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10.66 Present to Imperfect Transformation

The best way to practice the imperfect past tense is to do transformations back and forth with the present tense. Here is how you can use this chart to practice these transformations:

First Person Singular

Note that the stress shifts when the long ending in the present becomes a short ending in the imperfect.

Present βλέπω τὰ δῶρα
 I see the gifts.
Past ἔβλεπον τὰ δῶρα I saw the gifts.
Present βάλλω τοὺς λίθους. I throw the stones.
Past ἔβαλλον τοὺς λίθους. I threw the stones.
Present διδάσκω τὰ τέκνα. I teach the children.
Past ἐδίδασκον τὰ τέκνα. I taught the children.
Present ἀποθνῄσκω I am dying.
Past ἀπέθνῃσκον I was dying.
Present ἀποκτείνω τοὺς κακούς. I kill the bad people.
Past ἀπέκτεινον τοὺς κακούς. I killed the bad people.

Second Person Singular

Note that the stress shifts when the long ending in the present becomes a short ending in the imperfect.

Present θέλεις ἀναβαίνειν. You want to go up.
Past ἔθελες ἀναβαίνειν. You wanted to go up.
Present μένεις ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ. You are waiting in the house.
Past ἔμενες ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ. You were waiting in the house.
Present πιστεύεις You believe.
Past ἐπίστευες You believed.
Present βαπτίζεις τοὺς πιστούς. You baptize the faithful.
Past

ἐβάπτιζες τοὺς πιστούς.

You baptized the faithful.
Present ἀναβαίνεις εἰς τὸ ἱερόν. You are going up to the temple.
Past ἀνέβαινες εἰς τὸ ἱερόν. You were going up to the temple.

Third Person Singular

Note that the stress shifts when the long ending in the present becomes a short ending in the imperfect.

Present λύει τὸν οἶκον. She destroys the house.
Past ἔλυε τὸν οἶκον. She destroyed the house.
Present λέγει ταῖς ἀδελφαῖς. He is speaking to the sisters.
Past ἔλεγε ταῖς ἀδελφαῖς. He was speaking to the sisters.
Present πιστεύει. She believes.
Past ἐπίστευεν. She believed.
Present ἀκούει ἐκείνης τῆς φωνῆς. He listens to that voice.
Past ἤκουεν ἐκείνης τῆς φωνῆς. He listened to that voice.
Present καταβαίνει εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν. She is going down to the sea.
Past κατέβαινεν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν. She was going down to the sea.

First Person Plural

Note that the ending is the same for both the present and the imperfect, so there is no shift in stress.

Present θέλομεν ἀναβαίνειν. We want to go up.
Past ἐθέλομεν ἀναβαίνειν We wanted to go up.
Present μένομεν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ. We are waiting in the house.
Past ἐμένομεν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ. We were waiting in the house.
Present βαπτίζομεν τοὺς πιστούς. We baptize the faithful.
Past ἐβαπτίζομεν τοὺς πιστούς. We baptized the faithful.
Present πιστεύομεν. We believe.
Past ἐπιστεύομεν. We believed.
Present ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς τὸ ἱερόν. We are going up to the temple.
Past ἀνεβαίνομεν εἰς τὸ ἱερόν. We were going up to the temple.

Second Person Plural

Note that the ending is the same for both the present and the imperfect, so there is no shift in stress.

Present βλέπετε τὰ δῶρα
 You see the gifts.
Past ἐβλέπετε τὰ δῶρα You saw the gifts.
Present βάλλετε τοὺς λίθους. You throw the stones.
Past ἐβάλλετε τοὺς λίθους. You threw the stones.
Present διδάσκετε τὰ τέκνα. You teach the children.
Past ἐδιδάσκετε τὰ τέκνα. You taught the children.
Present ἀποθνῄσκετε You are dying.
Past ἀπεθνῄσκετε You were dying.
Present ἀποκτείνετε τοὺς κακούς. You kill the bad people.
Past ἀπεκτείνετε τοὺς κακούς. You killed the bad people.

Third Person Plural

Note that the ending for the first person singular and the third person plural is the same in the imperfect. Because of the change from a polysyllabic ending in the present to a monosyllabic ending in the imperfect, there is a shift in stress.

Present λύουσι τὸν οἶκον. They destroy the house.
Past ἔλυον τὸν οἶκον. They destroyed the house.
Present λέγουσι ταῖς ἀδελφαῖς. They are speaking to the sisters.
Past ἔλεγον ταῖς ἀδελφαῖς. They were speaking to the sisters.
Present πιστεύουσι. They believe.
Past ἐπίστευον. They believed.
Present ἀκούουσιν ἐκείνης τῆς φωνῆς. They listen to that voice.
Past ἤκουον ἐκείνης τῆς φωνῆς. They listened to that voice.
Present καταβαίνουσιν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν. They are going down to the sea.
Past κατέβαινον εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν. They were going down to the sea.

 

Biblical Greek Online. Laura Gibbs, Ph.D. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. You must give the original author credit. You may not use this work for commercial purposes. If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under a license identical to this one. Page last updated: April 9, 2005 8:06 PM


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