Title: Latin: An Intensive Course Unit 2

Front: How to conjugate all 4 conjugation classes of verbs in the perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect tenses in indicative mode and active voice?
Back: Given the definition of conjugation, the conjugation we discuss here is confined in the following setup:
1. Person: all three
2. Number: both singular and plural
3. Tense: perfect, pluperfect, future perfect only
4. voice: active only
5. mood: indicative only
As in the present system, the verb form in these tenses usually consists of a stem, a tense sign, and an ending. To conjugate means defining all 3 parts
Stem
The perfect stem is derived by dropping the -ī from the third principal part of the verb. For example:
Derivation of the Perfect Stem
Principal Parts | Meaning | Stem Extraction
optō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | desire | optāv / ī
impleō, -ēre, -ēvī, -ētus | fill | implēv / ī
incipiō, -ere, -cēpī, -ceptus | begin | incēp / ī
sentiō, -īre, sēnsī, sēnsus | feel, perceive | sēns / ī
Tense
- Perfect: no tense sign, i.e. stem + ending
- Pluperfect: -erā-
- Future Perfect: -eri-
Ending (number + person)
Perfect Active Personal Endings
 | Singular | Plural
1st | -ī | -imus
2nd | -istī | -istis
3rd | -it | -ērunt
Pluperfect Active: Formation & Endings
 | Tense Sign | Personal Ending | Combined Result
Singular
1st | -erā- | -m | -eram
2nd | -erā- | -s | -erās
3rd | -erā- | -t | -erat
Plural
1st | -erā- | -mus | -erāmus
2nd | -erā- | -tis | -erātis
3rd | -erā- | -nt | -erant
If we recall a small note from Unit One, Section F (Point 4):
"Note that a long vowel is shortened before final -m, -t, or -nt."
The final forms shorten that ā in the 1st singular (-eram), 3rd singular (-erat), and 3rd plural (-erant)
Future Perfect Active: Formation & Endings
 | Tense Sign | Personal Ending | Combined Result
Singular
1st | -eri- | -ō | -erō (i absorbed by ō)
2nd | -eri- | -s | -eris
3rd | -eri- | -t | -erit
Plural
1st | -eri- | -mus | -erimus
2nd | -eri- | -tis | -eritis
3rd | -eri- | -nt | -erint (Not -erunt!)
For example:
Master Conjugation Table: optō (I desire)
 | THE PRESENT SYSTEM (Stem: optā-) • Ongoing/Incomplete Action | THE PERFECT SYSTEM (Stem: optāv-) • Completed Action
 | Present (I desire) | Imperfect (I was desiring) | Future (I will desire) | Perfect (I have desired) | Pluperfect (I had desired) | Fut. Perfect (I will have desired)
Singular
1st | optō | optābam | optābō | optāvī | optāveram | optāverō
2nd | optās | optābās | optābis | optāvistī | optāverās | optāveris
3rd | optāt | optābat | optābit | optāvit | optāverat | optāverit
Plural
1st | optāmus | optābāmus | optābimus | optāvimus | optāverāmus | optāverimus
2nd | optātis | optābātis | optābitis | optāvistis | optāverātis | optāveritis
3rd | optānt | optābant | optābunt | optāvērunt | optāverant | optāverint

Front: What is the difference between indicative and subjunctive modes?
Back: The indicative mood is used to make statements of fact or to ask direct questions. The subjunctive mood is connected with notions involving idea, intent, desire, uncertainty, potentiality, anticipation, or the like.

Front: How many tenses are there in subjunctive mood?
Back: There are 4 tenses in the indicative mood:
1. Present
2. Imperfect
3. Perfect
4. Pluperfect

Front: How to conjugate first conjugation verbs in the present tense in subjunctive mode and active voice?
Back: Given the definition of conjugation, the conjugation we discuss here is confined in the following setup:
1. Person: all three
2. Number: both singular and plural
3. Tense: present only
4. voice: active only
5. mood: subjunctive only
The conjugation of the present subjunctive is very similar to that of the present indicative.
- Begin with the present stem, change the -ā- to -ē-, and
- add the personal endings -m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt.
For example:

Front: How to conjugate all 4 conjugation classes of verbs in the imperfect tense in subjunctive mode and active voice?
Back: Given the definition of conjugation, the conjugation we discuss here is confined in the following setup:
1. Person: all three
2. Number: both singular and plural
3. Tense: imperfect only
4. voice: active only
5. mood: subjunctive only
The imperfect subjunctive is easily formed for all verbs (including irregular verbs) by taking the full present active infinitive, lengthening the final -e, and adding the personal endings -m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt. For example:
Notes: Note that, as always, a long vowel is shortened before final -m, -t, or -nt

Front: How to conjugate all 4 conjugation classes of verbs in the perfect tense in subjunctive mode and active voice?
Back: Given the definition of conjugation, the conjugation we discuss here is confined in the following setup:
1. Person: all three
2. Number: both singular and plural
3. Tense: perfect only
4. voice: active only
5. mood: subjunctive only
To the perfect stem, add -eri- and then the personal endings -m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt. For example

