Imperfect Indicative Active

Imperfect Indicative Active

The Imperfect Indicative Active Endings:

Singular

1st person: – ν

2nd person: – ς

3rd person: –

Plural

1st person: – μεν

2nd person: – τε

3rd person: – ν or σαν

The imperfect is a past tense that denotes continuous or repeated action in the past. Unlike the aorist when expressing past tense, which describes a simple, completed action, the imperfect emphasizes the ongoing, habitual, or iterative nature of the action. This tense is used to describe actions that were in progress or repeated over a period of time in the past, up to the point of writing, often without a clear indication of when they were completed.

Form and Structure:

• The imperfect is constructed by taking the verb stem (λου) and adding an augment (usually ἐ-) to the beginning of the verb to indicate past time, followed by specific tense endings. ἐ – λού – ον (“I was washing”)
• Syllabic augment (ἐ-): used with verbs beginning with consonants.
• Temporal augment (lengthening of the initial vowel): used with verbs that start with vowels.

Endings in the Imperfect Tense:

1st person singular: -ον (ἐ- + stem + ο + ν → “I was doing”)

2nd person singular: -ες (ἐ- + stem + ε + ς → “You were doing”)

3rd person singular: -ε(ν) (ἐ- + stem + ε + – → “He/She/It was doing”)

1st person plural: -ομεν (ἐ- + stem + ο + μεν → “We were doing”)

2nd person plural: -ετε (ἐ- + stem + ε + τε → “You (plural) were doing”)

3rd person plural: -ον (ἐ- + stem + ο + ν or σαν → “They were doing”)

Usage of the Imperfect Tense:

• Narrative: Often used in narrative passages to set the scene or describe background actions in progress when another action occurs.
• Iterative or Habitual Action: Expresses actions that were repeated habitually in the past. For instance, “he used to teach” or “they were visiting.”
• Inceptive: Sometimes used to highlight the beginning of a continuous action. For example, it can emphasize the start of an ongoing action: “he began to speak.”