Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/Simple-past-and-future-tense

Modern Greek (1453-) Grammar → Simple past and future tense

In this lesson, we will explore the simple past and future tenses in Modern Greek (1453-). Understanding these tenses is crucial as they enable you to express actions that have already occurred or will occur in the future. This lesson is designed for complete beginners and will build on your foundational knowledge of the Greek language.

We will start with the importance of tenses in communication, then dive into the details of how to construct sentences in the simple past and future tenses. By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid understanding of how to use these tenses, along with practical examples to illustrate their use. Additionally, you will have ten exercises to practice what you've learned, complete with solutions to help reinforce your skills.

The Importance of Tenses

Tenses play a pivotal role in any language, as they allow us to convey when an action takes place. In Modern Greek, like in English, the simple past indicates actions that have been completed, while the future tense communicates actions that will happen. Mastering these tenses will enable you to narrate stories, share experiences, and plan future activities in Greek.

Simple Past Tense

The simple past tense in Modern Greek is typically formed using the verb endings for different groups of verbs. Here's how it works:

Regular Verbs

For regular verbs, the past tense is formed by removing the infinitive ending and adding the appropriate past tense endings.

Here are the endings:

• For -ω (o) verbs: -α (a) for the first person singular

• For -άω (áo) verbs: -ά (á) for the first person singular

• For -έω (éo) verbs: -έ (é) for the first person singular

Let’s take a look at some examples:

Modern Greek (1453-)	Pronunciation	English
έγραψα	égraphsa	I wrote
διάβασα	diávasa	I read
έφαγα	éfaga	I ate
ήπια	ípia	I drank
αγόρασα	agórasa	I bought

Irregular Verbs

Some verbs in Greek are irregular and do not follow the standard patterns. Here are a few common irregular verbs in the simple past:

Modern Greek (1453-)	Pronunciation	English
είμαι	íme	I was
έχω	ékho	I had
πηγαίνω	pigéno	I went
βλέπω	vlépo	I saw
κάνω	kánno	I did

Future Tense

The future tense in Modern Greek is formed by using the appropriate future tense endings. The structure typically involves the base form of the verb with future tense prefixes.

Here are the basic future endings:

• For -ω (o) verbs: -ω (o) for the first person singular

• For -άω (áo) verbs: -άω (áo) for the first person singular

• For -έω (éo) verbs: -έω (éo) for the first person singular

Let’s look at some examples of verbs in the future tense:

Modern Greek (1453-)	Pronunciation	English
θα γράψω	tha grápso	I will write
θα διαβάσω	tha diaváso	I will read
θα φάω	tha fáo	I will eat
θα πιω	tha pio	I will drink
θα αγοράσω	tha agoráso	I will buy

Summary of Tenses

To summarize, the simple past tense is used to refer to completed actions, while the future tense discusses actions that will occur. Understanding these tenses is essential for effective communication in Modern Greek.

Now, let's move on to some practice exercises to help you apply what you've learned.

Practice Exercises

Here are ten exercises to practice using the simple past and future tenses in Modern Greek. Try to complete them on your own before checking the solutions.

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks (Simple Past)

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.

1. Χθες εγώ (γράφω) __________ ένα γράμμα.

2. Την περασμένη εβδομάδα (πηγαίνω) __________ στο σινεμά.

3. Δύο μέρες πριν (βλέπω) __________ την ταινία.

4. Πριν από μία ώρα (τρώω) __________ πολύ φαγητό.

5. Χθες (κάνω) __________ τα καθήκοντά μου.

Exercise 2: Translate the sentences (Simple Past)

Translate the following sentences into Modern Greek.

1. I read a book yesterday.

2. They bought a car last week.

3. She drank coffee this morning.

4. We went to the beach last summer.

5. He wrote a poem last night.

Exercise 3: Fill in the blanks (Future Tense)

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.

1. Αύριο εγώ (γράφω) __________ μία έκθεση.

2. Το Σαββατοκύριακο (πηγαίνω) __________ στο βουνό.

3. Την επόμενη εβδομάδα (βλέπω) __________ τους φίλους μου.

4. Σε μία ώρα (τρώω) __________ παγωτό.

5. Στην επόμενη εκδρομή (κάνω) __________ νέες γνωριμίες.

Exercise 4: Translate the sentences (Future Tense)

Translate the following sentences into Modern Greek.

