IMPERFECT TENSE
 
What was going on?
What used to be?

 
Remember:
  •  ε + ε >  ει 
  •  ε + ο > ου 
  •  ο + ο > ου 
  •  ο + ε > ου 
     
  •  α + ο > ω 
  •  α + ε > ᾱ (long alpha)
Here are the tables for contract verbs:
The column 'Uncontracted' shows what the forms would be if they hadn't been shortened for the sake of fluency of speech. The imperfect endings are set out in red and make it quite clear that the imperfect of contract verbs is NOT irregular: the regular forms contract with the stem a/e/o, nothing irregular about that.

Contract Verbs in  -ε
Compare:

Present Tense     Imperfect Tense uncontracted
I   am doing    ποι ῶ  I   was doing    ἐ ποί ουν  ἐποίεον
you   are doing  ποι εῖς  you   were doing  ἐ ποί εις  ἐποίεες
He   is doing  ποι εῖ  he   was doing  ἐ ποί ει  ἐποίεε 
We   are doing  ποι οῦμεν  we   were doing  ἐ ποι οῦμεν   ἐποιέομεν
You   are doing  ποι εῖτε  you   were doing  ἐ ποι εῖτε   ἐποιέετε
They   are doing  ποι οῦσιν  they   were doing  ἐ ποί ουν  ἐποίεον
 
 

Contract Verbs in  -ο
Compare:

Present Tense     Imperfect Tense uncontracted
I   am filling    πληρ ῶ  I   was filling    ἐ πλήρ ουν  ἐπλήρον
you   are filling  πληρ οῖς  you   were filling  ἐ πλήρ ους  ἐπλήροες
He   is filling  πληρ οῖ  he   was filling  ἐ πλήρ ου  ἐπλήροε 
We   are filling  πληρ οῦμεν  we   were filling  ἐ πληρ οῦμεν   ἐπληρόομεν
You   are filling  πληρ οῦτε  you   were filling  ἐ πληρ οῦτε   ἐπληρόετε
They   are filling  πληρ οῦσιν  they   were filling  ἐ πλήρ ουν  ἐπλήροον
 
 

Contract verbs in  -α
Compare

Present Tense     Imperfect Tense uncontracted
I   am shouting    βο ῶ  I   was shouting    ἐ βό ων  ἐβόαον 
you   are shouting  βο ᾷς  you   were shouting  ἐ βό ᾱς  ἐβόαες 
He   is shouting  βο ᾷ  he   was shouting  ἐ βό ᾱ  ἐβόαε 
We   are shouting  βο ῶμεν  we   were shouting  ἐ βο ῶμεν   ἐβοάομεν 
You   are shouting  βο ᾶτε  you   were shouting  ἐ βο ᾶτε   ἐβοάετε 
They   are shouting  βο ῶσιν  they   were shouting  ἐ βό ων  ἐβόαον 
 
 Note:  The verb ὁράω (I see) takes a double augment: ἑώρων [ἑώραον]
 
 
Exercise 6: Say it used to happen or was going on in the past
Click here for answers
  1. ἐν ταῖς Ἀθήναις οἰκοῦσιν.
  2. ἐγὼ παίζειν φιλῶ, ἡμεῖς πάντες φιλοῦμεν. (Note that παίζειν means both to play and to joke.)
  3. ἐπεὶ δὲ παίζομεν ἐγὼ νικῶ, διότι ἡ ἀδελφὴ μικρὰ ἐστιν.
  4. διὰ τί τρέχεις; διὰ τί καλεῖς; διὰ τί βοᾷς;
  5. ὁ Φίλιππος ἀθυμεῖ· οὐχ ὁρᾷ τὸν κύνα.
       μέγα βοᾷ ἀλλὰ ὁ κύων ἔτι διώκει λαγώς.
  6. ἆρα τιμᾶτε τὴν Δημήτερα καὶ καλεῖτε αὐτήν; (did you use to, in your country?)