Monday, February 18, 2013

Verbs - Past Tense

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Don't panic.   This is where the verb chart you downloaded
 http://www.ambar-eldaron.com/english/verbs_chart.html 
earns its keep.

Past Tense always ends in –ë.

Forming Past Tense:

     Basic verbs:  The ending depends on the last letter of the verb:
          –r–            –rnë
          –m–         –mnë
          –p–           –mpë
          –t-             –ntë
          –c–,–k–  –ncë, –nkë
          –l–            –llë

               car– (make)     carnë (made)
               tam– (tap)        tampë (tapped)
               map– (grasp)   mampë (grasped)
               quet– (speak)   quentë (spoke)
               tak– (fasten)    tankë (fastened)
               qual– (die)       quallë (died)

     A-stem verbs:  Replace –a (or sometimes –ya) with –anë.
               lanta   (fall) lantanë   (fell)


There are a number of verbs with “irregular” past tense forms – forms that don't strictly fit the pattern.  For past tense, you probably want to always look up the forms from the chart mentioned above.  The point is that now that you know what a past tense verb usually looks like, you realize that “sendë”, “rëantë” and “lendë,” for example, look (correctly) like past tense forms of something.
     sendë      ser–    (rest)
     rëantë    raita– (smile)
     lendë      lelya– (travel)

Aside:

English verbs aren't really much better. Look at the examples above. We have already used the English past tenses make/made, speak/spoke, and fall/fell. Did you think to yourself, "Of course 'tap' becomes 'tapped' and not 'taped'"?

Practice – Your Turn

Highlight the shaded boxes to see the answers.

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    useful vocabulary                   
│ mar-           live (at a location)  (past tense marnë) │
│ rista-         cut                 (past tense ristanë) │
 Alqualondessë  in Alqualondë                            │
│ orva           apple                                    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Aldandil lived in Alqualondë.       Aldandil marnë Alqualondessë.
Aldandil and Calanar lived in Alqualondë.       Aldandil ar Calanar marnër Alqualondessë.
Halla cut apples.  (yesterday)     Halla ristanë orvar.
Halla and Narwë cut apples.  (yesterday)     Halla ar Narwë ristanër orvar.
 
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