? Second Form Latin - translating the perfect tense

[Kristine in VA]

Hi,
I am working on Lesson 6 in Second Form Latin with my children. Several times now I have had a question about how the perfect tense is translated in the Teacher's Workbook & Test Key.

For example, Lesson 6, Worksheet 4, #2.

Pater puero panem dulcem dedit.

I thought Perfect tenses were translated as with helping verbs have, has, or had, so dedit would be H/S/I has given. The Teachers Key translates dedit as gave. Does it matter?

Thanks,
Kristine in VA

[tanya]

Kristine,

It doesn't matter which translation your student uses. Just as the present tense can be translated 3 ways in English: I love, I am loving, I do love, we can also translate the perfect tense 3 ways: I loved, I did love, I have loved. This is explained in Lesson 8 of First Form if you want to read further.

So, as long as your student uses one of these 3 translations for the perfect tense, he/she has gotten it right!

Cheers,

Tanya Charlton