governing verb: thus, for example, verbs of commanding and of promising can never govern their regimen in the perfect or pluperfect of the subjunctive; because an order or a promise must necessarily precede its performance. N. B. If the governing verb implies promise or assurance, the termination ria is the only one that can be used. See page 211, No. 8. N. B. ON THE GERUND. RULE 134. The English participle present is construed by the gerund in Spanish; as The news being certain, I am writing, I met them reading, Siendo ciertas las noticias, Estoy escribiendo. Paseando, or estando paseando. Los encontré leyendo. Note a. When the present participle expresses some circumstance referring to the objective case of the verbs to see, or to hear, it is construed with the present infinitive; as, I hear her singing, la oygo cantar; I never saw that play acting, or being acted, nunca ví representar esa comedia. Note b.-The participle of the verbs to go, or to come, being preceded in English by any tense of the auxiliary to be, is resolved in Spanish into the tense in which the auxiliary verb is; as, she is coming, ella viene; we were going, ibamos. RULE 135. Gerunds admit the same preposition before their regimen as the verbs from which they are derived; as Arrepintiendose de sus culpas, Repenting his crimes. No atreviendose á salir, Not daring to go out. Riñendo con todos, Quarrelling with all. RULE 136. The present participle, when used in English as a verbal noun, is resolved into the present of the infinitive in Spanish; as The pleasure of speaking El gusto de hablarle. to him, Without seeing her, He went a walking, Sin verla. El se fué á pasear. Note a.-If the English participle follow the preposition by, we may use either the gerund, or the infinitive preceded by con; as, the memory is increased by exercising it, la memoria se aumenta exercitándola, or con exercitarla. Note b.-When the participle is used in English as a verbal noun, and there is a substantive of the same import in Spanish, this substantive should be preferred to the infinitive; as, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, el temor de Dios es el principio de la sabiduria; his going is the cause of my coming, su ída es la causa de mi venida. COMPOUND OF THE GERUND, What has been said in the three foregoing rules, and in the first note of the third rule, is also applicable to the compound of the gerund; as, having written, habiendo escrito; having repented his crimes, habiendose arrepentido de sus delitos; the pleasure of having spoken to him, el gusto de haberle hablado; by having represented, habiendo representado, or con haber representado. N. B. Instead of the compound, the simple gerund preceded by the preposition en is elegantly used; as, en diciendo esto se fué, or habiendo dicho esto se fué, having said this he went away. Observation. As the gerund is sometimes liable to occasion much ambiguity in a sentence, it is better in such instances to resolve it into a corresponding tense of the same verb, as, we met her coming from home, la encontramos viniendo de casa. In this sentence neither the English participle nor the Spanish gerund denotes sufficiently who was coming from home; it is therefore preferable to express it thus, la encontramos quando venia de casa, that is, we met her as she was coming from home; or quando veníamos de casa, as we were coming from home. ON THE PARTICIPLE. RULE 137. The participle is indeclinable when it is employed to form the compound tenses of any verb; as Mi padre habia venido, Tu hermana habia escrito, Ellos han comprado la casa, My father had come. They have bought the house. N. B. The participle ought to be generally close to the auxiliary haber. RULE 138. When the participle is not preceded by the auxiliary haber, it assumes all the properties of a verbal adjective, and is consequently declinable; as Los hombres serán premiados, Ella ha estado muy divertida, Las hazañas celebradas del exército vencido, Ella parece afligida, The men will be rewarded. She has been very much amused. The extolled exploits of the conquered army. She seems afflicted. Note a. The verb tener sometimes governs the participle as its objective case, and then the participle admits of no variation; as, tengo escrito á mi madre, I have written to my mother; tengo, hablado sobre el asunto, I have spoken on the subject: but when there is a noun or pronoun in the sentence governed by tener, the participle becomes an adjective and agrees with it; as, tengo escrito un pliego entero, I have written a whole sheet; tengo escritas tres cartas, I have written three letters. N. B. In the choice of participles the regular one should be generally employed; as, ya la teníamos convencida, we had already convinced her. Note b. The participle is elegantly used as a case absolute, and then it generally precedes, and always agrees with, some noun which M is, or seems to be, independent and unconnected in the sentence; as, acabada la cena, nos fuimos á pasear, supper being over, we went a-walking; Tomada esta resolucion, me levanté, quando me pareció que Leonarda y Domingo podian ya estar dormidos, This resolution being taken, I arose, when it appeared to me that Leonarda and Domingo might already be asleep. (Gil Blas, ch. 6.) Hecho este juramento, que estaba bien resuelto á no quebrantar, me fui á buscar algun meson, This oath being taken, which I was well resolved not to break, I went to look for some inn. (Ibid. ch. 14.) Peculiar Properties of some Participles. The following participles are also used as verba adjectives having an active signification. Agradecido, Atrevido, thanked and thankful or grateful. unmentioned and silent or reserved. despaired and desperate or despairing. encouraged and courageous or resolute. feigned and hypocritical. read and learned. measured and unassuming. Callado, Cansado, Comedido, Desesperado, Disimulado, Entendido, Esforzado, Fingido, Leido, Medido, Mirado, Moderado, Ocasionado, Osado, the same as atrevido. Parado, Partido, Pausado, Porfiado, Preciado, Presumido, Recatado, Sabido, Sentido, Sufrido, Valido, stopped and inactive or idle. paused and quiet, tranquil, &c. contended and pertinacious or obstinate. presumed and presumptuous or arrogant. suffered and patient or forbearing. Transcendido, transcended and acute or keen. availed and mighty and confident. Examples. Yo estaba cansado de oirle, por que es muy cansado en la conversacion, I was tired of hearing him, because he is very tiresome in conversation; nosotros le habíamos callado la verdad, por que sabíamos que no era hombre callado, we had concealed the truth from him, because we knew that he was not a reserved man. N. B. To the foregoing participles may be added those of the verbs cenar, comer, and hablar, when preceded by the adverbs bien or mal; as, un hombre mal cenado, a man that has not supped well; una muger muy bien hablada, a very well-spoken woman. N. B. Participles when used as such, admit the same regimen as the verbs to which they belong; and when they are employed as adjectives they follow the rules which have been given for the government of adjectives; thus we say, hemos agradecido los beneficios, and somos agradecidos á los beneficios. ADVERBS. On the Manner of forming some Spanish Adverbs. Most of the adverbs which in English end in ly, are formed in Spanish by adding mente to adjectives; as, happily, felizmente; humbly, humildemente. N. B. If the Spanish adjective admit two terminations, the feminine must be selected for the forming of the adverb; as, santo, santa, santamente, holily; piadoso, piadosa, piadosamente, piously. RULE 139. When two or more adjectives are to be formed into adverbs to modify the same verb, the adverbial termination is added to the last adjective only; as Habla clara y concisa- He speaks clearly and concisely. mente, |