ER 23 Present, Future, or Perfect?

When trying to determine a verb's tense, ask yourself these questions, in this order.

1. Does it have an ending that is only used for one tense? (e.g., -bam, -bās, -bat for imperfect, -bō, -bis, -bit for future)

2. Is it formed from the present stem or perfect stem? If perfect, it's perfect tense. If present, it's present or future.

3. If it has an -e-, what conjugation is it? If 2nd conj, it's present. If 3rd, 3rd -iō, or 4th conj, it's future.

Examples:

1. stabunt (stō, stare, stetī, statūrus): -bunt has to be future tense

2. dūxit (dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus): perfect stem means it's perfect tense

3. leget (legō, legere, lēgī, lectus): present stem; -e- for 3rd conj is future tense

4. manēs (maneō, manēre, mānsī, mānsūrus): present stem; -e- for 2nd conj is present tense

doceō, docēre, docuī, doctus

ascendō, ascendere, ascendī, ascēnsus

trādō, trādere, trādidī, trāditus

inveniō, invenīre, invēnī, inventus

petō, petere, petīvī, petītus

removeō, removēre, remōvī, remōtus

dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus

excipiō, excipere, excēpī, exceptus

habeō, habēre, habuī, habitus

audiō, audīre, audīvī, audītus

scrībō, scrībere, scrīpsī, scrīptus

taceō, tacēre, tacuī, tacitus