165. That he has the ability to learn. Q. What does the word mood mean? 166. Mood means manner. Q. What, then, does the mood of verbs denote ? 167. The different manner of representing actions Q. What does the word indicative mean? 168. Declaring or showing. Q. When say, "William has studied," I declare some fact: in what mood, then, shall we class has studied? 169. In the indicative mood. Q. When I say, "Has William studied?" the only difference between this phrase and the foregoing consists in a change in the order of the words, so as to show that a question is asked: in what mood, then, shall we call has William studied? 170. Indicative mood. Q. What, then, is the indicative mood used for? 171. The indicative mood is used for asserting, indicating or declaring a thing, or asking a question. Q. In what mood is "They do sing"? Why? (171.) Q. What does the word tense mean? 172. Tense means time. Q. What does present mean? 173. Present means now. Q. When I say, "The bird sings," I mean that the bird sings now: in what tense, then, is sings? 174. In the present tense. Q. What, then, is the present tense used for? 175. The present tense is used to express what is now taking place. Q. In what tense is "The dog runs"? Why? (175.) Q. "James wrote." "James has written." These phrases denote what is past: in what tense are they? 176. In the past tense. Q. What does the word future mean; as, "At some future time”? Q. In what tense are the phrases, "I will come," "I shall have come" 7 Q. How many grand divisions of time do there appear to be, and what are they? 179. Three-the present, past, and future. Q. When I say, "John wrote," is the action here spoken of past and finished? 180. It is. Q. What does imperfect mean? 181. Unfinished, or incomplete. Q. "John was writing when I saw him." This denotes an action unfinished in past time, and corresponds with what is usually denominated in Latin the imperfect tense: hence the origin of the name selected by English grammarians to denote action past and finished; a term not all significant of an action finished in past time: what, then, does the imperfect tense express? 182. The imperfect tense expresses what took place in past time, however distant. Q. "Peter wrote yesterday, and has written to-day." Here both acts o writing are past and finished; but which has inore immediate reference to the present time? 183. Has written." Q. To distinguish this tense from the imperfect, grammarians have called it the perfect tense: what, then, will the perfect tense express? 184. The perfect tense expresses what has taken place, and also conveys an allusion to the present time. Q. "James had read before I wrote." Here, both acts are past and finished; but which took place first? 185. The act of reading. Q. What does the word pluperfect mean? 186. More than the perfect. Q. What tense, then, shall we call "James had read"? 187. The pluperfect tense. Q. What, then, does the pluperfect tense express? 188. The pluperfect tense expresses what had taken place at or before some past time mentioned. Q. "John will come." This, you know, was called the future tense: can you tell me why? 189. Because it implies time to come. Q. What, then, does the future tense express? 190. The future tense expresses what will take place hereafter. Q. "I shall have learned my lesson by noon." Here, an action is to take place at a future time specified or mentioned; and since we already have one future tense, we will call that the first, and this the second future tense: what, then, will the second future tense express? 191. The second future expresses what will have taken place at or before some future time mentioned. Q. What does synopsis mean? 192. A concise and general view. Q. I will now present you with a synopsis of all the different tenses, illustrated by the verb learn: will you repeat it? 193. Pres. tense, Imp. tense, 1st Fut. tense, SYNOPSIS. I learn, or do learn. I had learned. I shall or will learn. 2d Fut. tense, I shall have learned. You shall next have the different variations of the foregoing verb, in each tense of the indicative mood: these I wish you to study very carefully, that you may be able to answer the questions which will then be asked you. 194. To learn. OR, When we wish to express energy or positiveness, thus Singular. 1. I do learn. Plural. 1. We do learn. **For the benefit of those who choose to retain the second person singular, as given in former treatises, the following synopsis is inserted. SYNOPSIS. 195. 2d Pers. Sing. Pres. Thou learnest, or dost learn. 2d Pers. Sing. Imp. Thou learnedst, or didst learn. 2d Pers. Sing. Perf. Thou hast learned. 2d Pers. Sing. Plup. Thou hadst learned.. 2d Pers. Sing. 1st Fut. Thou shalt or wilt learn. 2d Pers. Sing, 2d Fut. Thou wilt have learned. Q. In what mood is "I learn"? Why? (171.) (175.) In what mood and tense is "He learns"? learn"? "I have learned"? "I had learned"? "I shall have learned"? Q. In what person and number is "I learn"? learn"? "They had learned"? "He shall learn"? Q. What does the word auxiliary mean? 196. Auxiliary means helping. In what tense? Why? "We learn"? "I did "I shall or will learn"? "You learn"? Q. In the phrase, "I will sing," will, you perceive, is used to help form the future tense of sing: will is, therefore, called an auxiliary verb, and the verb sing is reckoned the principal verb: what, then, are auxiliary verbs? 197. Auxiliary verbs are those by the help of which are formed the different tenses, moods, &c. of the principal verbs. Q. The auxiliary verbs are not unfrequently denominated the signs of the tenses, because each tense has, in general, an auxiliary peculiar to itself: what, then, is the sign of the second future? Q. We can say, "I did strike yesterday," or, "I struck yesterday"? how, then, can we tell when a verb is in the imperfect tense without the sign did? 203. If we can place yesterday after the verb, and make sense, it is in the imperfect tense. Q. What is the sign of the present tense? 204. Do, or the first form of the verb. Q. From the foregoing, how many tenses does the indicative mood appear to have, and what are they? 205. Six-the present, the imperfect, the perfect, the pluperfect, the first and second future tenses. EXERCISES IN PARSING. "They have arrived." 206. They is a PRONOUN, a word used instead of a noun— PERSONAL; it always represents the same person—THIRD PERSON; it denotes the persons spoken of PLURAL; it means more than one-"Nom. he; Poss. his; Obj. him. Plural. Nom. they"-made in the NOMINATIVE CASE to have arrived, according to RULE VI. The nominative case governs the verb. Have arrived is a VERB, a word that implies action or being-ACTIVE; it implies action-INTRANSITIVE; it does not admit of an object-INDICATIVE MOOD; it simply indicates or declares a thing-PERFECT TENSE; it expresses what has just taken place-1. I have arrived; 2. You have arrived; 3. He has arrived. Plural, 1. We have arrived; 2. You have arrived; 3. They have arrived"—made in the THIRD PERSON PLURAL, because its nominative they is, and agrees with it, according to RULE VII. A verb must agree with its nominative case in number and person. XII. POTENTIAL MOOD. Q. What does "He may write" imply? 66 Q. In what mood, then, do grammarians reckon can learn, may write, and also must write, should write, &c.? 213. In the potential mood. Q. Why are all these different forms of representing actions considered to no in the potential mood, a name, as we have seen, peculiar only to that form of the verb which implies power? 214. To prevent multiplying moods to a great and almost numberless extent. Q. What, then, does the potential mood imply? 215. The potential mood implies possibility, liberty, power, will, obligation, or necessity. Q. What are the signs of this mood? 216. May, can, must, might, could, would, and should. Q. What does the word conjugation mean? (1) Adjective |