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 nounPERSONAL; 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 indiates or declares a thing-PERFECT TENSE; it expresses vhat 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.

Q. What does "He may write" imply?
207. Permission or liberty to write.
Q. What does "He must write" imply?
208. Necessity of writing.
Q. What does "He can write" imply?
209. Power or ability to write.
Q. What does "He should write" imply?
210. Duty or obligation to write.
Q. What does "He would write" imply?
211. Will or inclination to write.
Q. What does the word potential mean?

212. Able, or powerful..

Q. In what mood, then, do grammarians reckon can learn, may write, aud also must write, should write, &c. ?

213. In the potential mood.

Q. Why are all these different forms of representing actions considered to be 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.) Ad'ective.

217. Uniting, combining, or joining together.

Q. You recollect that, in varying the verb, we joined the pronouns with it nence this exercise is called conjugation what, then, do you understand by the conjugation of a verb?

218. The conjugation of a verb is the regular combination and arrangement of its several moods, tenses, numbers and persons.

219. Conjugation of the verb LEARN

Pres. Thou mayst, canst, or must learn.

Imp. Thou mightst, couldst, wouldst, or shouldst learn.

Perf. Thou mayst, canst, or must have learned.

Plup. Thou mightst, couldst, woulast, or shouldst have learned.

Q. In what mood is "I may learn"? Why? (215.,

"You

Q. Will you repeat the synopsis with I? thou? he? we? ye? you? they? Q. In what mood, tense, number and person, is "I can learn"? may learn"? "You might assist"? "They could have learned"? "He must study"?

Q. In what mood and tense is "I have learned"?" He shall run"? "William did sing"?

Q. Will you conjugate learn in the present tense, potential mood? Will

you conjugate love in the same mood, and imperfect tense? Strike, in the perfect tense? Come, in the pluperfect tense?

Q. How many tenses has the potential mood?

EXERCISES IN PARSING.

"He may return.”

221. He is a PRONOUN, a word used instead of a nounPERSONAL; it invariably represents the same person-MASCULINE GENDER; it represents a male-THIRD PERSON; it denotes the person spoken of-SINGULAR NUMBER; it implies but one-and in the NOMINATIVE CASE; it denotes the agent"Nom. he"-nominative case to may return, by

RULE VI. The nominative case governs the verb.

May return is a VERB; it implies action or being—ACTIVE; it imples action-INTRANSITIVE; it does not admit an object after it—POTENTIAL MOOD; it implies possibility, liberty, &c.-PRESENT TENSE; it denotes what may be now" 1. I may or can return; 2. You may or can return; 3. He may or can return"-made in the THIRD PERSON, SINGULAR, because its nominative he is, with which it agrees according to

RULE VII. A verb must agree with its nominative case ir number and person."

EXERCISES IN PARSING CONTINUED.

"He may come."

"He might retire."

"John can assist me."

structer."

"We may have erred."

1

"Boys may learn arithmetic."
"The wind may have shaken
the trees."

"William must obey his in- "The lady could have procured

"John's father would go."

XIII. CONJUGATION OF THE NEUTER VERB

To be.

222. When I say, "I am at home," you know that am is a verb, because it implies being or existence; and since to be means to exist, the verb am has been called the verb to be.