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Future Tense

The Future Tense Verb

The Kind of Action of the Future Tense:

Primarily punctiliar, though linear in some contexts. Often used with the Indicative to indicate future time.

The Predicative  Future 

This use denotes an event that is expected to take place in the future. This is the most common use of the tense.

The Progressive Future 

This use conveys action as going on in the future. The emphasis is simply on the action in progress in the future. The writer thought of it as continuing, not that it was going to be continued.

The
Imperatival  Future

This use is practically an imperative in sense, for it involves the will, either of the speaker or of the subject. Since the imperative naturally relates to the future, it is not an unnatural usage.

The Deliberative Future 

This use denotes the future by expressing a rhetorical question, i.e. one which does not really expect an answer. These questions require deliberation concerning the possibility, or the desirability, or the necessity of a proposed course of activity. It occurs frequently in quotations from the Septuagint.

The Gnomic Future 

This use refers to a general or timeless truth, which is valid for all times. This action is to be expected under certain circumstances. It is used infrequently in the New Testament.

The Periphrastic Future 

This use emphasizes the continuance of an action. It is used to express an action which one intends to do, or of that which is certain or destined to take place. It is similar to the “Progressive Future,” with the thought of continuance or customariness emphasized. It is formed by the future tense of εἰμί with the […]

Future Tense2023-12-11T12:21:15-08:00

Aorist Tense

The Aorist Tense Verb

The Kind of Action of the Aorist Tense:

The Aorist tense expresses punctiliar action. It states the deed is occurring without indicating continued action. The time element is basically non-existence within the tense, except for in the Indicative mode, and therefore relies upon the context.

The Constative Aorist

The action is seen as a single whole, without any emphasis on its progress. It may last but a moment, or it may last for a long time. It may have been one act, or it may have been a series of acts. The action is gathered together and presented as a point. The writer sees the whole action in a glance. This use occurs frequently in the New Testament.

The Ingressive  Aorist

The action is denoted as having occurred, but the emphasis is placed on the beginning of the action, emphasizing the entrance into a state or a condition.

The Culminative  Aorist

(Also may be known as the Consummative Aorist or the Effective Aorist)

This use conveys the results of an event, viewing it in its entirety. The event has occurred, but the emphasis is placed on the end of the action or on the state resulting from the action. It is often used with verbs which signify effort or process.

The Aorist of Historical Narrative

This use denotes past events in narration. It answers the question “what happened next?” This is the normal tense for narratives, unless there was a reason to use some other tense. It occurs frequently in the Gospels and Acts.

The Gnomic Aorist

This use denotes a generally accepted fact or truth which is so fixed in its certainty or axiomatic character that it is […]

Aorist Tense2023-12-11T12:20:51-08:00

Imperfect Tense

The Imperfect Tense Verb

The Kind of Action of the Imperfect Tense:

The imperfect tense expresses a linear or continuous action in past time. The time element is more predominate because it is exclusively used with the Indicative mode.

The Progressive  Imperfect

This use denotes action in progress in past time. This is the most common use of the tense. It draws a picture of a past event. Only the context determines whether the action is completed.

The Iterative   Imperfect

This action of the imperfect is represented as recurring at successive intervals in past time. It is sometimes difficult to tell whether an act is merely descriptive or a series of actions. The context must be studied carefully to determine which it is. It is translated into English by “kept on”.

The Customary Imperfect

This use represents an action that occurred on a regular or ordinary basis in past time. It emphasizes the regularity of the action over a period of time in the past. English would the customary imperfect by “used to”.

The Inceptive  Imperfect

This use denotes the beginning of an action or that which was upon the point of occurring, in past time. The action is continuous in past time, but the emphasis is on the beginning, not its progress. It occurs frequently in the New Testament. It may be translated by “one went to doing.”

The Inchoative Imperfect

This use denoted an action as merely begun in the past, but not carried out yet. May be expressed in English with “began.”

The Conative Imperfect

This use denotes an action that was interrupted in the past. The action was begun, but not completed.

The Tendential Imperfect

Imperfect Tense2023-12-11T12:20:41-08:00
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