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, 2. Thou mayst or canst love. 2. Ye or you may or can love. 3. He may or can love. SINGULAR. 3. They may or can love. IMPERFECT TENSE. PLURAL. 1. I might, could, would, or 1. We might, could, would, should love. or should love. 2. Thou mightst, couldst, 2. Ye or you might, could, wouldst, or shouldst love. would, or should love. 3. He might, could, would, 3. They might, could, would, or should love. or should love. 1. I may or can have loved. 1. We may or can have loved. 2. Thou mayst or canst have 2. Ye or you may or can have loved. loved. 3. He may or can have loved. 3. They mayorcan have loved. SINCULAR. PLUPERFECT TENSE. PLURAL. 1. I might, could, would, or 1. We might, could, would, should have loved. or should have loved. 2. Thou mightst, couldst, 2. Ye or you might, could, wouldst, or shouldst have would, or should have loved. loved. 3. He might, could, would, 3. They might, could, would, or should have loved. or should have loved. The remaining tenses of this mood, are, in general, similar to the correspondent tenses of the indicative mood. See page 90, and page 103. 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. Infinitive Mood. PRESENT. To love. PERFECT. To have loved. PARTICIPLES. PRESENT. Loving. PERFECT. 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 *." 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? 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 authority, and that of the most correct and elegant writers, in limiting the conjunctive termination of the principal verb, to the second and third persons singular of the present tense. Grammarians have not only differed in opinion, respecting the extent and variations of the subjunctive mood; but a few of them have even doubted the existence of such a mood in the English language. These writers assert, that the verb has no variation from the indicative; and that a conjunction added to the verb, gives it no title to become a distinct mood; or, at most, no better than it would have, if any other particle were joined to it. To these observations it may be replied; 1st. It is evident, on inspection, that, in the subjunctive mood, the present tense of the principal verbs, the present and imperfect tenses of the verb to be, and the second and third persons, in both numbers, of the second future tense of all verbs *; require a variation from the forms which those tenses have in the indicative mood. So much difference in the form of the verb, would warrant a correspondent distinction of mood, though the remaining parts of the subjunctive were, in all respects, similar to those of the indicative. * We think it has been proved, that the auxiliary is a constituent part of the verb to which it relates: that the principal and its auxiliary form but one verb. In other languages, a principle of this nature has been admitted, both in the conjugation of verbs, and the declension of nouns. 2d. There appears to be as much propriety, in giving a conjunction the power of assisting to form the subjunctive mood, as there is in allowing the particle to to have an effect in the formation of the infinitive mood *. 3d. A conjunction added to the verb, shows the manner of being, doing, or suffering, which other particles cannot show: they do not coalesce with the verb, and modify it, as conjunctions 'do. 4th. It may be said, "If contingency constitutes the subjunctive mood, then it is the sense of a phrase, and not a conjunction, that determines this mood." But a little reflection will show, that the contingent sense lies in the meaning and force of the conjunction, expressed or understood. This subject may be farther illustrated, by the following observations.-Moods have a foundation in nature. They show what is certain; what is possible; what is conditional; what is commanded. They express also other conceptions and volitions; all signifying the manner of being, doing, or suffering. But as it would tend to obscure, rather than elucidate the subject, if the moods were particularly enumerated, grammarians have very properly given them such combinations and arrangements, as serve to explain the nature of this part of language, and to render the knowledge of it easily attainable. The grammars of some languages contain a greater number of the moods, than others, and exhibit them in different forms. The Greek and Roman tongues denote them, by particular variations in the verb itself. This form, however, was the effect of ingenuity and improvement: it is not essential to the nature of the subject. The moods may be as effectually designated by a plurality of words, as by a change in the appearance of a single word; because the same ideas are denoted, and the same ends accomplished, by either manner of expression. * Conjunctions have an influence on the mood of the following verb. Dr. Beattie. Conjunctions have sometimes a government of moods. Br. Lowth On this ground, the moods of the English verb, as well as the tenses, are, with great propriety, formed partly by the principal verb itself, and partly by the assistance which that verb derives from other words. For further observations, relative to the views and sentiments here advanced, see pages 78–80. 84–86. 108-111. 201–203. PASSIVE. VERBS Passive are called regular, when they form their perfect participle by the addition of d or ed, to the verb: as, from the verb "To love," is formed the passive, "I am loved, I was loved, I shall be loved," &c. A passive verb is conjugated by adding the perfect participle to the auxiliary to be, through all its changes of number, person, mood, and tense, in the following manner. 1. I have been loved. 2. Thou hast been loved.. PLURAL 1. We have been loved. 2. Ye or you have been loved. 3. He hath or has been loved. 3. They have been loved. |