scribebat

scribebat is the third person singular imperfect active indicative form of the Latin verb scribere, meaning "he was writing" or "he used to write." It occurs in classical Latin texts to express ongoing past actions or to set a scene. The imperfect form is formed from the present stem scrib- with the endings -ebam, -ebas, -ebat, -ebamus, -ebatis, -ebant; the infinitive is scribere. The verb belongs to the third conjugation.

In addition to scribebat, the imperfect forms include scribebam, scribebas, scribebamus, scribebatis, scribebant, reflecting the same imperfect tense across different subjects.

Usage of scribebat indicates an action in progress at a past time, a habitual past action, or background information within a narrative. It often appears with other past tenses to provide context, and it contrasts with the perfect scripsit, which states a completed action. Example: "Ille epistulas scribebat," meaning "He was writing letters." This form is commonly encountered in Latin prose and is essential for rendering continuous or background past events in translation.

See also: scribere; Latin verbs; imperfect tense; Latin grammar.