Plain English Part 20

DOING DOUBLE WORK

+113.+ We have found now three forms of the verb, the _simple form_, the _s-form_, and the _past time form_, and, in addition, the _I-form_, or the first person form of the verb _be_. There are no other real verb forms, but there are two other changes made in the form of the verb when it ceases to be used as the predicate, the a.s.serting word of the sentence, and becomes, in part, another part of speech.

Notice in the following sentences:

Making shoes is his work.

He enjoys making shoes.

In each of these sentences the word _making_, from the verb _make_, is used as a noun. In the first, _Making shoes is his work_, _making_ is used as the subject of the sentence. In the second, _He enjoys making shoes_, _making_ is used as the object of the verb _enjoys_. But _making_ is not like the ordinary noun, for it has an object _making_--_what?_--_making shoes_. _Shoes_ is the object of the action expressed in _making_. A noun never takes an object; so while the word _making_ is used as a noun, it is also partly a verb. It is a form of the verb used as a noun, but keeping in part its verb nature, partaking of the nature of two parts of speech at the same time.

Hence these forms of the verb are called _participles_. Participle means _partaker_.

The participle may also be used as an adjective. Notice the following:

The _crying_ child came toward us.

The _rescuing_ party arrived.

In these sentences _crying_ and _rescuing_ are formed from the verbs _cry_ and _rescue_, and are used as adjectives to describe the noun _child_ and the noun _party_. So a participle is a mixed part of speech.

It is partially a verb, but is not a true verb. A true verb is always used as the predicate, the a.s.serting word in the sentence and _always_ has a subject. The participle _never_ has a subject; it may have an object, but not a subject.

+114.+ There are two forms of the participle. The active form or the present form as it is sometimes called, ends in _ing_, as, _waiting_, _walking_, _saying_. It expresses action, existence, or possession as going on at the time mentioned in the sentence.

+115.+ The other form of the participle is the pa.s.sive form or the past form of the participle. This ends in _ed_ in the regular verbs, and has various forms in the irregular verbs. It is formed in regular verbs by adding _d_ or _ed_ to the simple form, hence has the same form as the past time form, as for example, present time form, _call_--past time form, _called_--past participle, _called_. You will find the past participle forms of irregular verbs in the list of irregular verbs given in this lesson, as for example--present time form, _go_--past time form, _went_--past participle, _gone_.

+116.+ You will find as we study the verb phrases in later lessons that these participles are used in forming verb phrases. As for example:

He is coming.

They are trying.

He has gone.

+A participle is a word derived from a verb, partaking of the nature of a verb and also of an adjective or a noun.+

LET US SUM UP

+117.+ +Verbs have five form changes.+

Simple S-Form Past Time Present Part. Past Part.

call calls called calling called

go goes went going gone

Exercise 3

Write in columns like the above the five forms of the following verbs:

do try give hope live rob have think sing get wave lose come make

Exercise 4

Study carefully the following quotation. You will find in it all five of the form changes of the verb--_the present time form_, _the s-form_, _the past time form_, _the present participle_ and _the past participle_. In the verb phrases _had been filled_, _has survived_, _has gone_, _has proved_ and _be dismayed_, you will find the past participle used in forming the verb phrase. We will study these verb phrases in later lessons.

In the verb phrases, _was stumbling_, _was groping_, _is conquering_, _are carrying_, the present participle is used in forming the verb phrases. _Could reconcile_ is also a verb phrase. We will study these verb phrases also in later lessons.

The present participles, _struggling_, _persevering_ and _regaining_ are used as adjectives. Study them carefully and find the words which they describe. The present participles _imagining_, _learning_ and _suffering_ are used as nouns. Note their use.

The past participles _rebuffed_, _self-reproached_, _discouraged_ and _promised_ are used as adjectives. Find the words which they modify.

There are several _present time forms_, several _past time forms_, and several _s-forms_. Find them and study carefully their usage.

OUT OF THE DARK

_By Helen Keller_

_America's famous blind girl, who has come to see more than most people with normal eyes._

Step by step my investigation of blindness _led_ me into the industrial world. And what a world it _is_. I _faced_ unflinchingly a world of facts--a world of misery and degradation, of blindness, crookedness, and sin, a world _struggling_ against the elements, against the unknown, against itself. How _could_ I _reconcile_ this world of fact with the bright world of my _imagining_? My darkness _had been filled_ with the light of intelligence, and, _behold_, the outer day-lit world _was stumbling_, _was groping_ in social blindness. At first, I _was_ most unhappy, but deeper study _restored_ my confidence. By _learning_ the _suffering_ and burdens of men, I _became_ aware as never before of the life-power which _has survived_ the forces of darkness--the power which, though never completely victorious, _is_ continuously _conquering_. The very fact that we _are_ still carrying on the contest against the hosts of annihilation _proves_ that on the whole the battle _has gone_ for humanity. The world's great heart _has proved_ equal to the prodigious undertaking which G.o.d _set_ it. _Rebuffed_, but always _persevering_; _self-reproached_, but ever _regaining_ faith; undaunted, tenacious, the heart of man _labors_ towards immeasurably distant goals.

