XCIII

THE INDICATIVE MODE

“Hannibal, when a mere boy, was led by his father to the altar, where he swore eternal enmity to Rome."

The verbs in this sentence both make direct statements. They are said to be in the indicative mode.

Upon what meat hath this our Cæsar fed?

- SHAKESPEARE.

This sentence asks a direct question. It is in the indicative mode.

Verbs that make direct statements of fact or ask direct questions are in the indicative mode.

The indicative mode has six tenses, present, past, future, perfect, past perfect, and future perfect.

The first person, singular number, of each of these tenses, of the verb to have is

I have, I had, I shall have, I have had, I had had, I shall have had.

Write out I have in each person and number.

Write sentences using one form of each of the tenses in the indicative mode.

XCIV

THE SUBJUNCTIVE MODE

"If I were king, I know what I would do."
"If you were rich, you would be no happier."

To the Teacher. - In most grammars the subjunctive mode is built up by using the conditional form of statement with if. While this is unnecessary, it does no harm excepting in this: It gives a false impression as to time, by naming the tenses as in the indicative mode.

"If every stone were gold, gold would be worth no more than stones."

"I wish I were in Dixie."

Notice the verb forms with if: If I were, if you were, if every stone were, I wish I were.

In expressing a condition contrary to fact and sometimes in expressing a wish, the form were is used in all persons.

This is called the subjunctive mode.

"I am not king," is the thought in the first sentence. "You are not rich," is the thought in the second, and "Not every stone is gold," is the thought in the third. What is the thought in the fourth?

There were formerly many subjunctive forms, but all except I were and he were have practically disappeared from modern writing. We express conditions by using the regular verb forms of the indicative mode.

In old books, as the Bible, and even in a few modern writers, some of the other subjunctive forms are still used, as:

"If he be guilty, he shall smart for it."

"If a star fall into thy bosom, remove it not, though it burn thee."

In the old subjunctive the infinitive form of the regular verb is used in all persons without inflection, as fall for falls; be for is. (See pp. 338, 339, and 343.)

But modern usage has largely discarded these forms, and we say, "If he is guilty," and "If a star falls.”

But if I were and if he were, I wish I were, must always be used and never if I was or if he was or I wish I was when the condition or the wish is contrary to fact.

XCV

THE POTENTIAL MODE

Some languages have a so-called potential mode, stating something as possible. In English certain expressions are sometimes said to be in the potential mode. They are formed of the simple verb with the auxiliaries may, can, might, could, would, or should; as, I may go, you can read, he might escape.

XCVI

THE IMPERATIVE MODE

In many languages there are inflected forms to express commands. These constitute the imperative mode. In English a single form is used for commands and that is the simple form of the verb, as, go, come, see.

A subject in the second person is always implied, if not expressed. In poetry and in books written in the solemn style the subject is often expressed; as, "Thou, too, sail on". "Come ye to the waters.' No tense is indicated in the imperative mode since the time is necessarily future.

To the Teacher. It is unnecessary to burden the mind with these artificial potential mode forms. It is better to regard these com

binations as verb phrases.

The usual forms are given in the Appendix, but without the usual tense names, since their names as commonly applied to the potential

are false and misleading.

XCVII

THE INFINITIVE MODE

The infinitive combinations of the verb with to, to have, and to be are called the infinitive mode. Thus, to see and to have seen are the infinitive mode forms of see in the active voice. To see is called the present infinitive and to have seen the past infinitive. To be seen and to have been seen are the infinitive forms in the passive voice.

Read: :

XCVIII

REVIEW; TENSES AND MODES

WASHINGTON'S MONUMENT

The widespread monument is the true monument to Washington.

Maintain its independence; uphold its constitution; preserve its union; defend its liberty; let it stand before the world in all its original strength and beauty, securing peace, order, equality, and freedom to all within its boundaries, and shedding light, and hope, and joy upon the pathway of human liberty, and Washington needs no other monument. Other structures may fitly testify our veneration for him; this, this alone, can adequately illustrate his services to mankind.

To the Teacher. It is better to regard the infinitives as verbal nouns, just as the participles are verbal adjectives, since the infinitives have subjects and objects like verbs and may themselves be the subjects and objects of verbs. "To give money to beggars is often doing harm rather than good." To give has an object — money, and an indirect object—to beggars, and with these is the subject of the verb is.

Nor does he need even this. The republic may perish; the wide arch of our ranged Union may fall; star by star its glories may expire; stone by stone its columns and its capital may molder and crumble; all other names which adorn its annals may be forgotten; but as long as human hearts shall anywhere pant, or human tongues shall anywhere plead, for a true, rational, constitutional liberty, those hearts shall enshrine the memory, and those tongues prolong the fame, of George Washington.

- ROBERT C. WINTHROP.

Name the mode of each verb in the above.

Name the tenses of the verb.

Give an example of each.

Which are formed by inflection and which by the use of auxiliaries?

Write all the inflected forms of do, am, love, have, see. What forms of the verb am are in the subjunctive mode? the imperative?

Name the participles.

Give examples of a verb in the passive voice in the present, the past, and the perfect tenses.

How do verbs form the future?

Give examples of the future and of the future perfect.

In the following selection name every verb form. Tell what part of the verb it is and how it is formed, whether by inflection or by the use of auxiliaries.

Mr. Spectator:

THE FAN DRILL

Women are armed with fans as men with swords, and sometimes do more execution with them. To the end,