152. Active-intransitive verbs. Q. What, then, is an active-intransitive verb ? 153. An active-intransitive verb is one that expresscs action, but will not take an object after it. Q. When I say, "He eats it," "He beats him," we immediately determine that beats and eats are active-transitive verbs, by the objects after them how, then, may transitive and intransitive verbs be distinguished? 154. When we can place him or it after any active verb, and make sense, it is transitive; otherwise, it is intransitive. Q. "James remains at home-sleeps at home-is at home." Which words are the verbs here? 155. Remains, sleeps, and is. Q. These verbs do not imply action, like strikes, beats, &c.: what do they imply? 156. Existence, rest, or being, in a certain state. Q. These verbs, and others of similar character, have been called neuter (signifying neither) by grammarians, because they are neither active nor passive. On a future occasion, I will make you fully acquainted with a passive verb. It is sufficient for our present purpose, that you perceive the reason of the name of the neuter verb. What is a neuter verb? 157. A neuter verb is one that simply implies being or existence in a certain state. Q. Will you inform me now, in general terms, what is a correct defini tion of a verb ? 158. A verb is a word which signifies ACTION or BEING. Q. When I say, "I strike," in what number and person is strike, and why? 159. Strike is of the first person singular, because its agent, I, is of this person and number. Q. Hence you may perceive, that verbs, in themselves considered, do not have person and number: why, then, are they said to have these properties at all? 160. On account of the connection which they have with their agents or nominatives. Q. We say, "I write," and "He writes;" hence you perceive that the ending of the verb varies, as its agent or nominative varies: what, then, will be the rule for the nominative case? RULE VI. The nominative case governs the verb in number and person. Q. If the nominative case governs the verb in number and person, in what respect must the verb agree with its nominative case? RULE VII. A verb must agree with its nominative case in number and person. Q. When I say, "James beats hini," the pronoun him is the object of the action denoted by beats, and is, therefore, in the objective case: what, then, will be a good rule for the objective case after active verbs? RULE VIII. Active-transitive verbs govern the objective case. Q. I will now give you the different endings of the verb love, in its different numbers and persons. Will you repeat them? Singular. 161. First person, love. 162. Singular. 1 Pers. I am. 2 Pers. You are. 3 Pers. He is. First person, Plural. Second person, You love. of am? Plural. 1 Pers. We are. 2 Pers. You are. Q. Will you repeat, in the same manner, the variations of hate? desire? read? EXERCISES IN PARSING. Ï study my lesson." -FIRST 163. I is a PRONCUN, a word used instead of a noun-PERSONAL; it always denotes the same person, (the first) PERSON; it denotes the speaker SINGULAR NUMBER; it means but one "Nom. I"-made in the NOMINATIVE CASE to study, according to RULE VI. The nominative case governs the verb in number and person. Study is a VERB; it expresses action TRANSITIVE; it admits an object after it-"1 Pers. I study"-made in the FIRST PERSON- SINGULAR NUMBER, because its nominative 1 is, with which it agrees, agreeably to RULE VII. A verb must agree with its nominative case in number and person. My is a PRONOUN, a word used for a noun— PERSONAL; it always represents the same person FIRST PERSON; it repre sents the person speaking - "Nom. I; Poss. my, or mine"- and governed by the noun made in the POSSESSIVE CASE lesson, according to RULE I. The possessive case is governed by the following поип. Lesson is a NOUN-COMMON ; it is a general name-NEUTER GENDER; it is neither male nor female THIRD PERSON; it is spoken of SINGULAR NUMBER; it means but one-and in the OBJECTIVE CASE; it is the object of the verb study, and governed by it, according to RULE VIII. Active-transitive verbs govern the objective case. EXERCISES IN PARSING CONTINUED. His is a PRONOUN, a word used instead of a noun - PER. SONAL; it uniformly stands for the same person- MASCULINE GENDER, THIRD PERSON, SINGULAR NUMBER, because the noun John is, with which it agrees, agreeably to RULE V. Pronouns must agree with the nouns for which they stand, in gender, number, and person. "Nom. he; Poss. his"-made in the POSSESSIVE CASE and governed by the noun book, according to RULE I. The possessive case is governed by the following поип. 66 The remaining words, book, reads, and John, are parsed as before. EXERCISES IN PARSING CONTINUED. 'Mary studies her lesson." "The girls love their books." 