mer, or first mentioned: as, wealth and poverty are both temptations; that tends to excite pride, this discontent.

4. The indefinite are those which express their subjects in an indefinite or general manner. The following are of this kind: some, other, any, one, all, such, &c.

VERB.

A VERB is a word which signifies to be, to do, or to suffer; as, I am, I rule, I am ruled.

Verbs are of three kinds; active, passive, and neuter.

A verb active expresses an action, and necessarily implies an agent, and an object acted upon; as, to love; I love Henry.

A verb passive expresses a passion or a suffering, or the receiving of an action; and necessarily implies an object acted upon, and an agent by which it is acted upon; as, to be loved; Henry is loved by me.

A verb neuter expresses neither action nor passion, but being, or a state of being; as, I am, I sleep, I sit.

To verbs belong number, person, mood, and tense.

Number and Person.

Verbs have two numbers, the singular and the plural; as, I love, we love.

In each number there are three

persons; as,

Mood or mode is a particular form of the verb, shewing the manner in which the being, action, or passion, is represented.

There are five moods of verbs, the indicative, the imperative, the potential, the subjunctive, and the infinitive. The indicative mood simply indicates or declares a thing; as, he loves; he is loved: or it asks a question; as, does be love?

The imperative mood is used for commanding, exhort

ing, entreating, or permitting; as, depart thou; mind ye; let us stay; go in peace.

The potential mood implies possibility or liberty, power, will, or obligation; as, it may rain; he may go or stay; I can ride; he would walk; they should learn.

The subjunctive mood represents a thing under a condition, motive, wish, supposition, &c.; and is preceded by a conjunction, expressed or understood, and attended by another verb; as, I will respect him, though he chide me; were he good, he would be happy; that is, if he were good.

The infinitive mood expresses a thing in a general and unlimited manner, without any distinction of number or person; as, to act, to speak, to be feared.

The Participle is a certain form of the verb, and derives its name from its participating, not only the properties of a verb, but also those of an adjective; as, I am desirous of knowing him; admired and applauded, he became vain; having finished his work, he submitted it, &c.

There are three participles, as, loving, loved, having loved.

Tense.

Tense, being the distinction of time, seems to admit only of the present, past, and future; but some grammarians, to mark it more accurately, make it to consist of six variations: it will be sufficient however to consider it only in three points of view.

The present tense represents an action or event as passing at the time in which it is mentioned; as, I rule; I am ruled; I think; I fear.

The past tense represents the action or event, as having taken place, I did rule, I was ruled, I thought, I feared.

The future tense represents the action as yet to come, either with or without respect to the precise time when; as, the sun will rise to-morrow; I shall see them again.

The conjugation of a verb is the regular combination and arrangement of its several numbers, persons, moods, and tenses.

The conjugation of the verbs at large would only be perplexing and tedious to the young beginner, and has no doubt often proved a great barrier to the progress of graminatical knowledge. The verb to love, therefore, is only

here introduced as a specimen, to give the learner a general idea of it, and to shew the utility of this branch of grammar. Other verbs may be conjugated, as inclination and opportunity may serve.

An active verb is conjugated in the following manner:

3. He might, could, would, 3. They might, could, would, or should love.

or should love.

Perfect Tense.

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

have loved.

2. Ye or you may or can have loved.

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

loved.

loved.

Pluperfect Tense.

1. I might, could, would, 1. We might, could, would, or should have loved.

or should have loved.

2. Thou mightst, couldst, 2. Ye or you might, could, wouldst, or shouldst would, or should have loved.

have loved.

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

or should have loved.

or should have loved.

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, is formed the passive, I am loved, I was loved, I shall be loved, &c. A passive verb is conjugated by adding the perfect participle to the auxiliary to be, through all its changes of number, person, mood, and

tense.

ADVERB.

AN ADVERB is a part of speech joined to a verb, an adjective, and sometimes to another adverb, to express some quality or circumstance respecting it; as, he reads well; a truly good man; he writes very correctly.

Some adverbs are compared, thus; soon, sooner, soonest; often, oftener, oftenest. Those ending in ly, are compared by more and most; as, wisely, more wisely, most wisely.

The following

Once

now

are a few of the adverbs.

bere

PREPOSITION.

PREPOSITIONS serve to connect words with one another, and to show the relation between them. They are, for the