The imperfect tense is usually used to denote linear or continuous action in the past. It is built with:
• a stem,
• prefixed with an ε augment vowel,
• suffixed with an ο/ε theme vowel,
• followed by an ending.
Singular |
Plural |
|||
1st Person |
ἔλυον | I was loosing | ἐλύομεν | we were loosing |
2nd Person |
ἔλυες | you were loosing | ἐλύετε | you were loosing |
3rd Person |
ἔλυε | he/she was loosing | ἔλυον | they were loosing |
Note: the 1st Person Singular and 3rd Person Plural forms are identical.
The imperfect only occurs in the active voice.
When a verb begins with a vowel, instead of augmenting the verb with an ε prefix, the first vowel of the word lengthens. Thus ἀκούω becomes ἤκουον, ἐγείρω becomes ἤγειρον, and ἀγαπάω becomes ἠγαπων.