Understanding Verb Conjugation and Tenses

Posted on Oct 15, 2024 in Latin

Verb Conjugation Tips

Understanding Verb Tenses

Step 1: Check the related verb tenses.

  • Present Indicative – Present Subjunctive
    Example: It is inevitable that sooner or later these qualities are valued.
  • Imperative – Present Subjunctive
    Example: Make car reviews to travel light.
  • Future (Indicative) – Present Subjunctive
    Example: It will make car reviews to travel light.
  • Past Imperfect (Indicative) – Imperfect (Subjunctive)
    Example: We wanted that it all be a big dream.
  • Past Perfect (Indicative) – Imperfect (Subjunctive)
    Example: Wished it were all a big dream.
  • Future of the Past (Indicative) – Past Imperfect (Subjunctive)
    Example: I wished that it were all a big dream.
  • Future (Subjunctive) – Future Present (Indicative)
    Example: When you finish the house renovations, I’ll be quiet.
  • Past Imperfect (Subjunctive) – Past Imperfect (Indicative)
    Example: If I could get by without writing, I would not write more.

Step 2: Check Primitive and Derivative Time.

Derivative Time of the Present Tense

  • 1st person present (indicative) forms the present (subjunctive)

Verbs

A verb indicates an action, state, or phenomenon, placing them in time. We can inflect verbs in number, person, time, mode, and voice.

Number

The two inflections: singular and plural.

  • Sell – singular
  • Sold – plural (Note: This example is incorrect. “Sold” is past tense, not plural.)

Person

  • 1st person – the speaker (e.g., I paid)
  • 2nd person – the person being addressed (e.g., you sing)
  • 3rd person – the person being spoken about (e.g., they sold)

Note that number and person are interrelated:

  • I paid – 1st person singular
  • They sold – 3rd person plural

Time (Tense)

Tense indicates events happening at the moment of speech, concluded facts, incomplete facts, and events that happen after the moment of speech or a future fact connected to another in the past.

Tenses are divided into:

  • Present
  • Past (perfect, pluperfect, and imperfect)
  • Future (future present and future perfect)

Present

Indicates events happening at the moment of speech.

Example: We receive our math tests.

Past Perfect

Expresses completed facts.

Example: Daniel painted the house.

Past Imperfect

Expresses ongoing or incomplete facts in the past.

Example: Daniel was painting the house when Julia arrived.

Past Pluperfect (More-Than-Perfect)

Expresses completed facts that happened before other completed events.

Example: Daniel had painted the house when Julia arrived.

Future

Expresses facts that will happen after the moment of speech or a future fact connected to another in the past.

It is divided into:

  • Future
  • Future Perfect
Future Present

Expresses facts that will happen after the moment of speech.

Example: Daniel will paint the house.

Future Perfect

Indicates a future fact related to another in the past.

Example: Daniel will have painted the house just before the end of the service.

Mode (Mood)

Verbal mood suggests different ways a fact can be expressed. It is divided into:

  • Indicative Mood
  • Subjunctive Mood

Indicative Mood

Indicates a certain fact.

Example: He sings in the theater tonight.

Subjunctive Mood

Indicates a doubtful or hypothetical fact.

Example: I hope he comes back soon.

Voice

Grammatical voice indicates whether the subject performs, both performs and receives, or receives the action. The three grammatical voices are:

  • Active Voice
  • Passive Voice (Analytical and Synthetic)
  • Reflexive Voice

Active Voice

The subject performs the action.

Example: The crowd applauded the Brazilian.

Passive Voice

The subject receives the verbal action.

  • Analytical Passive Voice: Uses an auxiliary verb (be, is, are, was, were) + past participle.
  • Example: The Brazilian team was applauded by the crowd.
  • Synthetic Passive Voice: Uses the verb + the reflexive pronoun “se”.
  • Example: Houses are painted. (Literal translation: “Paint themselves houses.”)

Reflexive Voice

The subject both performs and receives the action.

Example: The boy injured himself in the leg.

Exercise

Transcribe the following sentence into the synthetic passive voice:

“He sold watches in smuggling.”

We know that the synthetic passive voice uses the verb + the reflexive pronoun. Therefore, the sentence becomes:

Watches were sold in smuggling. (Literal translation: “Sold themselves watches in smuggling.”)