anterior represents the completion of an action prior to a certain event, as I had written my letter before your brother arrived. The FUTURE admits of two subdivisions, viz., the future, and the future anterior:-the future denotes an action yet to come, as I will write:-the future anterior indicates an action to be completed before the arrival of a certain event, as I shall have written my letter before the departure of your brother. Verbs have two numbers, the singular and the plural. They have three persons; the first, second, and third. They have two participles, the present or active, and the past or passive, as Present or active. They are either regular or irregular. Past or Passive. accosted. A regular verb forms the past tense and passive participle by the addition of d, or ed to the verb, as Every finite verb (i. e. a verb not in the infinitive mood) must have an agent, which is the nominative; and every transitive verb must have an object, which is the objective case. The conjugation † of a verb is the management of all its variations with regard to mood, tense, number, and person. Conjugation of the regular transitive verb-Accost. * The active participle always ends in ing. The term signifies yoking together, implying that all the parts of the verb are thereby united. 1. I shall accost 1. We shall accost Future anterior.-(Shall or will have.) 1. I shall have accosted 1. We shall have accosted 2. You shall have accosted 3. They shall have accosted The terminational variations of the indicative mood are often omitted, when condition, contingency, or end is expressed, as "Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty."-Prov. xx. 13. "Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."-Ps. cxxvii. 1. In most cases of this kind there is an ellipsis in the phraseology. Past.-(Might, could, would, or should.) 1. I might accost 2. Thou mightst accost 3. He might accost Perfect.-(May, 1. I may have accosted 1. We might accost 2. You might accost can, or must have.) 1. We may have accosted 2. You may have accosted 3. They may have accosted Perfect anterior.—(Might, could, would, or should have.) 1. I might have accosted 1. We might have accosted 2. Thou mightst have accosted 2. You might have accosted 3. He might have accosted Active.t Accosting 3. They might have accosted PARTICIPLES. Passive. The passive voice is formed by affixing the passive participle * As this mood is used to entreat, to command, to deprecate, &c., it is obvious that the second person only can be employed. When grammarians attempt to make a first or third person by the aid of let, they place the conjugated verb in the infinitive, and use let in the second person, as let me advise, let me speak. It is evident that let has here the sense of allow or permit. Change the verb, and the reasoning will appear conclusive,―allow me to advise, permit me to speak. The active participle is sometimes used as a noun; but as it is deficient in elegance, it should be avoided, as "The moral law consists in the obeying of God and the loving of our neighbour." This mode of expression is very cumbersome. "Obedience to God, and love to our neighbour," is preferable. of a transitive verb to the verb to be; which is thus conju The author recommends the verb be to be carefully studied, before using it in the passive form; when perfectly acquired, the passive participle may be added, and the passive voice will then be easily attained. This verb appears to be very irregular in all languages. Formerly be was used in all the persons of the present tense, as we find in the Bible, "Jehu said to all the people, ye be righteous."-2 Kings x. 9. "Narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."-Matt. vii. 14. Be is now always used when doubt, condition, contingency, or end is expressed, as "And Isaac said unto Jacob, come near, that I may feel thee, whether thou be my son Esau."-Gen. xxvii. 21. "If God be for us, who can be against us?"-Rom. viii. 31. Were and wert are used in the singular, where doubt, contingency, &c. are expressed. D 1. I shall be accosted Plural. 1. We shall be accosted 2 You shall be accosted Future anterior.-(Shall, will, have.) 1. I shall have been accosted 2. Thou shalt have been accosted 3. He shall have been accosted 1. We shall have been accosted 2. You shall have been accosted 3. They shall have been IMPERATIVE MOOD. 2. Be, or be thou accosted 2. Be, or be ye accosted POTENTIAL MOOD. Present tense.-(May, can, must.) 1. I may be accosted 1. We may be accosted Past. (Might, could, would, should.) 1. I might be accosted 1. We might be accosted Perfect.-(May, can, must, have.) 1. I may have been accosted 2. Thou mayst have been accosted 3. He may have been accosted 1. We may have been accosted 2. You may have been accosted 3. They may have been Perfect anterior.—(Might, could, would, should have.) 1. I might have been accosted 1. We might have been |