Latin Literature

Verbs - A Refresher in Principal Parts

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Note PAL at the end of principal... these parts are indeed your pals since they help you both form and identify Latin verbs. When you memorize a verb you will memorize 4 principal parts with some exceptions (deponent verbs have 3, some irregular verbs have 2, verbs that cannot be used in passive voice context have 3).

  I II III IV
Trans. 1st pers. sg.present active

indicative

. I..........

present active infinitive indicates conjugation

to.......

1st pers. sg. perfect active

indicative

I have....., I did...., I...ed

perfect passive participle

having been......ed

Uses 1st person sg. stem for

***pres., imp., fut. tenses active and passive

*pres. pass. infinitive

stem for

*perf., pp., fut. perf. active only

*perf. pass. infinitive

stem for

*perf., pp., fut. perf. passive only

*perf. pass. infinitive

**fut. inf. & participle

E.G. duco - I lead ducere-to lead; duci-to be lead duxi-I have led, I did lead; duxisse-to have lead ductus(-us, -a, um)having been led; ductus esse-to have been led; ducturus(-a,-um)-going to lead;
duct
urus esse-to be goin to lead

 

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