than he has ;""He can write much better than he could

last year."

Must is sometimes called in for a helper, and denotes necessity: as, "We must speak the truth, whenever we do speak, and we must not prevaricate."

Will, in the first person singular and plural, intimates resolution and promising; in the second and third person, only foretels: as, "I will reward the good,. and will punish the wicked ;” “ We will remember benefits, and be grateful;" ;"" Thou wilt, or he will, repent of that folly;" "You or they will have a pleasant walk."

Shall, on the contrary, in the first person, simply fore tels; in the second and third persons, promises, commands, or threatens: as, "I shall go abroad;" "We shall dine at home;""Thou shalt, or you shall, inherit the land:" "Ye shall do justice, and love mercy;" " They shall The following passage is

account for their misconduct." not translated according to the distinct and proper meanings of the words shall and will: “ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever;" it ought to be, "Will follow me," and " I shall dwell."-The foreigner who, as it is said, fell into the Thames, and cried out; “ I will be drowned, no body shall help me ;" made a sad misapplication of these auxiliaries.

These observations respecting the import of the verbs will and shall, must be understood of explicative sentences; for when the sentence is interrogative, just the reverse, for the most part, takes place: thus, "I shall go: you will go;" express event only: but, "will you go imports intention; and, "shall I go?" refers to the will of another. But, "He shall go," and "shall he go?" both imply will; expressing or referring to a command. When the verb is put in the subjunctive mood, the meaning of these auxiliaries likewise undergoes some alteration; as the learners will readily perceive by a few examples: "He shall proceed," "If he shall proceed;" "You shall consent, "If you shall consent. These auxiliaries are sometimes interchanged, in the indicative and subjunctive moods, to convey the same meaning of the auxiliary: as, "He will not return,' ་་ If he shall

""

not return;"" He shall not return," "If he will not return."

Would, primarily denotes inclination of will; and should, obligation: but they both vary their import, and are often used to express simple event.

SECTION 8. The Conjugation of Regular Verbs.

ACTIVE.

VERBS Active are called Regular, when they form their imperfect tense of the indicative mood, and their perfect participle, by adding to the verb ed, or d only when the verb ends in e: as,

Singular.

1.- I love. *

2. Thou lovest.

2. Ye or you love.

3. He, she, or it, loveth, 3. They love.

or loves.

* In the present and imperfect tenses, we use a different form of the verb, when we mean to express energy and positiveness: as, "I do love; thou dost Love; he does love; I did love; thou didst love; he did love."

Those tenses are called simple tenses, which are formed of the principal, without an auxiliary verb: as, "I love, I loved." The compound tenses are such as cannot be formed without an auxiliary verb: as, "I have loved; I had loved; I shall or will love; I may love; I may be loved; I may have been loved;" &c. These compounds are, however, to be considered as only different forms of the same verb.

Singular.

1. Let me love.

Imperative Mood.

Plural.

1. Let us love.

2. Love, or love thou, or do 2. Love, or love ye or you

thou love.

3. Let him love.

or do ye love.

3. Let them love.

Anperfect Tense.

Singular. 1. I might, could, would, or should love. 8. Thou mightst, couldst, wouldst, or shouldst love. 3. He might, could, would, or should love.

Singular.

Plural.

1. We might, could, would,
or should love.

2. Ye or you might, could,
would, or should love.
3. They might, could, would;
or should love.

Perfect Tense.

1. I may or can have loved. 8. Thou mayst or canst have loved.

3. He may or can have loved.

Singular.

Plural.

1. We may or can have loved. 2. Ye or you may or can have loved.

3. They may or can have loved. Pluperfect Tense.

1. I might, could, would, or

should have loved. 2. Thou mightst, couldst, wouldst, or shouldst have loved.

3. He might, could, would, or should have loved.

Singular.

1. If I love.

2. If thou love.

3. If he love.

Plural.

1. We might, could, would,

or should have loved. 2. Ye or you might, could, would, or should have loved.

3. They might, could, would, or should have loved.

Subjunctive Mood.

Present Tense.

Plural.

1. If we love.

2. If ye or you love.

3. If they love.

The remaining tenses of this mood, are, in general, similar to the correspondent tenses of the indicative mood. See page 82, and page 95.

It may be of use to the scholar, to remark, in this place, that though only the conjunction if is affixed to the verb, any other conjunction proper for the subjunctive mood, may, with equal propriety, be occasionally annexed. The

instance given is sufficient to explain the subject: more would be tedious, and tend to embarrass the learner.

Present. To love.

Infinitive Mood.

Perfect. To have loved.
Participles.

Present. Loving. Perfect. Loved.
Compound Perfect. Having loved.

The active verb may be conjugated differently, by adding its present or active participle to the auxiliary verb to be, through all its moods and tenses; as, instead of "I teach, thou teachest, he teaches," &c. ; we may say, "I am teaching, thou art teaching, he is teaching," &c.: and instead of "I taught," &c. "I was teaching," &c. and so on, through all the variations of the auxiliary. This mode of conjugation has, on particular occasions, a peculiar propriety; and contributes to the harmony and precision of the language. These forms of expression are adapted to particular acts, not to general habits, or affections of the mind. They are very frequently applied to neuter verbs; as, "I am musing; he is sleeping.'

Some grammarians apply, what is called the conjunctive termination, to the persons of the principal verb, and to its auxiliaries, through all the tenses of the subjunctive mood. But this is certainly contrary to the practice of good writers. Johnson applies this termination to the present and perfect tenses only. Lowth restricts it entirely to the present tense; and Priestley confines it to the present and imperfect tenses. This difference of opinion amongst grammarians of such eminence, may have contributed to that diversity of practice, so observable in the use of the subJunctive mood. Uniformity in this point is highly desirable. It would materially assist both teachers and learners; and would constitute a considerable improvement in our language. On this subject, we adopt the opinion of Dr. Lowth; and conceive we are fully warranted by his au

As the participle, in this mode of conjugation, performs the office of a verb, through all the moods and tenses; and as it implies the idea of time, and governs the objective case of nouns and pronouns, in the same manner as verbs do; is it not manifest, that it is a species or form of the verb, and that it cannot be properly considered as a distinct part of speech?