Now, good digestion wait on appetite Break we our watch up.-Ham. 1, 1, 168. 133. Writers on English Grammar are not agreed as to the form of the second person singular of the Past tense of the Subjunctive. Some give thou love, thou knew, and others thou lovedst, thou knewest, as the correct forms. In Old English there were in some Weak Verbs two forms thus the Past Subjunctive of lufian, "to love," ran thus in the singular : : 1st pers. lufode. 2nd pers. lufode or lufodest. Now it is certain that no writer of the present day would use such forms as if thou wrote, if thou knew; nor would he put if thou wrotest, if thou knewest, as Subjunctive forms. Therefore in giving the scheme of Simple Tenses on pp. 65, 66, I have placed the second person singular of the Past Subjunctive in a bracket, to intimate that it is no longer in use. The disuse of thou has caused you knew to be the form in use for the second person singular as well as for the second person plural. THE IMPERATIVE MOOD. 134. The simplest form of speech is the command: go, stop, come. This mode of address is called the Imperative Mood, and it presents the stem of a Verb in its simplest form. Examples of its use are Give me a torch.-Rom. 1, 4, II. Lend me a looking-glass.—Lear, 5, 3, 261. This mood is also used in making earnest entreaty :— him! THE INFINITIVE MOOD. 135. The form called the Infinitive Mood names the action or condition expressed by the Verb, without any necessary reference to a particular person or thing. This form is to be regarded as a Neuter Noun, used occasionally as a Nominative, and very frequently as an Objective Case. The Infinitive may, as a Nominative Case, be the Subject of a sentence; as— To steal is disgraceful. To resist was fatal. The Infinitive may, as an Objective Case, be the Object of a Verb; as— I desire to go. We learn to read. Next observe that the Preposition to is no essential part of the Infinitive; for example, in Shakespeare's line Cease to lament for that thou canst not help. Gent. 3, 1, 241. the words to lament and help are both Infinitives; the former is called the Prepositional Infinitive, the latter the Pure Infinitive. 136. The Pure Infinitive is used after many Verbs, as see, hear, must, will, bid; thus I saw him fall. I heard her call. I saw him beat the surges.-Temp. 2, 1, 114. I heard a child cry underneath a wall.-Tit. 5, 1, 24. Ado, 3, 1, 26. She will not come; she bids you come to her. Shrew, 5, 2, 92. THE PARTICIPLES. 137. English Verbs have two Participles, that is, forms participating in properties of the Verb and the Adjective. The form called the Present Participle always ends in ing; thus As a Verb, this Participle can be followed by an Objective Case : I found him buying corn. As an Adjective, this Participle can limit a Noun :— He is a loving father. NOTE. A few Verbs, ending with e single, keep e in the Participle; as, dye, dyeing; singe, singeing. Thus we distinguish dyeing from dying, singeing from singing, swingeing from swinging. 138. The form called the Past Participle is, in Weak Verbs, usually the same as the Past tense of the Indicative; thus 139. In Strong Verbs the form varies, for sometimes it keeps the Old English ending en, as eaten, broken; sometimes the e is omitted, as sworn; sometimes en is dropped, as drunk; and sometimes it ends in d or t, and has the same form as the Past Indicative, as stood, fought. VERBAL FORMS ENDING IN ING. 140. We have four distinct forms in ing formed from Verbal Stems, all of which are in constant use, called— 1. The Gerund (from a Latin word meaning a carrying on of an action or state), as knowing, hearing, reading. It is chiefly used like a Noun after a Preposition, such as of, for, with, in, and I had no opportunity of knowing him. I spent the evening in playing chess. I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word. O, who can hold a fire in his hand By thinking on the frosty Caucasus?-Rich. 2.; 1, 3, 294. 2. The Participle, which differs from the Gerund in that it may be used as an Adjective agreeing in Case with a Noun or Pronoun : He has a charming sister. I found him playing chess. 3. The Verbal Noun, which is not capable of governing an Objective Case, and can take a plural; as I heard the raging of the storm. This dangerous treason, lurking in our way, I'll have no speaking: I will have my bond.-Merch. 3, 3, 17. 4. The Infinitive : 'Tis better playing with a lion's whelp Than with an old one dying.-Ant. 3, 13, 94. Writing is become one of my principal amusements. Cowper. |