• RULES OF CONTRACTION generalized (17.5)
• ου <- εο οε οο
• ει <- εε
• ω <- ο_ ω_ _ο _ ω (almost any combination of ο or ω with any other vowel(s) )
• α <- αε ( ᾳ <- αει )
• η <- εα (ῃ <- εαι)
• οι <- οει
• Contraction of Diphthongs (17.5.7)
  1. Double letters simplify, i.e. one of the two drops out ει <- ε ει
  2. Final iotas subscript, if possible
  3. Final upsilons drop off
• Contract verbs contract based on the visible endings, not the actual ones
• RULES OF CONTRACTION by stem (see Mounce General Appendix, for full table)
  • Alpha Contracts (α) – ἀγαπάω
    • α + ε = α
    • α + ει = ᾳ
    • α + ο = ω
    • α + ου = ω
  • Epsilon Contracts (ε) – ποιέω (by far the most common)
    • ε + ε = ει
    • ε + ει = ει
    • ε + ο = ου
    • ε + ου = ου
  • Omicron Contracts (ο) – πληρόω
    • ο + ε = ου
    • ο + ει = οι
    • ο + (anything else) = ω
• The paradigm for Present Active Indicate contract verbs (17.6)
  • Work through the paradigms, applying the rules to actual verb forms (ἀγαπάω, ποιέω, πληρόω) explaining all the contractions
  • There is almost always a circumflex over contracted vowels. Since the accent of verbs is recessive the circumflex helps you recognize that a particular verb form is a contract, because the circumflex accent is on the ultima, i.e. two syllable have been combined into one
  • The Contracted Endings are recognizable, and almost the same as with non-contract verbs
  • Remember the rules for connecting vowels, as it will help you determine which kind of contract stem (α, ε, or ο) you are dealing with. (17.8)
• See Smyth on Contract Verbs

Present Indicative Middle and Passive

• Voice describes relationship between the verb and the subject:
  • Active – Subject does the action, e.g. “I hit the ball”
  • Passive – Subject receives the action, e.g. “I was hit by the ball” (agency, “by” often clues you in to the Passive voice)
    • English uses “helping verbs” to indicate the Passive Voice, e.g. I am being taught
    • In Greek the agent in a passive verb is expressed by either ὑπό + the genitive, e.g. ὑπ’ Ἄνδρέου “by Andrew” (18.10)
    • or simple Instrumental Dative, e.g. λογῷ τοῦ θεοῦ “by the Word of God”
  • Middle – Subject does the action, and the action somehow returns to the subject, e.g. “I hit the ball (to myself)”
• You can review English verb tenses in Mounce’s Appendix
• In the Present Tense, Middles and Passives have the same form (this is not true in all tenses)
• Present Passive
  • Formed by Present Tense Stem + Connecting Vowel + Primary Passive Personal Endings
  • Formed same as Present Active Indicative, except the Primary Passive Personal Endings are used
  • Learn and Review the paradigm in 18.7

• Connecting vowels are more visible than in the Active
• 2nd Person Singular – λυ + ε + σαι – sigma drops out, εαι contracts to ῃ
• Aspect can be Simple or Continuous, just like Present Active, e.g. “I am hit” or “I am being hit”