1. I will read a book tomorrow.

2. They will buy a house next year.

3. She will drink tea in the afternoon.

4. We will go to the mountains this weekend.

5. He will write a letter next week.

Exercise 5: Conjugate the verbs (Simple Past)

Conjugate the following verbs in the simple past tense.

1. γράφω

2. πηγαίνω

3. βλέπω

4. τρώω

5. κάνω

Exercise 6: Conjugate the verbs (Future Tense)

Conjugate the following verbs in the future tense.

1. γράφω

2. πηγαίνω

3. βλέπω

4. τρώω

5. κάνω

Exercise 7: Create sentences (Simple Past)

Create sentences using the following verbs in the simple past.

1. διαβάζω

2. αγοράζω

3. πίνω

4. παίζω

5. μαγειρεύω

Exercise 8: Create sentences (Future Tense)

Create sentences using the following verbs in the future tense.

1. διαβάζω

2. αγοράζω

3. πίνω

4. παίζω

5. μαγειρεύω

Exercise 9: Listening Practice

Listen to a short story in Greek. Write down all the verbs you hear in the simple past and future tenses.

Exercise 10: Conversation Practice

Pair up with a classmate and practice a short conversation using both the simple past and future tenses.

Solutions to Exercises

Here are the solutions to the exercises for you to check your answers.

Solutions to Exercise 1

1. έγραψα

2. πήγα

3. είδα

4. έφαγα

5. έκανα

Solutions to Exercise 2

1. Διάβασα ένα βιβλίο χθες.

2. Αγόρασαν ένα αυτοκίνητο την περασμένη εβδομάδα.

3. Ήπιε καφέ το πρωί.

4. Πήγαμε στην παραλία το περασμένο καλοκαίρι.

5. Έγραψε ένα ποίημα χτες το βράδυ.

Solutions to Exercise 3

1. θα γράψω

2. θα πάω

3. θα δω

4. θα φάω

5. θα κάνω

Solutions to Exercise 4

1. Θα διαβάσω ένα βιβλίο αύριο.

2. Θα αγοράσουν ένα σπίτι του χρόνου.

3. Θα πιει τσάι το απόγευμα.

4. Θα πάμε στα βουνά αυτό το Σαββατοκύριακο.

5. Θα γράψει μία επιστολή την επόμενη εβδομάδα.

Solutions to Exercise 5

1. έγραψα

2. πήγα

3. είδα

4. έφαγα

5. έκανα

Solutions to Exercise 6

1. θα γράψω

2. θα πάω

3. θα δω

4. θα φάω

5. θα κάνω

Solutions to Exercise 7

1. Διάβασα ένα βιβλίο.

2. Αγόρασα ένα δώρο.

3. Ήπια καφέ.

4. Έπαιξα ποδόσφαιρο.

5. Μαγείρεψα για την οικογένεια.

Solutions to Exercise 8

1. Θα διαβάσω ένα βιβλίο.

2. Θα αγοράσω ένα δώρο.

3. Θα πιω καφέ.

4. Θα παίξω ποδόσφαιρο.

5. Θα μαγειρέψω για την οικογένεια.

Solutions to Exercise 9

[Your answers will vary depending on the story listened to.]

Solutions to Exercise 10

[This will depend on the conversation you practiced with your classmate.]

In conclusion, mastering the simple past and future tenses is essential for effective communication in Modern Greek. With practice, these tenses will become second nature to you. Keep practicing, and you'll be narrating your past experiences and future plans fluently in no time!

Table of Contents - Modern Greek (1453-) Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Greek Alphabet

• Greek Letters and Pronunciation
• Diphthongs and Special Combinations

  ---

Basic Greetings and Phrases

• Greetings and Introductions
• Common Everyday Phrases

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Noun Gender and Plurals

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods and Drinks
• Ordering in a Restaurant

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

  ---

Greek Traditions and Customs

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Greek Cuisine

  ---

Greek History and Geography

• Historical Overview
• Geographical Regions

Sources

• Modern-greek-1453 Grammar - Verbs Conjugation Groups
• Modern-greek-1453 Grammar - Greek voices verbs Φωνή και ...

Other Lessons

• Pronoms interrogatifs
• Sentense Structure
• Greek voices verbs Φωνή και συζυγίες ρημάτων
• Pronoms possessifs
• Passive voice
• Prepositions and conjunctions
• Definite and Indefinite Article
• The paronyms
• Pronouns and verbs