The Imperfect Tense
by Casey Halpern
I. In general
The Imperfect Tense denotes an overlapping, continued action in past
time.
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pugnabam, I was fighting, I kept fighting, I used to fight.
II. Special uses
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When included with words such as iam diu and iam dudum that express duration
of time, it denotes past continuing actions that began at a certain, previous
time
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diu copias comparabant, they were preparing the copies for a long time.
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It is a descriptive tense that represents situations and conditions
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mons altissimus impendebat, the very high mountain was overhanging.
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Also the Imperfect Tense represents present time transferred into the past,
in the sense that it retains all the meanings which the Present derives
from continuing action.
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It also represents intention (The Imperfect of Endeavor, also referred
to as the Conative Imperfect)
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mittebam mandare has epistulas, I was trying to send these letters.
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The Imperfect sometimes expresses a surprise at a recent discovery of a
past and continuing condition
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o tu quoque aderas, oh, you are here too!
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When used with word of a negative connotation the Imperfect often has an
auxiliary force
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itaque nec pulchros illos ministratores aspiciebat, therefore he could
not look upon those beautiful slaves.
Bibliography
Pharr, Clyde. Vergil's Aeneid - Books I-IV. Bolchazy Carducci
Publishers, Inc., Boston, 1997, pages 65-66.