Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

In what tense is "will be studying," or "will study"?

There are three divisions of time - Present, Past, and Future.

Tell to which division each of the following verbs belongs :

The wind blew off Kate's bonnet.

The sun is rising over the lake.
The boys will enjoy the fine skating.
The fox was caught by the hounds.
Cæsar crossed the Rubicon.

The leaves will soon be falling.

When we say "birds sing," does it mean the birds are really singing now, or only that they do sing sometimes?

If they were actually singing at this moment, what would you say? Ans. The birds are singing.

Is the singing completed, or is it going on? Should we say "The birds have sung yesterday," or "The birds have sung to-day?" Ans.-The birds have sung to-day.

Does "to-day" denote present or past time?

Then, what is the tense of "have sung? Is the act of singing completed, or is it going on? Then

The verb changes in order to show different states of the act; that is, whether it is going on, or whether it is completed. When the verb shows what is done sometimes, or what is accustomed to be done, it takes the common form; as, Trees grow.

When the verb shows what is going on, but not yet

finished, it takes the progressive form; as, The trees are growing.

When the verb shows what is finished, or completed, it takes the form called the Perfect; as, The trees have grown.

He speak.
He spoke.

He will speak.

What is the form of the verb in the above examples? What is the time indicated by each verb? He is speaking.

He was speaking.

He will be speaking.

What is now the form of the verb? Give the time indicated in each example.

He has spoken.

He had spoken.

He will have spoken.

What is the form of the verb in these examples? What time is indicated by each verb?

EXERCISE FOR THE SLATE.-Write, as above, the Present, Past, and Future of the verbs drive, rain, and fly, in the common form in the progressive form in the perfect.

Write the Past and Perfect tenses to each of the following verbs. Thus

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

In the exercise for the slate, how many of the past tenses end in ed? How do the past tenses of the others end? Give the past tenses of grieve, sit, help, and tell which end in ed.

How many words are used to form the Perfect tense of each verb? What one word is used in each Perfect tense? Ans.-Have.

The word which unites with "have," to form the Perfeet tense, is called the Past Participle.

How can you find the past participle of a verb ? Ans.-By forming the Perfect tense.

Form the Perfect tenses of join, rise, believe, see, vote, give, and tell the Past Participles.

Which of the Past Participles end in ed?

When the Past tense and Past Participle of a verb are formed by adding "ed" to the Present tense, the verb is called Regular.

When the Past tense and Past Participle of a verb are not formed by adding "ed" to the Present, the verb is called Irregular.

*The final e of the present is dropped before the addition is made; as, Love, lov-ed.

Tell which of the following verbs are regular, and

which are irregular:

Forrester has sold his horse.

The water is wearing the rock.
The maple produces sugar.
Amy loves her little sister.
Summer and winter fail not.

He has given liberally to the poor.

LESSON XXIV.

Ile is walking.

What is the subject of this sentence?

Tell its person, number, gender, and case.

Can you write the sentence correctly, and change the case of the subject to the possessive or objective? Ans.-No; for then it would be "his" or "him” is walking.

The subject of a sentence must always be in the Nominative case.

Can you write the sentence correctly and change the gender of the subject? Ans.-Yes; for then it would be, "She is walking," or "It is walking."

Can you write the sentence correctly and change the person of the subject without changing any other word? Ans.-No; for then it would be, "I is walking," or "You is walking;" it should be, I am walking," "You are walking."

These different forms, "am," "are," and "is,' represent the persons of the verb; "am" is the first

person;" "are" is the second person; and “is” is the third person.

Can you write the sentence correctly, and change the number of the subject, without changing any other word? Ans. -No; for then it would be, "They is walking." It should be, "They are walking."

These different forms, "is" and "are," represent the number of the verb.

The verb must always agree with the subject in number and person.

In the following examples, parse the subjects, and point out the verbs, telling what kind, what mode, what tense, what person and number.

Gratitude is the memory of the heart.
The book was written by my father.
The heavens declare the glory of God.
If it rains, you will be disappointed.
I have read Macaulay's History.
Frank had been learning to write.
We are intending to go to Europe.
He had gone before you came.
Children, obey your parents.

Listen to the morning song of the birds.

In parsing a verb, tell

1. What it is.

2. What form, Regular or Irregular.

3. What kind, Transitive or Intransitive.

4. What voice.

5. What mode.
6. What tense.

7. What person.

8. What number.

« AnteriorContinua »