Imperfect and perfect: telling about the past
The imperfect with -ba- tells what was going on or happened often. The perfect on the perfect stem (vocāv-ī) tells what is finished. Esse becomes eram and fuī.
Why
You read a Roman story: Puella in silvā ambulābat. Subitō lupum vīdit. Why do those two verbs look so different?
Stories happen in the past, and Latin has two tenses for that. The first paints the background: the girl was walking. The second tells what happened then: suddenly she saw a wolf.
If you recognise the signals, you read a story the way it was meant. -ba- is the scenery that goes on, the perfect stem is the event that strikes. English makes a similar difference: she was walking, she saw.
Opening Kaft Plus…
Kaft Plus
The rest of “Imperfect and perfect: telling about the past” is in Kaft Plus
The learning path and the first 3 topics of Zuil are free. Kaft Plus opens every topic and exercise.
Already have Kaft Plus? The same button signs you in and brings you straight back.