Graded Lessons in English Part 36

+Hints for Oral Instruction+.--_I picked the rose_. I will tell the same thing in another way. _The rose was picked by me_. The first verb _picked_ shows that the subject _I_ represents the actor, and the second form of the verb, _was picked_, shows that the subject names the thing acted upon. This change in the form of the verb is called +Voice+. The first form is called the +Active Voice+; and the second, the +Pa.s.sive Voice+.

The _pa.s.sive_ form is very convenient when we wish to a.s.sert an action without naming any actor. _Money is coined_ is better than _somebody coins money_.

DEFINITIONS.

+_Voice_ is that modification of the transitive verb which shows whether the subject names the _actor_ or the _thing acted upon_+.

+The _Active Voice_ shows that the subject names the actor+.

+The _Pa.s.sive Voice_ shows that the subject names the thing acted upon+.

In each of the following sentences, change the _voice_ of the verb without changing the meaning of the sentence. Note the other changes that occur in the sentence.

The industrious bees gather honey from the flowers.

The storm drove the vessel against the rock.

Our words should be carefully chosen.

Death separates the dearest friends.

His vices have weakened his mind and destroyed his health.

True valor protects the feeble and humbles the oppressor.

The Duke of Wellington, who commanded the English armies in the Peninsula, never lost a battle.

Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.

Dr. Livingstone explored a large part of Africa.

The English were conquered by the Normans.

Name all the transitive verbs in Lessons 20 and 22, and give, their _voice_.

LESSON 90.

MODE, TENSE, NUMBER, AND PERSON.

+Hints for Oral Instruction+.--When I say, _James walks_, I a.s.sert the walking as a _fact_. When I say, _James may walk_, I do not a.s.sert the action as a fact, but as a _possible_ action. When I say, _If James walk out, he will improve_, I a.s.sert the action, not as an actual fact, but as a _condition_ of James's, improving. When I say to James, _Walk out_, I do not a.s.sert that James actually does the act, I a.s.sert the action as a _command_.

The action expressed by the verb _walk_ has been a.s.serted in _four_ different _ways_, or +modes+. The first way is called the +Indicative Mode+; the second, the +Potential Mode+; the third, the +Subjunctive Mode+; the fourth, the +Imperative Mode+.

Let the teacher give other examples and require the pupils to repeat this instruction.

For the two forms of the verb called the +Infinitive+ and the +Participle+, see "Hints," Lessons 48 and 49.

_I walk. I walked. I shall walk_. In each of these three sentences, the manner of a.s.serting the action is the same. _I walk_ expresses the action as _present_. _I walked_ expresses the action as _past_, and _I shall walk_ expresses the action as _future_. As +Tense+ means _time_, the first form is called the +Present Tense+; the second, the +Past Tense+; and the third, the +Future Tense+.

We have three other forms of the verb, expressing the action as _completed_ in the _present_, the _past_, or the _future_.

_I have walked out to-day. I had walked out when he called. I shall have walked out by to-morrow_. The form, _have walked_, expressing the action as _completed_ in the present, is called the +Present Perfect Tense+. The form, _had walked_, expressing the action as _completed_ in the past, is called the +Past Perfect Tense+. The form, _shall have walked_, expressing an action to be _completed_ in the future, is called the +Future Perfect Tense+.

Let the teacher give other verbs, and require the pupils to name and explain the different tenses.

_I walk. Thou walkest. He walks. They walk_.

In the second sentence, the verb _walk_ was changed by adding _est_; and in the third, it was changed by adding _s_. These changes are for the sake of agreement with the person of the subject. The verb ending in _est_ agrees with the subject _thou_ in the second person, and the verb ending in _s_ agrees with _he_ in the third person. In the fourth sentence, the subject is in the third person; but it is plural, and so the verb drops the _s_ to agree with they in the plural.

Verbs are said to agree in +Person+ and +Number+ with their subjects. The person and number _forms_ will be found in Lessons 93, 94.

+DEFINITIONS+.

+_Mode_ is that modification of the verb which denotes the manner of a.s.serting the action or being+.

+The _Indicative Mode_ a.s.serts the action or being as a fact+.

+The _Potential Mode_ a.s.serts the power, liberty, possibility, or necessity of acting or being+.

+The _Subjunctive Mode_ a.s.serts the action or being as a mere condition, supposition, or wish+.

+The _Imperative Mode_ a.s.serts the action or being as a command or an entreaty+.

+The _Infinitive_ is a form of the verb which names the action or being in a general way, without a.s.serting it of anything+.

+The _Participle_ is a form of the verb partaking of the nature of an adjective or of a noun, and expressing the action or being as a.s.sumed+.

+The _Present Participle_ denotes action or being as continuing at the time indicated by the predicate+.

+The _Past Participle_ denotes action or being as past or completed at the time indicated by the predicate+.

+The _Past Perfect Participle_ denotes action or being as completed at a time previous to that indicated by the predicate+.

+_Tense_ is that modification of the verb which expresses the time of the action or being+.

+The _Present Tense_ expresses action or being as present+.

+The _Past Tense_ expresses action or being as past+.

+The _Future Tense_ expresses action or being as yet to come+.

+The _Present Perfect Tense_ expresses action or being as completed at the present time+.

+The _Past Perfect Tense_ expresses action or being as completed at some past time+.

+The _Future Perfect Tense_ expresses action or being to be completed at some future time+.

+_Number_ and _Person_ of a verb are those modifications that show its agreement with the number and person of its subject+.