Higher Lessons in English Part 74

SUBJUNCTIVE MODE.

PBESENT TENSE.

_Singular. Plural._ 1. (If I) may have been ----, 1. (If we) may have been ----, 2. (If you) may have been ---- _or_ 2. (If you) may have been ----, (If thou) mayst have been ----, 3. (If he) may have been ----; 3. (If they) may have been ----.

PAST TENSE.

_Singular._ 1. (If I) were -----, 2. (If you) were ----, _or_ (If thou) wert ----, 3. (If he) were ----;

IMPERATIVE MODE.

PRESENT TENSE.

_Singular. Plural._ 2. Be (you or thou) ----; 2. Be (you or ye) ----.

INFINITIVES.

PRESENT TENSE. PRESENT PERFECT TENSE.

(To) be ----. (To) have been ----.

PARTICIPLES.

PRESENT. PAST. PAST PERFECT.

Being ----. Been. Having been ----.

LESSON 136.

FORMS OF THE VERB--CONTINUED.

CONJUGATION--PROGRESSIVE AND Pa.s.sIVE FORMS.

A verb is conjugated in the +progressive form+ by joining its present participle to the different forms of the verb _be_.

A transitive verb is conjugated in the +pa.s.sive voice+ by joining its past participle to the different forms of the verb _be_.

+Remark+.--The progressive form denotes a continuance of the action or being; as, The birds _are singing_.

Verbs that in their simple form denote continuance--such as _love_, _respect_, _know_--should not be conjugated in the progressive form. We say, I _love_ the child--not I _am loving_ the child.

+Remarks+.--The progressive form is sometimes used with a pa.s.sive meaning; as, The house _is building_. In such cases the word in _ing_ was once a verbal noun preceded by the preposition _a_, a contraction from _on_ or _in_; as, While the ark _was a preparing_; While the flesh _was in seething_. In modern language the preposition is dropped, and the word in _ing_ is treated adjectively.

Another pa.s.sive progressive form, consisting of the verb _be_ completed by the present pa.s.sive participle, has recently appeared in our language--The house _is being built_, or _was being built_. Although condemned by many linguists as awkward and otherwise objectionable, it has grown rapidly into good use, especially in England, Such a form seems to be needed when the simpler form would be ambiguous, _i.e._, when its subject might be taken to name either the actor or the receiver; as, The child _is whipping_; The prisoner _is trying_. Introduced only to prevent ambiguity, the so-called neologism has pushed its way, and is found where the old form would not be ambiguous. As now used, the new form stands to the old in about the ratio of three to one.

+Direction+.--_Conjugate the verb choose in the progressive form by filling all the blanks left after the different forms of the verb be, in the preceding Lesson, with the present participle choosing; and then in the pa.s.sive form by filling these blanks with the past participle chosen_.

Notice that after the past participle of the verb _be_ no blank is left.

The past participle of the pa.s.sive is not formed by the aid of _be_; it is never compound. The past participle of a transitive verb is always pa.s.sive except in such forms as _have chosen, had chosen_. (See _have written_, Lesson 138.) In the progressive, the past participle is wanting. All the participles of the verb _choose_ are arranged in order below.

_Present. Past. Past Perfect_.

_Simplest form_. Choosing, chosen, having chosen.

_Progressive form_. Being choosing,* ------, having been choosing.

_Pa.s.sive form_. Being chosen, chosen, having been chosen.

[Footnote *: This form is not commonly used.]

+Direction+.--_Write and arrange as above all the participles of the verbs break, drive, read, lift_.

TO THE TEACHER.--Select other verbs, and require the pupils to conjugate them in the progressive and in the pa.s.sive form. Require them to give synopses of all the forms. Require them in some of their synopses to use _it_ or some noun for the subject in the third person.

LESSON 137.

CONJUGATION--CONTINUED.

INTERROGATIVE AND NEGATIVE FORMS.

A verb may be conjugated +interrogatively+ in the indicative and potential modes by placing the subject after the first auxiliary; as, _Does he sing?_

A verb may be conjugated +negatively+ by placing _not_ after the first auxiliary; as, He _does not sing_. _Not_ is placed before the infinitive and the participles; as, _not to sing, not singing_.

A question with negation is expressed in the indicative and potential modes by placing the subject and _not_ after the first auxiliary; as, _Does he not sing?_

+Remark+.--Formerly, it was common to use the simple form of the present and past tenses interrogatively and negatively thus: _Loves he? I know not_. Such forms are still common in poetry, but in prose they are now scarcely used. We say, _Does he love?_ _I do not know_. The verbs _be_ and _have_ are exceptions, as they do not take the auxiliary _do_. We say, _Is it right? Have you another?_

+Direction+.--_Write a synopsis in the third person, singular, of the verb walk conjugated_ (1) _interrogatively_, (2) _negatively, and _(3) _so as to express a question with negation. Remember that the indicative and the potential are the only modes that can be used interrogatively._

To THE TEACHER.--Select other verbs, and require the pupils to conjugate them negatively and interrogatively in the progressive and in the pa.s.sive form. Require the pupils to give synopses of all the forms.

LESSON 138.

MODE AND TENSE FORMS.

COMPOUND FORMS--a.n.a.lYSIS.

The +compound+, or +periphrastic, forms+ of the verb consisting of two words may each be resolved into an +a.s.serting word and a participle+ or an +infinitive+.

If we look at the original meaning of the forms +I do write, I shall write, I will write+, we shall find that the so-called auxiliary is the real verb, and that _write_ is an infinitive used as object complement. +I do write = I do+ or +perform+ the action (_to_) write. +I shall write = I owe+ (_to_) +write. I will write = I determine+ (_to_) +write+.

+May write, can write, must write, might write, could write, would write+, and +should write+ may each be resolved into an a.s.serting word and an infinitive.

The forms +is writing, was written+, etc. consist each of an a.s.serting word (the verb _be_), and a participle used as attribute complement.

The forms +have written+ and +had written+ are so far removed from their original meaning that their a.n.a.lysis cannot be made to correspond with their history. They originated from such expressions as _I have a letter written_, in which _have_ ( = _possess_) is a transitive verb taking _letter_ for its object complement, and _written_ is a pa.s.sive participle modifying _letter_. The idea of possession has faded out of _have_, and the participle has lost its pa.s.sive meaning. The use of this form has been extended to intransitive verbs--Spring _has come_, Birds _have flown_, etc.