Class Notes
The Imperfect Indicative Middle and Passive are grammatical construction that expresses an action being performed on the subject (passive voice) or by the subject for the subject’s benefit (middle voice) and occurring continuously or repeatedly in the past (imperfect tense). This tense is used when describing events that were ongoing, habitual, or repeated over a period of time, rather than a single, completed action.
The Imperfect Indicative Middle and Passive Endings:
Singular
1st Person: – όμην
2nd Person: – ου
3rd Person: – ετο
Plural
1st Person: – όμεθα
2nd Person: – εσθε
3rd Person: – οντο
The imperfect Tense indicated action in the past, up to the point of writing. It is ongoing or repetitive action occurring in the past.
The indicative mood is used to express a statement as factual or reality. Therefore, the action is perceived as real or certain.
The passive voice emphasis that action of the verb being performed on the subject. Where the middle expresses the subject performs the action and is directly involved in its effect or outcome; therefore, done for the subject’s own benefit, on themselves, or in some reciprocal manner.
Imperfect Indicative Middle/Passive conjugation using λύω (to loose).
Singular
1st Person: ἐλυόμην – I was loosing (for myself)
2nd Person: ἐλύου – You were loosing (for yourself)
3rd Person: ἐλύετο – He/She/It was loosing (for him/her/itself)
Plural
1st Person: ἐλυόμεθα – We were loosing (for ourselves)
2nd Person: ἐλύεσθε – You all were loosing (for yourselves)
3rd Person: ἐλύοντο – They were loosing (for themselves)
Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive Examples:
ἐγίνετο (from γίνομαι – “to become” or “to happen”)
ἐλέγετο (from λέγω – “to say” or “to speak”)
ἐθεραπεύετο (from θεραπεύω – “to heal”)
ἐπορεύετο (from πορεύομαι – “to go” or “to travel”)
ἐκαλύπτετο (from καλύπτω – “to cover” or “to hide”)
ἐδιδάσκετο (from διδάσκω – “to teach”)
ἐτιμᾶτο (from τιμάω – “to honor”)
ἐδιώκετο (from διώκω – “to persecute” or “to pursue”)
ἐφοβεῖτο (from φοβέομαι – “to fear”)
ἐκαθίζετο (from καθίζω – “to sit” or “to set”)