audio
FOCUSED PRACTICE · 1 PARADIGM · 6 FORMS
hear
Core drill · 200×
0 / 200 correct repetitions
- Active
- Each 1sg → 2sg → 3sg → 1pl → 2pl → 3pl
0 / 6 forms · 1 line
Imperfect Indicative Active
Historical Grammar
132. Tense Signs. Instead of using auxiliary verbs to express differences in tense, like was, shall, will, etc., Latin adds to the verb stem certain elements that have the force of auxiliary verbs. These are called tense signs.
133. Formation and Inflection of the Imperfect. The tense sign of the imperfect is -bā-, which is added to the present stem. The imperfect consists, therefore, of three parts:
The inflection is as follows:
a. Note that the ā of the tense sign -bā- is shortened before -nt, and before m and t when final. (Cf. § 12. 2.)
In a similar manner inflect the verbs given in § 129.
134. Meaning of the Imperfect. The Latin imperfect describes an act as going on or progressing in past time, like the English past-progressive tense (as, I was walking). It is the regular tense used to describe a past situation or condition of affairs.
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Person | amābam | amābāmus |
| 2nd Person | amābās | amābātis |
| 3rd Person | amābat | amābant |
Historical Exercises & Reading
135. EXERCISES
I. 1. Vidēbāmus, dēsīderābat, mātūrābās. 2. Dabant, vocābātis, dēlēbāmus. 3. Pugnant, laudābās, movēbātis. 4. Iubēbant, properābātis, portābāmus. 5. Dabās, nārrābant, labōrābātis. 6. Vidēbant, movēbās, nūntiābāmus. 7. Necābat, movēbam, habēbat, parābātis.
II. 1. You were having (sing. and plur.), we were killing, they were laboring. 2. He was moving, we were ordering, we were fighting. 3. We were telling, they were seeing, he was calling. 4. They were living, I was longing for, we were destroying. 5. You were giving, you were moving, you were announcing, (sing. and plur.). 6. They were caring for, he was plowing, we were praising.
Loquentes Practice Reference
Our drill practices laudō, moneō, dūcō, audiō, and capiō. D'Ooge's historical paradigm above illustrates the tense with the canonical First Conjugation model amō.