How many tenses in your language?

Hi! I’m currently at Uni to become a Latin instructor, so I thought I would correct something I saw on the first page.

Latin only has six(6) tenses. Present, imperfect, future, perfect, pluperfect and future perfect. The tenses are grouped either in “continuous” (present system)or “completed” (perfect system) aspect. Present, imperfect and future tense verbs are all “continuous” because the actions they describe are in the process of happening. Perfect, pluperfect and future perfect verbs are “complete” because the action of the verb has been completed.

Each verb also has person, number, mood and voice. That may be where the confusion over the number of tenses came from.

Person is who is doing the speaking (I/we = 1st, you/you = 2nd, s/he/it/they = 3rd).

Number is whether the speaker is singular or plural.

Mood is how the speaker treats the action of the verb. There are three of them: indicative, imperative and subjunctive. Indicative treats the action as a fact, while imperative mood treats it as a command and subjunctive mood treats it as an idea or a wish. People screw up the subjunctive in English all the time, and I don’t blame them. It isn’t fun in either language!

Voice is what the relationship is between the subject of the clause and the verb. There are three, though honestly, I have only ever seen Middle voice twice in Latin. It’s more common in ancient Greek. Active and Passive are the other two. Active voice is used when the subject performs the action (The boy flies the kite.), while Passive voice is used when the subject receives the action (The kite is flown by the boy.) Middle voice shows a subject performing an action to itself or for its own interest.

Latin is a very verb heavy language, so if anybody is thinking about learning it, be prepared to bury your nose in a book and memorize endless strings of information.

Hi Surelen,

You said:

What was it on the first page you saw and wanted to correct?

Alan

Well Jamie, that Ukrainian was just playing a joke on those policemen. Almost every citizen in the Soviet Union used to speak Russian which was the state language. Russian was the language in schools, universities, public administrations, at work, you name it. It is true that a lot of citizens from the former Soviet Union also spoke another language, especially if they came from the Baltic states or the Caucasian region. However, it’s very unlikely that a Ukrainian would not know that “Kak vasha familia?” means What is your surname? even if his mother tongue was Ukrainian and not Russian.[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, talks: Discussing a new office layout[YSaerTTEW443543]