Distributive monstrative pronouns. Inflections. The so-called Distributive and Demonstrative and de- Pronouns, as each, every, this, etc., are really adjectives, and are used as such; besides, they have no inflections for case or number as pronouns proper have: Every man was killed; Either book will suit; Each link has been examined separately. They are very often used by themselves, the noun being understood. Every and each both refer to individuals of a class, the former collectively, the latter distinctively; as, "Each got his share, and every one Every. Verb. Voice. Active. was satisfied." "Since every man who lives, is born to die."-Dryden. VERBS. Actions expressed by verbs may be considered under a variety of conditions in reference to the person who performs them, and the time at which they occur. Inflections are necessary to express each of these relations; and as the verb has more of these relations than any other part of speech, it, of course, has more inflections. The inflections of the verb are those of Voice, Tense, Mood, Person, and Number. VOICE (vox, vocis voice, Lat.) Voice is an inflection of Verbs to show the relation of the action expressed by the verb to the subject of the sentence. There are two voices in English, the Active and the Passive. The Active voice (ago-to do, Lat.) shows that the action expressed by the verb is performed Active. by the subject; as, I spoke; They went away; Inflections. He will ring the bell; Landseer paints animals; The ministry resigned. = The Passive voice (patior to suffer, Lat.) Passive. shows that the action expressed by the verb is performed on the subject; as, Napoleon was defeated; I am beloved; They will be disappointed; The picture is finished; The bell has been rung. TENSE (tempus-time, Lat.) Tense is an inflection of verbs to show the Tense. time at which an action is performed or takes place. Time is naturally divided into three great divisions, Past, Present, and Future. And each of these three divisions may be subdivided into three subdivisions, Perfect or Past, Absolute, and Imperfect, according as (1.) The action may be performed at a past, present, or future moment, which is called the Absolute past, present, or future; as, I saw ; I see; and I shall see. (2.) Or before some given past, present, or future moment, which is called the Perfect past, present, or future; as, I had seen; I have seen; I shall have seen. (3.) Or at and continuing through some past, present, or future moment, which is called the Imperfect past, present, or future; as, I was writing; I am writing; I shall be writing. There are consequently nine Tenses in English, E Inflections three of past time, three of present, and three Tense. of future time; thus Presentabsolute. I write I am writing. Present-perfect. Present-absolute. Present-imperfect. I have written I shall have written I shall write The Present-absolute, besides denoting an action of the present time, is used in the following meanings: (1.) It expresses a repeated or habitual action; as, "The rainbow comes and goes, and lovely is the rose; The moon doth with delight Look round her when the heavens are bare."-WORDSWORTH. "And then, they say, no spirit dares walk abroad; The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike." Hamlet. (2.) It expresses general truths; as,— "Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting."-WORDSWORTH. "Our indiscretion sometimes serves us well, (3.) It is used for the sake of animation to express past actions; as,— "Roasted in wrath and fire, And thus o'ersized with coagulate gore, With eyes like carbuncles, the hellish Pyrrhus Pyrrhus at Priam drives; in rage strikes wide; (4.) It is used sometimes as absolute; as,— a Future "Duncan comes here to-night!"—Macbeth. We leave town next week. Inflections. Tense. absolute. The Past-absolute, besides denoting a mo- Pastmentary action in past time, is used to express a repeated and habitual action; as,— "She never told her love, But let concealment, like a worm in the bud, She sat, like patience on a monument, MOOD (modus manner, Lat.) Mood is an inflection of verbs to express the Mood. manner in which an action presents itself to the mind, either as an actual reality, a possibility, a command, or a general notion. There are four moods in English, the Indicative, the Imperative, the Subjunctive, and the Infinitive. The Indicative mood (indico to point out, Indicative. Lat.) either asserts or denies something; as, I write; I have written; I will be there; I am fatigued; I will not walk; I was not there. The Imperative mood (impero to command, Imperative. Lat.) expresses a command, wish, or entreaty; as, Leave me alone; Bring forth the prisoner; Shut the door; Lend me an umbrella; Give us our daily bread. Inflections. Subjunctive. Infinitive. Person. Number. The Subjunctive mood (subjungo-to subjoin, Lat.) expresses doubt and contingency, and is generally joined to some other sentence; as, If I be elected, I will support the ministry; Were he my brother, I would not defend such an act. The Infinitive mood (infinitus = unlimited, Lat.) expresses the action of the verb generally, without limitation of time or person; as, to love; to write; to walk. the PERSON. Person shows the relation of the subject of an action to the speaker, it being either the person or persons speaking, i.e. the first person; person or persons spoken to, i.e. the second person; or the person or persons, thing or things, spoken of, i.e. the third person; as, I write, thou writest, ye write, etc. There are consequently three persons who may perform an action: the speaker, the person spoken to, and the person or thing spoken of. NUMBER. The Number of verbs shows the number of the subjects of an action, which may be either one or more than one; in accordance with which the verb will be either of the singular or plural number; as, David slew Goliath; The Philistines are among you; We were a merry company. |