verbal in ing) with the tenses of the verb TO BE, we constitute what may be called the progressive form of the several verbs. (3) This form combines the significance of the several tenses of the verb TO BE with the action of the verb (whose participle is united with them) in its incomplete or progressive condition. (4) In fact it amounts to nothing more or less, than the completing of the verb TO BE by the imperfect or progressive participle, precisely as it is completed by any other adjective.

We exhibit the passive form of the verb, together with the progressive form, since they differ only as to the participle employed in combination with the several tenses of the verb to be. In the passive form we employ the perfect participle. For remarks on the purposes which the passive form serves, see § 29.

We have arranged the following table so as to exhibit at once the conjugation of the verb to be, so far as is necessary to enable the learner to repeat the whole. We stop in each tense when we come to that point beyond which there occurs no further variation of the form. The learner will supply what is omitted by repeating the proper subject for each person with the form last presented to the end of the tense. The conjugation of the verb to be should first be repeated by itself, and afterwards with each of the participles separately through all the tenses; thus making three distinct conjugations to be prepared and recited separately.

VERB TO BE, AND PROGRESSIVE AND PASSIVE FORMS OF TO CALL.

Sing. 1. I might, could, would, or should be Calling,

2. Thou mightst, couldst, &c.,

3. He might, could, &c.,

Plur. 1. We might, &c.,

66

66

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We add the verbals formed by the combination of the verbals of TO BE with the perfect participles of other verbs.

REMARK.—What we have called, the passive form is generally called the passive voice of verbs.

We have given above, and in the conjugation of the perfect tenses, the compound infinitives and the compound participles. We may here add that the verbal in ing is also often compounded in the same way, and for the same reason as the verbs and participles, viz., because of the nature of the conception which all three in common express. As the auxiliary is the real verb in compound tenses, so in infinitives, participles and verbals in ing, the first auxiliary is that which gives the grammatical name to the compound. It is that which serves as the basis of the expression, the participles or infinitives added are really modifications. We give examples of compound verbals in ing. BEING excessively PRAISED is injurious, especially to the young. Here the compound verbal being praised is the subject noun. HAVING PRACTISED obedience is an excellent preparation for exercising authority over others. Here having practised is subject noun, modified by obedience-objective modification.

A verbal in ing analogous to the passive compound infinitive, is sometimes employed. The having been educated in that institution affords a presumption in favor of his scholarship. We may give examples of these compound verbals used in other functions. "Much depends on the rule's being observed, and error will be the consequence of its being neglected." Most of these forms are clumsy, and therefore avoided by writers of deli

cate taste.

EXERCISE I., II., &c.—Write a given number of propositions formed with the compound tenses of the verb to be.

EXERCISES III., IV., &c.—Write a given number of propositions with the tenses of the progressive form of the verb.

EXERCISES V., VI., &c.—Write a given number of propositions with the passive form of the verb.

The verbs in all these exercises to be varied as much as possible. The exercises to be repeated according to the judgment of the instructor.(a)

In section 47, pages 96, 97, will be found a carefully prepared Synoptical Table of English Tense Forms. In this table, the hypothetical mode, formed with the auxiliaries might, could, would, should, and infinitives, is exhibited among the forms indefinite as regards time, since as now used this mode is certainly indefinite, though these auxiliaries have a proper past form. For a full explanation of the views of the English Language involved in the construction of this Table, we must refer to our larger work, §§ 63, 64.

§ 45. OF DEFECTIVE VERBS. (1) We may here notice a class of verbs, which have been called by the grammarians defective, because they fail in certain tenses, either simple or compound. We have noticed the chief of these among the auxiliaries. We subjoin a list of the whole class. (2) They all fail, or are defective, in the compound tenses, because they have neither infinitives nor participles. They have, therefore, only the two simple

(a) (4) Ought was originally the past tense of owe, but is now used indefinitely as regards time; as, I ought now to go. When used to express

(a) For more extended information in reference to the auxiliaries, will, shall, may, can, and their past forms, would, should, &c., and their use in Conditional and Hypothetical Propositions, see "Exposition of the Gram. Structure of the English Language,"§ 63. And see our reasons for consid ering the word in ING, used in the progressive form, the verbal noun, not the participle, as above, § 64, p. 154.

$46. [(1) Describe the defective verbs. (2) In what tenses do these verbs all fail, and for what reason?

past duty or obligation, it is followed by the perfect form of the infinitivea use peculiar to itself; as, I ought to have gone there yesterday. With other verbs, when we do not intend to express the action indicated by the completing infinitive, as perfected, finished, we always use the simple infinitive; as, I intended To Go yesterday. Yesterday I determined TO SEND, &c.

(b) This verb is now out of use in the current language. It was formerly employed in a sense equivalent to "I think," "I imagine."

(c) Wit is now only used in the phrase to wit. Both wit and wot are found in the translation of the Bible and in our earlier authors. Its meaning is equivalent to that of the word know.

§ 46. OF IMPERSONAL Verbs.—(1) There remains still another peculiar kind of verbs to consider; namely, those commonly called impersonal, but more properly, unipersonal verbs. Of these verbs there are several distinct classes.

1st. (2) There are a few verbs, such as, It rains, It snows, It hails, &c., expressing natural phenomena or operations, of which men in the earlier ages did not understand the causes, and of which we could not, even in the present improved state of natural science, express the causes or agents (which would form the subject nouns of the verbs) by a single term, or in any convenient way; while the phenomena or operations themselves are of common occurrence and of general interest, and need therefore to be expressed both substantively and assertively. (3) In English, we place before the verbs which express such operations the neuter pronoun IT, which here serves the peculiar function of representing, not a known noun, but an agent unknown, or that cannot be conveniently expressed every time we have occasion to express the natural phenomenon assertively. (4) These verbs admit of being conjugated, like other verbs, through all tenses, but only in the third person singular.

2d. (5) There is another class of what are commonly called impersonal verbs, which admit only of a proposition for their subject, and are therefore necessarily unipersonal. Only a few of these now remain in our language. (6) We have, though now rarely used, It behooves or behooveth, It irks or irketh, and perhaps some others. (7) Many other verbs are employed in the same way, having a proposition for their real subject, and the pronoun it for a substitute subject; but these verbs, unlike those mentioned above, are also employed with nouns both singular and plural, and

$47. [(1) What kind of verbs remain to be considered, and how more properly named? (2) Describe the first class of these verbs. (3) What word is usually placed before these verbs? Describe the function which it performs in this case. (4) Repeat remarks.

(5) Describe another class of impersonal verbs. (6) Give examples. (7) Repeat what is said of other verbs employed in the same way.