Verbs Grammar Index Page

How do you conjugate a verb in the six tenses?

Three divisions of a tense

Stem

Comes from the principal parts of verbs. The first principal part (Present Active Indicative) furnishes no stem. Therefore, the present stem comes from the 2nd p.p. (Present Active Infinitive). The perfect stem comes from the 3rd princial part (Perfect Active Indicative), and the participle stems comes from the 4th princial part (Perfect Passive Participle).

How to form the . . .

Present stem: drop -re off the 2nd p.p. (Present Active Indicative)

Perfect stem = drop -i off the 3rd p.p. (Perfect Active Indicative)

Participle stem = drop -us of the 4th p.p. (Perfect Passive Participle)

Personal endings

Present Perfect Passive
-o/-m -mus -i -imus -r -mur
-s -tis -isti -istis -ris -mini
-t -nt -it -erunt -tur -ntur

Present Tense

Tense indicator - 1 of 3 vowels: -a, -e, -i/-u

Formation: Present stem + present personal endings
Translation: common, progressive, emphatic (I sing, I am singing, I do sing)


1st sg. cantô moneô regô audiô
2nd sg. cantâs monês regis audîs
3rd sg. cantat monet regit audit
 
1st pl. cantâmus monêmus regimus audîmus
2nd pl. cantâtis monêtis regitis audîtis
3rd pl. cantant monent regunt audiunt

Imperfect Tense

Tense indicator: -ba

Formation: Present stem + - ba + present personal endings
Translation: was/were -ing, used to ..., kept on -ing, etc. Incomplete action in the past.

1st sg. cantâbam monêbam regêbam audiêbam
2nd sg. cantâbâs monêbâs regêbâs audiêbâs
3rd sg. cantâbat monêbat regêbat audiêbat
 
1st pl. cantâbâmus monêbâmus regêbâmus audiêbâmus
2nd pl. cantâbâtis monêbâtis regêbâtis audiêbâtis
3rd pl. cantâbant monêbant regêbant audiêbant

Future Tense

Tense indicator: -bi (1st and 2nd conj.) or -e (3rd, 3io, and 4th conj.)

Formation: Present stem + bi/e)
Translation: will/shall

1st sg. cantâbô monêbô regam audiam
2nd sg. cantâbis monêbis regês audiês
3rd sg. cantâbit monêbit reget audiet
 
1st pl. cantâbimus monêbimus regêmus audiêmus
2nd pl. cantâbitis monêbitis regêtis audiêtis
3rd pl. cantâbunt monêbunt regent audient

Perfect Tense

Tense indicator: perfect personal endings

Formation: Perfect stem + perfect personal endings
Translation: -ed past tense, have/ has -ed, did (completed action in the past - "I have done it," (it is now done) as opposed to the imperfect "I was doing it" (but it wasn't necessarily done).

1st sg. cantâvî monuî rexî audîvî
2nd sg. cantâvistî monuistî rexistî audîvistî
3rd sg. cantâvit monuit rexit audîvit
 
1st pl. cantâvîmus monuîmus rexîmus audîvîmus
2nd pl. cantâvistis monuistis rexistis audîvistis
3rd pl. cantâvêrunt monuêrunt rexêrunt audîvêrunt

Pluperfect Tense

Tense indicator: -era-

Formation: Perfect stem + era + present personal endings (imperfect tense of sum)
Translation: had -ed. Even futher in the past than the perfect tense, used to put events in perspective, such as in conditional sentences (you will come across these in the near future)


1st sg. cantâveram monueram rexeram audîveram
2nd sg. cantâverâs monuerâs rexerâs audîverâs
3rd sg. cantâverat monuerat rexerat audîverat
 
1st pl. cantâverâmus monuerâmus rexerâmus audîverâmus
2nd pl. cantâverâtis monuerâtis rexerâtis audîverâtis
3rd pl. cantâverant monuerant rexerant audîverant

Future Tense Perfect

Tense indicator: -eri-

Formation: Perfect stem + eri + present personal endings (future tense of sum)
Translation: will/shall have -ed. Indicates completed action in the future, that something will be completed in the future.

1st sg. cantâverô monuerô rexerô audîverô
2nd sg. cantâveris monueris rexeris audîveris
3rd sg. cantâverit monuerit rexerit audîverit
 
1st pl. cantâverimus monuerimus rexerimus audîverimus
2nd pl. cantâveritis monueritis rexeritis audîveritis
3rd pl. cantâverint monuerint rexerint audîverint

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