3. "Virtue rewards its followers." parents." "The intemperate man loves his dram.' In parsing personal pronouns, we do not apply Rule V. unless the nouns for which they stand are expressed. XI. INDICATIVE MOOD-TENSE. Q. When James says, "I will learn," he evidently means, by his manner of speaking, to express his intention to learn; but when he says, “I can learn," what does he mean? (1.) Is is a VERB; it implies being-NEUTER; it is neither active nor pas. sive, but expresses being, merely 1 pers. I am ; 2 pers. You are; 3 pers. He, or William is"-made in the THIRD PERSON, SINGULAR, because William, its nominative, is, and agrees with William, according to RULE VII. A verb must agree with its nominative case in number and person. (2.) Discreet belongs to William, by Rule IV. 165. That he has the ability to learn. Q. What does the word mood mean? 166. Mood means manner. Q. What, then, does the mood of verbs denote ? 167. The different manner of representing actions. Q. What does the word indicative mean? 168. Declaring or showing. Q. When I say, "William has studied," I declare some fact: in wnst mood, then, shall we class has studied? 169. In the indicative mood. Q. When I say, "Has William studied?" the only difference between this phrase and the foregoing consists in a change in the order of the words, so as to show that a question is asked: in what mood, then, shall we call has William studied? 170. Indicative mood. Q. What, then, is the indicative mood used for? 171. The indicative mood is used for asserting, indicating or declaring a thing, or asking a question. Q. In what mood is, They do sing ?" Why? (171.) Q. What does the word tense mean? 172. Tense means time. Q. What does present mean? 173. Present means now. Q. When I say, The bird sings," I mean that the bird sings now: in what tense, then, is sings? 174. In the present tense. Q. What, then, is the present tense used for? 175. The present tense is used to express what is now taking place. Q. In what tense is, "The dog runs ?" Why? (175.) Q. "James wrote.' "" "James has written." These phrases denote what is past: in what tense are they? 176. In the past tense. Q. What does the word future mean; as, "At some future time?" 177. Future means yet to come. 99 66 Q. In what tense are the phrases, "I will come,' "I shall have come ?" 178. In the future tense. Q. How many grand divisions of time do there appear to be, and what are they? 179. Three-the present, past, and future. Q. When I say, finished? 180. It is. "John wrote," is the action here spoken of past and Q. What does imperfect mean? 181. Unfinished, or incomplete. Q. "John was writing when I saw him." This denotes an action anfinished in past time, and corresponds with what is usually denominated in Latin the imperfect tense: hence the origin of the name selected by English grammarians to denote action past and finished; a term not all significant of in action finished in past time: what, then, does the imperfect tense express? 182. The imperfect tense expresses what took place in past time, however distant. Q. "Peter wrote yesterday, and has written to-day." Here both acts of writing are past and finished; but which has more immediate reference to the present time? 183. Has written. Q. To distinguish this tense from the imperfect, grammarians have called it the perfect tense: what, then, will the perfect tense express? 184. The perfect tense expresses what has taken place, and also conveys an allusion to the present time. Q. "James had read before I wrote." Here, both arts are past and finished; but which took place first? 185. The act of reading. Q. What does the word pluperfect mean? 186. More than the perfect. Q. What tense, then, shall we call, "James had read?" 187. The pluperfect tense. Q. What, then, does the pluperfect tense express? 188. The pluperfect tense expresses what had taken place at or before some past time mentioned. Q. "John will come." This, you know, was called the future tense : can you tell me why? 189. Because it implies time to come. Q. What, then, does the future tense express? 190. The future tense expresses what will take place hereafter. Q. "I shall have learned my lesson by noon." Here, an action is to take place at a future time specified or mentioned; and since we already have one future tense, we will call that the first, and this the second future tense what, then, will the second future tense express? 191. The second future expresses what will have taken place at or before some future time mentioned. Q. What does synopsis mean? 192. A concise and general view. Q. I will now present you with a synopsis of all the different tenses illustrated by the verb learn: will you repeat it? 193. Pres. tense, Imp. tense, Perf. tense, Plup. tense, SYNOPSIS. I learn, or do learn. I learned, or did learn. I have learned. I had learned. 1st Fut. tense, I shall or will learn. 2d Fut. tense, I shall have learned. You shall next have the different variations of the foregoing verb, in each tense of the indicative mood: these I wish you to study very carefully, that you may be able to answer the questions which will then be asked you |