[Andrea]

Hi Phyllis,

A verb with a -vi ending is simply a different form of the same verb with the -re ending. For example, amare means to love, while amavi means I loved.

In order to find the perfect stem, look at the four principle parts of a verb. Let’s use vocare as an example—voco, vocare, vocavi, vocatum (us). The next step is to take the past tense (the 3rd principle part), that is, vocavi, and remove the i. We’re left with vocav, which is the perfect stem! In the quiz, since the four principle parts are not given (you only know the infinitive), you simply need to recall the 3rd principle part. You can find more information about this in Lesson 36 and 40. Let me know if you have any more questions!