I was learning the imperfect tense…

Draw a sheep on your paper. Make sure you can see all four legs.

The word IMPERFECT comes from two Latin words:

IN meaning NOT

PERFACIO meaning complete

An imperfect action takes place in the past, but it may also shows a past action that is repeated and not necessarily done/completed.

Stop freaking out! All that means is that the IMPERFECT tense may be translated in the following ways:•I was walking (this is the most common translation)•I used to walk•I kept on walking•I was accustomed to walking

Now you need to form the imperfect! Go back to your sheep,

and…

ERASE ONE OF HIS LEGS! Now you have an IMPERFECT sheep. Get the joke? Well, your sheep’s name is Tripod, and he is going to help you learn how to form the IMPERFECT tense. Just remember that an IMPERFECT sheep says, “BĀ”

To form the IMPERFECT tense of a first conjugation verb:

ambulōambulāre

• Take the ‘stem’ of the word by dropping the –re

AMBULĀ

• now get some help from Tripod and add –BĀ

AMBULĀBĀ (Do you remember the personal

endings? mostmustisnt? Because now we are going to use them!)

Let’s put it together…

Singular Plural1st ambulābam ambulābāmus

2nd ambulābās ambulābātis3rd ambulābat ambulābant

Singular Plural1st I was walking We were walking

2nd You were walking You (pl) were walking3rd He was walking They were walking

Let’s put it together…

Singular Plural1st ambulābām ambulābāmus

2nd ambulābās ambulābātis3rd ambulābat ambulābant

Singular Plural1st I was walking We were walking

2nd You were walking You (pl) were walking3rd He was walking They were walking

Now you try with the verb

amōamāre(love)

Singular Plural1st amābam amābāmus2nd amābās amābātis3rd amābat amābantSingular Plural1st I was loving We were loving2nd You were loving You (pl) were loving3rd He was loving They were loving

To form the IMPERFECT tense of a second conjugation verb:

sedeōsedēre

• Take the ‘stem’ of the word by dropping the –re

sedē

• now get some help from Tripod and add –BĀ

SEDĒBĀ (Do you remember the personal

endings? mostmustisnt? Because now we are going to use them!)

Let’s put it together…

Singular Plural1st sedēbam sedēbāmus2nd sedēbās sedēbātis3rd sedēbat sedēbantSingular Plural1st I was sitting We were sitting2nd You were sitting You (pl) were sitting3rd He was sitting They were sitting

See if you can figure out the tune for this song:

ba, ba imperfectaction going on,used to, kept on,

were, was – but never done!

We will practice the imperfect next class. Right now, conjugate these verbs in the present and imperfect tenses.

pulsō, pulsāre – hitsuperō, superāre – overpowerrideō, ridēre – laughvideō, vidēre - see