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==== The Preterite Tense ==== | ==== The Preterite Tense ==== | ||
The preterite is not analogous with the Biblical perfect (from which the preterite descends). The preterite is most often used in narratives recounting events in the past. | |||
'''Uses''' | |||
The preterite is used to indicate the following: | |||
*'''An action completed in the past''': This use expresses an action that is viewed as a completed event. It is often accompanied by adverbial expressions of time, such as ''ʔitmūl''. | |||
ʔitmūl encontre la flor = "Yesterday, I found the flower" | |||
*'''Perfect actions''': Aligning with English perfect constructions, actions in the past with present relevance. | |||
= "Now you have heard him" | |||
= "He said that I had to bring the letter I had written" | |||
*'''A general truth'''Actions which are commonly accepted, present or past. | |||
= "Carthage belonged to the Phoenicians" | |||
==== The Present Tense ==== | ==== The Present Tense ==== |
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