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intention; and, " shall I go?" refers to the will of another. But, " He shall go," and " shall he go?" both imply will; expressing or referring to a command.

When the verb is put in the subjunctive mood, the meaning of these auxiliaries likewise undergoes some alteration; as the learners will readily perceive by a few examples: "If he shall proceed;" " If he will not desist;" " Unless he shall acknowledge ;" " If you shall consent;" " If you will persist."

Would, primarily denotes inclination of will; and should obligation: but they both vary their import, and are often used to express simple event.

SECT. 8. The Conjugation of regular Verbs.

ACTIVE.

VERBS Active are called Regular, when they form their imperfect tense of the indicative mood, and their perfect participle, by adding to the verb, ed, or d only when the verb ends in e; as

Present.
I favour.

I love.

Imperfect.
I favoured.
I loved.

Perfect Particip. Favoured. Loved.

A Regular Active Verb is conjugated in the following manner.

Singular.

1. I love.*

2. Thou lovest.

TO LOVE.

Indicative Mood.

Present Tense.

Plural.

1. We love.

2. Ye or you love.

3. He, she, or it, loveth or loves. 3. They love.

*

In the present and imperfect tenses, we use a different form of the verb, when we mean to express energy and positiveness: as "I do love; thou dost love; he does love; I did love; thou didst love ; he did love."

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1. I shall or will have loved. 1. We shall or will have loved. 2. Thou shalt or wilt have 2. Ye or you shall or will have

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

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Those tenses are called simple tenses, which are formed of the verb itself, without the assistance of any other verb: as, " I love, I loved." The compound tenses are such as cannot be formed without the assistance of some other verb: as, "I have loved; I had loved; I shall or will love; I may love; I may be loved; I may have been loved;" &c. These compounds are, however, to be considered as only different forms of the same verb.

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1. I may or can love.

1. We may or can love.

2. Thou maystor canst love. 2. Ye or you may or can love.

3. He may or can love.

3. They may or can love.

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1. I may or can have loved. 1. We mayor can have loved. 2. Thou mayst or canst have 2. Ye or you may or can have

loved.

loved.

3. He may or can have loved. 3. They may or can have loved.

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3. He might, could, would 3. They might, could, would

or should have loved.

or should have loved,

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The remaining tenses of this mood, are, in every respect, similar to the correspondent tenses of the indicative

mood. See the following notes, and page 90.

Infinitive Mood.

Present. To love. Perfect. To have loved..
Participles.

Present. Loving. Perfect. Loved.
Compound Perfect. Having loved,

The active verb may be conjugated differently, by adding its present or active participle to the auxiliary verb to be, through all its moods and tenses; as, instead of " I teach, thou teachest, he teaches," &c.; we may say, " I am teach-ing, thou art teaching, he is teaching," &c.: and instead of " I taught," &c. " I was teaching," &c.: and so on, through all the variations of the auxiliary. This mode of conjugation has, on particular occasions, a peculiar propriety; and contributes to the harmony and precision of the language. These forms of expression are adapted to particular acts, not to general habits, or affections of the mind. They are very frequently applied to neuter verbs; as, am musing; he is sleeping."*

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Some grammarians apply, what is called the conjunctive termination, to the persons of the principal verb, and to its auxiliaries, through all the tenses of the subjunctive mood. But this is certainly contrary to the practice of

* As the participle, in this mode of conjugation, performs the office of a verb, through all the moods and tenses; and as it implies the idea of time, and governs the objective case of pronouns in the same manner as verbs do; is it not manifest, that it is a species or form of the verb, and that it cannot properly be considered as a dis tinct part of speech?

good writers. Johnson applies this termination to the present and perfect tenses only. Lowth restricts it entirely to the present tense; and Priestley confines it to the present and imperfect tenses. This difference of opinion amongst grammarians of such eminence, may have contributed to that diversity of practice, so observable in the use of the subjunctive mood. Uniformity in this point is highly desirable. It would materially assist both teachers and learners; and would constitute a considerable improvement in our language.

On this subject we adopt the opinion of Doctor Lowth and conceive we are fully warranted by his authority, and that of the most correct and elegant writers, in limiting the conjunctive termination of the second and third persons singular of the present tense. But, for the convenience of teachers who think that the persons of all the three tenses, in the subjunctive mood, are entitled to this distinctive termination, and for the inspection of the curious student, we shall add here the form of conjugating those three tenses according to the views of such tutors.

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Singular.

1. If we loved.

2. If ye or you loved.

3. If they loved.

Perfect Tense.

Plural.

1. If I have loved.

1. If we have loved.

2. If thou have loved.

2. If ye or you have loved..

3. If he have loved.

3. If they have loved.

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