Front: How to conjugate all 4 conjugation classes of verbs in the pluperfect tense in subjunctive mode and active voice?
Back: Given the definition of conjugation, the conjugation we discuss here is confined in the following setup:
1. Person: all three
2. Number: both singular and plural
3. Tense: pluperfect only
4. voice: active only
5. mood: subjunctive only
To the perfect stem, add the tense sign -issē- and then the personal endings -m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt. For example

Front: How to conjugate sum, esse, fuī, futūrus (to be) in the present, imperfect, perfect, and pluperfect tenses in subjunctive mode and active voice?
Back: The complete conjugation table for sum in the subjunctive mood, with a dedicated cell for every person and number.
Complete Subjunctive: sum, esse, fuī
 | Present | Imperfect | Perfect | Pluperfect
Singular
1st | sim | essem | fuerim | fuissem
2nd | sīs | essēs | fuerīs | fuissēs
3rd | sit | esset | fuerit | fuisset
Plural
1st | sīmus | essēmus | fuerīmus | fuissēmus
2nd | sītis | essētis | fuerītis | fuissētis
3rd | sint | essent | fuerint | fuissent
Notes: The table headers are color-coded to highlight the "System" split:
- Blue Columns (Present & Imperfect): Based on the Present system. Notice the Imperfect looks exactly like the infinitive esse + endings (essem, essēs...).
- Purple Columns (Perfect & Pluperfect): Based on the Perfect system (fu-). Notice how regular they are; they just attach standard endings to the fu- stem.

Front: What is conditional sentence composed of?
Back: It is composed of 2 clauses:
1. the if clause (protasis intorduced in Latin by sī, 'if', or nisī, 'unless, if not')
2. the concluding clause (apodosis)

Front: What are 4 categories of conditional sentences?
Back: 1. Simple (General) Conditions
FORMULA: Indicative in both clauses (Latin matches the tense of the "If" clause to the tense of the "Then" clause). For example
- Present (-at): Sī labōrat, pecūniam optat. (If he works, he desires money.)
- Past Ongoing (-ābat): Sī labōrābat, pecūniam optābat. (If he was working, he was desiring money.)
- Past Completed (-āvit): Sī labōrāvit, pecūniam optāvit. (If he worked, he desired money.)
2. Future Conditions
a. More Vivid
This type of condition is expressed in English by the present indicative in the if clause and the future in the concluding clause
FORMULA: Future indicative in both clauses. For example: Sī labōrābit, pecūniam optābit. (If he works, he will desire money.)
Occasionally, when the speaker wishes the implications of the condition to be exceptionally emphatic, the future perfect indicative is used in the protasis (if) instead of the simple future. For example: Sī labōrāverit, pecūniam optābit (If he will have worked, he will desire money)
In such cases it is emphasized that the action in the protasis must be completed in order for the action in the apodosis (concluding clause) to occur. In English, it is difficult to illustrate the difference between the future and the future perfect in such clauses, except by giving special intonation to the voice, or, in printing, by using italics.
b. Less Vivid
These conditions, while they refer to future time, conceive of the future act less vividly, or less certainly, than future more vivid conditions. In English, this corresponds to should ..., would ...
FORMULA: Present subjunctive in both clauses. For example: Sī labōret, pecūniam optet. (If he should work, he would desire money)
Occationally the perfect subjunctive is used instead of the present, but this is rare
3. Contrary-To-Fact Conditions
a. Present Contrary-To-Fact
Contrary-to-fact conditions state something which is untrue and hypothesized
FORMULA: Imperfect subjunctive in both clauses. For example: Sī labōrāret, pecūniam optāret. (If he were working, he would be desiring money)
a. Past Contrary-To-Fact
FORMULA: Pluperfect subjunctive in both clauses. For example: Sī labōrāvisset, pecūniam optāvisset. (If he had worked, he would have desired money)
4. Mixed Conditions
In addition to the strict formuae above, one occassionally finds a mixed condition where the protasis and the apodosis belong to different categories. Such conditions are constructed as logical thought requires. For example:
Sī labōrāvisset, pecūniam optāret (If he had worked, he would be desiring money)
Notes: Summary of Conditional Sentences
Category | Type | IF Clause (Protasis) | THEN Clause (Apodosis)
1. Simple Fact (No special implication) | Present | Present Indicative | Present Indicative
Past | Past Indicative (Perfect or Imperfect) | Past Indicative
Future | Future Indicative | Future Indicative
2. Future Conditions (Degrees of likelihood) | Future More Vivid | Future Indicative Exception (Emphatic): Future Perfect Indicative | Future Indicative
Future Less Vivid (The "Should/Would" condition) | Present Subjunctive | Present Subjunctive
3. Contrary-to-Fact (Something that is NOT true) | Present C.T.F. (If he were [now]...) | Imperfect Subjunctive | Imperfect Subjunctive
Past C.T.F. (If he had [then]...) | Pluperfect Subjunctive | Pluperfect Subjunctive