Latin Language

• The Imperfect is a TENSE.

• A tense tells us when an action (VERB) took place, i.e past/ present/ future.

• The imperfect tense refers to a repeated/ continuos action taking place in the past.

• In Latin we can tell a verb is imperfect as it will contain the letters -ba-.
  

• In English we translate this as 'was/ were -ing'

Examples:

monebat - he/ she/ it was warning

habitabamus - we were living

• The PERFECT TENSE is used to describe a completed action in the past

• It is formed using the PERFECT STEM (the first half of the word that does not change) and the PERFECT ENDINGS.
  

• The PERFECT TENSE is translated with the ending '-ed' in English.

THE 3rd PERSON PERFECT ENDINGS ARE:

SINGULAR - '-it'

PLURAL - 'erunt'

EXAMPLES:

celavit - he/ she hid

festinaverunt - they hurried

• The PLUPERFECT TENSE is used to describe actions that took place further in the past then the PERFECT TENSE.

• It is formed using the PERFECT STEM

• And the letters '-era-'
  

EXAMPLES:

legeram - I had read

surrexerat - had got up

• The PERFECT PASSIVE PARTICIPLE is recognised in Latin as it has a '-t- or -s-' before its adjective ending.
• Is translated as '(having been) -ed'
  

EXAMPLES:

aedificati - (having been) built

territi - (having been) terrified

-UR = "being"

for example:

a) cena nostra a coquo nuncparatur = Our dinner is now being prepared by the cook

b) multa scelera in hac urbe cotidie committuntur = Many crimes are being commited in the city every day

• 'cum' clause - temporal clause - cum = when

• purpose clause - 'ut' = to/ in order to

• result clause - 'tam/adeo/to' + 'ut' = so... that....

• indirect question - question word e.g 'cur/quis/quid/quot/num'

The PERFECT PASSIVE is translated in English as 'has/ have been' -ed

In Latin the PERFECT PASSIVE is made up of two parts:

"perfect passive participle + present tense 'esse'"

Examples:

a) dedicatus est - has been dedicated

b) missi sunt - has been sent

c) invitati estis - have been invited

The PLUPERFECT PASSIVE is translated in English as "had been -ed"

It can be recognised in Latin by the combination of the pluperfect passive participle and the verb "-esse-" in the imperfect tense.

EXAMPLES:

a) servatus erat - had been saved

b) positi erant - had been places

An ABLATIVE ABSOLUTE is a temporal clause (gives the time, setting in the sentence)

In Latin an ablative absolute is made up of a noun and a participle.

They are translated as 'while/after/when'

EXAMPLES:

a) arcu dedicato - after the arch had been dedicated

b) victimis sacrificatis - after the victims were sacrificied

In Latin GERUNDIVES can be spotted by '-nd-' and when used with est and sunt and dative noun/pronoun is translated as must.

EXAMPLES:

a) mihi scribenda = I must write

b) tibi faciendum = You must make

c) nobis visitandus = We must visit