form of the verb than as a tense, since it is not made by any change of termination in the root. But in order to express more accurately the various shades and differences of time, other tenses have been introduced, called compound tenses; consisting of the tenses of auxiliary verbs joined with the root, or a participle of the verb that expresses the action, or attributes the property. Thus, verbs are said to have six tenses; namely, the Present, the Imperfect, the Perfect, the Pluperfect, the first Future, and the second Future. The present tense, as its name implies, expresses the actual immediate existence of some object, or the taking place of some action or event, at the very instant when the mention of it is made. It may be considered as one indivisible point, susceptible of no variety: as, I read; or, I am reading. The imperfect tense represents an action as left unfinished; or as past, without determining the exact time when it was performed. Thus, "I was reading when you interrupted me;" "I respected him for his honesty and benevolence;""he finished his task." The perfect tense represents an action as just, or lately, finished, or as having taken place in the course of a period which reaches to, or which includes, the present time: as, "I have written the letter you desired me to write;" "I have read the book your father recommended." NOTE. When the particular time of any event or action's taking place is specified as antecedent to the present, then this tense is not used. It would be improper to say, "I have read the book yesterday;" "I have written the letter last month;" but in such cases, the imperfect must be used: as, “I read the book yesterday;" "I wrote the letter last month." When a past event, or action, is mentioned indefinitely, as having taken place, or as not having taken place, in the day, month, or year, or age, in which it is mentioned, the perfect is then employed: as, "I have been at the bishop's house this afternoon;" "I have not been often on the water this year." Yet in referring to the portion of the day that is past, before the affirmation is made, it is right to use the imperfect : as, "Their mother returned this morning;" ."" the ship entered the port this afternoon." The pluperfect, or plusquamperfect, that is, the more than perfect, tense, represents an action as completed, before some other past action or event: as, "I had read the book before he recommended it to me;" "I had written that letter before I received intimation of the transaction." The first future tense is simple and indefinite; denoting an action yet to come, without specifying the time when it will come: as, " He will know better;" "I shall read the book some time or other." The second future relates to some other future action; affirming that some particular event will take place before that will come to G 3 pass: as, "I shall have read the book before my tutor questions me on the subject;" "I shall have written before he is gone." SECT. 5. The conjugation of a verb is the regular combination and arrangement of its variations, occasioned by number, person, mood, and tense. NOTE. Conjugation, says Dr. Blair, is esteemed most perfect in those languages which, by varying either the termination, or the initial syllable of the verb, express the greatest number of important circumstances, without the help of auxiliary words. In the Oriental tongues, the verbs are said to have few tenses, or expressions of time; but then, their moods are so contrived, as to express a great variety of circumstances and relations. In the Hebrew, for instance, one word, without the aid of any auxiliary, expresses not only, I have taught; but, I have taught exactly, or often; I have been commanded to teach; I have taught myself. The Greek, which is the most perfect of all the known languages, is very regular and complete in all the tenses and moods. The Latin is formed on the same model, but more imperfect; especially in the passive voice, which forms most of the tenses by the help of the auxiliary, Esse, to Be, In all the modern European tongues, conjugation is very defective. They admit few varieties in the termination of the verb itself; but have almost constant recourse to their auxiliary verbs, throughout all the moods and tenses, both active and passive. The conjugation of an active verb, is called the ACTIVE VOICE. The conjugation of a passive verb, is styled the PASSIVE VOICE. |