VIL: Lesson - Verb Review

Verb Review

Don't forget from an earlier lesson that the four parts of the Latin verb are called principal parts, which are the essential forms of a Latin verb. The principal parts will form the basic building blocks for all the various verb forms. These principal parts will help you to identify the conjugation, which is the verb's family. All verbs have the following five characteristics:

  • Person - The point of view of the subject. Verbs can be 1st, 2nd or 3rd person.
  • Number - A verb can be singular or plural.
  • Tense - The time of action of the verb. Latin uses six tenses.
  • Voice - a Latin verb can be Active or Passive.
  • Mood - How the verb is used in a sentence. A Latin verb can be Indicative, Imperative, or Subjunctive.
Principal Parts - Explanation
1st Principal Part 2nd Principal Part 3rd Principal Part 4th Principal Part
Description

1st Person Singular, Present Active Indicative

Present Active Infinitive

1st Person Singular, Perfect Active Indicative

Perfect Passive Participle

 

Principal Parts - Examples
1st Principal Part 2nd Principal Part 3rd Principal Part 4th Principal Part
1st Conjugation amo (I love) amare (to love) amavi (I loved) amatus (having been loved)
2nd Conjugation doceo (I teach) docere (to teach) docui (I taught) doctus (having been taught)

Present System Review

Verbs are essential to Latin sentences. It is important to be familiar with the basic terms for verbs. You should also be able to identify the conjugation of a verb as well as the tense if belonging to present, imperfect or future tense. Lastly remember that the subject of a sentence agrees with the verb in number: a singular verb has a singular subject while a plural verb has a plural or compound subject. Below are quick reference charts for review of the present system. For a more detailed look at the present system, you can review the Via Appia module. 

Present Tense Conjugation Review
Person Singular Plural

1st person

Use the first principal part (-o/m)
(amo or doceo)

Present stem + mus
(amamus or docemus)
2nd person

Present stem + s
(amas or doces)

Present stem + tis
(amatis or docetis)

3rd person

Present stem + t
(amat or docet)

Present stem + nt
(amant or docent)

Present Tense Translation examples:

  • amo - I love, I am loving, I do love
  • doceo - I teach, I am teaching, I do teach
Imperfect Tense Conjugation Review
Person Singular Plural

1st person

Present stem + ba + m
(amabam or docebam)

Present stem + ba + mus
(amabamus or docebamus)
2nd person

Present stem + ba + s
(amabas or docebas)

Present stem + ba + tis
(amabatis or docebatis)

3rd person

Present stem + ba + t
(amabat or docebat)

Present stem + ba + nt
(amabant or docebant)

Imperfect Tense Translation examples:

  • amabam - I was loving, I used to love, I kept on loving, I began to love, I loved
  • docebam - I was teaching, I used to teach, I kept on teaching, I began to teach, I taught
Future Tense Conjugation Review
Person Singular Plural

1st person

Present stem + bo
(amabo or docebo)

Present stem + bi + mus
(amabimus or docebimus)
2nd person

Present stem + bi + s
(amabis or docebis)

Present stem + bi + tis
(amabitis or docebitis)

3rd person

Present stem + bi + t
(amabit or docebit)

Present stem + bu + nt
(amabunt or docebunt)

Future Tense Translation examples:

  • amabo - I will love
  • docebo - I will teach