorize.

Present Tense

sum	sumus	possum	possumus
es	estis	potes	potestis
est	sunt	potest	possunt

Imperfect Tense

eram	eramus	poteram	poteramus
eras	eratis	poteras	poteratis
erat	erant	poterat	poterant