| (ii) Past |
The past progressive aspect is formed by suffixing -a:  , which indicates the progress to the past stem of the verb in case of verbs taking -u as the verbal participle marker. In case of verbs taking -i as the verbal participle marker, the suffix -ko is suffixed to the verbal participle form of the verb. |
| |
| The progress indicator is followed by the past tense form of the auxiliary verb iru ‘to be’ and PNG. |
| ure-c-a:-ind-PNG |
|
> |
|
ureca:ind-PNG |
|
|
‘was smearing’ |
| ae-c-a:-ind-PNG |
|
> |
|
|
|
|
‘was sharpening’ |
| naa-nd-a:-ind-PNG |
|
> |
|
|
|
|
‘was walking’ |
| nane-nj-a:-ind-PNG |
|
> |
|
nanenja:ind-PNG |
|
|
‘was becoming wet' |
| pa:-i-ko-ind-PNG |
|
> |
|
|
|
|
‘was singing’ |
| pa:r-i-ko-ind-PNG |
|
> |
|
pa:rikoind-PNG |
|
|
‘was flying’ |
| naa-t-i-ko-ind-PNG |
|
> |
|
|
|
|
‘was making to walk’ |
|
| |
ava: u nila ureca:indalu
1 2 3 |
| |
‘She was smearing the floor’
1 3 2 |
| |
ave polatu u:yikoinda
1 2 3 |
| |
‘He was ploughing the land’
1 3 2 |
