1. The Imperfect Tense

2. First let’s review the Present Tense . .
Remember that verbs use
personal endings. For the
present tense they are:
O – I ‐mus ‐ we
s‐ you ‐tis ‐ you
t‐ he, she it nt ‐ they

3. Present Tense
1st 2nd 3rd Conjugation 4th
Conjugation Conjugation Conjugation
1st person voco debeo contendo venio
2nd person vocās debēs contendis venis
3rd person vocāt debēt contendit venit
plural
1st person vocāmus debēmus contendimus venimus
2nd person vocātis debētis contenditis venitis
3rd person vocānt debēnt contendunt veniunt

4. The Imperfect Tense
The Imperfect Tense
describe actions in the
PAST that:
are continuous
are repeated or
are incomplete
Mercury – the messenger of the gods.

5. The Imperfect Tense is easy
The Imperfect tense to recognize; look for BA.
is translated
WAS, WERE,
BA means was, were, used to.
USED TO
vocabam vocabamus
I was calling We were calling
H
I used to call We used to call
vocabas vocabatis
you were calling you were calling
you used to call you used to call
vocabat vocabant
he was calling they were calling
he used to call they used to call
Hercules as a baby.

6. The Imperfect Tense ‐ BA
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Conjugation Conjugation Conjugation Conjugation
1st per. vocabam debebam contendebam veniebam
2nd per. vocābas debēbas contendebas veniebas
3rd per. vocābat debēbat contendebat veniebat
plural
1st per. vocābamus debēbamus contendebamus veniebamus
2nd per. vocābatis debētis contendebatis veniebatis
3rd per. vocābant debēnt contendebant veniebant

7. So when translating, remember your personal endings and
that BA means was, were or used to.
you were owing
debebatis
You used to owe
they were demanding
postulabant
They used to demand

8. Finally, you need to memorize the verb
‘to be’ in the Imperfect.
eram eramus
eras eratis
erant erant
I was We were
You were You were
He, she was They were