_Discouraged_ not by difficulties without, or the anguish of ages within, the heart _listens_ to a secret voice that _whispers_: "_Be_ not _dismayed_; in the future _lies_ the _Promised_ Land."

List of Irregular Verbs

Here is a list of the princ.i.p.al irregular verbs--the present and past time forms and the past participle are called the princ.i.p.al parts of a verb.

(Those marked with an _r_ have also the regular form.)

+Present T.+ +Past T.+ +Past Part.+

abide abode abode arise arose arisen awake awoke, _r_ awaked be or am was been bear bore borne beat beat beaten begin began begun bend bent, _r_ bent, _r_ bereave bereft, _r_ bereft, _r_ beseech besought besought bet bet bet bid bid or bade bid (den) bind bound bound bite bit bit (ten) bleed bled bled blow blew blown break broke broken breed bred bred bring brought brought build built, _r_ built, _r_ burn burnt, _r_ burnt, _r_ burst burst burst buy bought bought cast cast cast catch caught caught chide chid chid (den) choose chose chosen cling clung clung clothe clad, _r_ clad, _r_ come came come cost cost cost creep crept crept cut cut cut deal dealt, _r_ dealt, _r_ dig dug, _r_ dug, _r_ do did done draw drew drawn dream dreamt, _r_ dreamt, _r_ drink drank drunk drive drove driven dwell dwelt, _r_ dwelt, _r_ eat ate eaten fall fell fallen feed fed fed feel felt felt fight fought fought find found found flee fled fled fling flung flung fly flew flown forget forgot forgotten forgive forgave forgiven forsake forsook forsaken get got got (ten) give gave given go went gone grind ground ground grow grew grown hang hung, _r_ hung, _r_ have had had hear heard heard hew hewed hewn, _r_ hide hid hidden hit hit hit hold held held hurt hurt hurt keep kept kept kneel knelt, _r_ knelt, _r_ knit knit, _r_ knit, _r_ know knew known lay laid laid lead led led leave left left lend lent lent let let let lie lay lain light lit, _r_ lit, _r_ lose lost lost make made made mean meant meant meet met met mistake mistook mistaken mow mowed mown, _r_ pay paid paid plead pled, _r_ pled, _r_ put put put quit quit, _r_ quit, _r_ read read read rend rent rent rid rid rid ride rode ridden ring rang rung rise rose risen run ran run saw sawed sawn, _r_ say said said see saw seen seek sought sought sell sold sold send sent sent set set set shake shook shaken shape shaped shapen, _r_ shave shaved shaven, _r_ shear sheared shorn, _r_ shed shed shed shine shone, _r_ shone, _r_ shoe shod shod shoot shot shot show showed shown, _r_ shrink shrank shrunk (en) shut shut shut sing sang sung sink sank sunk sit sat sat slay slew slain sleep slept slept slide slid slid (en) sling slung slung slink slunk slunk slit slit slit smite smote smitten sow sowed sown, _r_ speak spoke spoken speed sped sped spend spent spent spill spilt, _r_ spilt, _r_ spin spun spun spit spit spit split split split spoil spoilt, _r_ spoilt, _r_ spread spread spread spring sprang sprung stand stood stood stave stove, _r_ stove, _r_ steal stole stolen stick stuck stuck sting stung stung stink stunk stunk strike struck struck strike struck stricken stride strode stridden string strung strung strive strove striven strew strewed strewn, _r_ swear sworn sworn sweat sweat, _r_ sweat, _r_ sweep swept swept swell swelled swollen, _r_ swim swam swum swing swung swung take took taken teach taught taught tear tore torn tell told told think thought thought throw threw thrown thrust thrust thrust tread trod trod (den) wake woke, _r_ woke, _r_ wear wore worn weave wove woven wed wed, _r_ wed, _r_ weep wept wept wet wet, _r_ wet, _r_ whet whet, _r_ whet, _r_ win won won wind wound wound work wrought, _r_ wrought, _r_ wring wrung wrung write wrote written

SPELLING

LESSON 6

Every vowel or every vowel combination p.r.o.nounced as one vowel sound indicates a syllable (excepting final _e_ in such words as _fate_, _late_, _rode_, etc.) Take the word _combination_, for example. In this word we have four syllables, thus: _Com-bi-na-tion_.

+A syllable is that part of a word which can be uttered distinctly by a single effort of the voice.+ Remember that each syllable must contain a vowel or a vowel combination like _oi_ or _ou_, which is p.r.o.nounced as one vowel. Sometimes the vowel alone makes the syllable as in _a-lone_, _e-qual_, etc. The final _e_ in words like _late_, and _fate_ is not sounded. It is silent, we say.

All words ending in silent _e_ have the long vowel sound, with a very few exceptions. Words without the final _e_ have the short vowel sound as for example: _fate_, _fat_; _mate_, _mat_; _hide_, _hid_; _rode_, _rod_.

In dividing words into syllables the consonant is written with the preceding vowel when that vowel is short. If the vowel is long the consonant is written with the next syllable, as for example, de-fine and def-i-ni-tion. In de-fine the _e_ is long therefore _f_, the consonant following, is written with the next syllable, _fine_. In def-i-ni-tion the _e_ has the short sound, therefore the _f_ is written with the _e_ in the syllable, _def_.