Grammarians have not only differed in opinion, respect-ing the extent and variations of the subjunctive mood; but a few of them have even doubted the existence of such a mood in the English language. These writers assert, that the verb has no variation from the indicative; and that a conjunction added to the verb, gives it no title to become a distinct mood; or, at most, no better than it would have, if any other particle were joined to it. To these observations it may be replied; 1st. It is evident, on inspection, that the present tense of the principal verbs, and the present and imperfect tenses of the verb to be, or at least the two latter, admit of a variation from the form of the indicative mood. 2d. There appears to be as much propriety, in giving a conjunction the power of assisting to form the subjunctive mood, as there is in allowing the participle to to have an effect in the formation of the infinitive mood.* 3d. A conjunction added to the verb, shows the manner of being, doing, or suffering, which other particles cannot show they do not coalesce with the verb, and modify it, as conjunctions do. 4th. It may be said, "If contingency constitutes the subjunctive mood, then it is the sense of a phrase, and not a conjunction, that determines this mood." But a little reflection will show, that the contingent senses lies in the meaning and force of the conjunction, expressed or understood.. See the notes and observations on the nineteenth rule of syntax..

It may be of use to the scholar, to remark, in this place, that though only the conjunction if is affixed to the verb, any other conjunction proper for the subjunctive mood, may with equal propriety, be occasionally annexed. The instance given is sufficient to explain the subject: more would be tedious, and tend to embarrass the learner.

PASSIVE.

VERBS Passive are called regular, when they form their perfect participle by the addition of d or ed, to the verb: as, from the verb "To love,"

*Conjunctions have an influence on the mood of the following varb."-Dr. Beattie.

is formed the passive, "I am loved, I was loved, I shall be loved," &c..

A regular passive verb is conjugated by adding the perfect participle to the auxiliary to be, through all its changes of number, person, mood, and tense, in the following manner:

Singular.

Second Future Tense.

F. I shall or will have been loved.

2. Thou shalt or wilt have been loved.

Plural.

1. We shall or will have been loved.

2. Ye or you shall or will have been loved.

3. He shall or will have 3. They shall or will have

been loved.

been loved.

The remaining tenses of this mood are, in every respect, similar to the correspondent tenses of the indicative mood. See pages 90, 103, and the notes under the nineteenth rule of syntax.

When an auxiliary is joined to the participle of the prim cipal verb, the auxiliary goes through all the variations of person and number, and the participle itself continues invariably the same. When there are two or more auxiliaries joined to the participle, the first of them only is varied according to person and number. The auxiliary must admits of no variation.

The neuter verb is conjugated like the active; but as it partakes somewhat of the nature of the passive, it admits in many instances, of the passive form, retaining still the neuter signification: as, "I am arrived;" "I was gone;" "I am grown." The auxiliary verb am, was, in this case, precisely defines the time of the action or event, but does not change the nature of it; the passive form still express ing, not properly a passion, but only a state or condition of being.

SECT. 9. Observations on Passive Verbs.

Some writers on grammar assert, that there are no Pas sive Verbs in the English language, because we have no verbs of this kind with a peculiar termination, all of them being formed by the different tenses of the auxiliary to be, joined to the passive participle of the verb. This is, how ever, to mistake the true nature of the English verb; and to regulate it, not on the principles of our own tongue, but on those of foreign languages. The conjugation, or the variation, of the English verb, to answer all the purposes