XXVII. VERBS-SIMPLE TENSES. 1. What is the definition of a Verb?-A Verb is a Statement-word. Now a statement may be made in various ways by changing the form of the Verb used. 2. Suppose we say, Pauline stands there. The Verb stands expresses that she is now in the place referred to. However, we may wish to state, not that this is the case at the present time, but that it was so yesterday, or last week or month. And this we express in the following manner: I 3. We may say, Pauline stood there. I hope to see you. This means that we are now cherishing the hope. But may desire to state I had this hope when I called yesterday. The statement will be made in this way: When I called yesterday, I hoped to see you. 4. The difference in the two ways of making the two statements is a difference of time. Pauline stands, makes the statement in the present time, and Pauline stood, makes it in the time past. I hope-time present; I hoped-time past. Make this statement of some time ago: "Steamers sail on the ocean." Make this statement of last night: "The fire burns brightly to-night." Make this statement, using ancient Greeks instead of we: "We admire fine statues." Make this statement about the Germans a thousand years ago: "The Germans love independence." 5. Here are some lines by the poet Longfellow: I shoot an arrow into the air, It falls to earth, I know not where: Can not follow it in its flight. These lines are not exactly as Longfellow wrote them; for all the statements in them are made in the present time, whereas the author made all the statements to refer to the past. Write the lines with all the Verbs so expressed that they shall make these very same statements about the past, and then you will have the verse precisely as the poet made it. 6. This change of form is called in Grammar a change of Tense, and "tense" means just the same thing as time. 7. The form of the Verb denoting time present is called the Present Tense; that denoting time past is called the Past Tense. 8. The Present is the tense in which we state what is now going on. The Past is the great Tense of history, because history tells us what took place in by-gone times. Thus: 1. The Greeks conquered the Persians. 2. Columbus discovered America. 3. Fulton invented the steamboat. 9. Besides the Present tense and the Past tense, there is the Future tense. We make this by using shall or will. 10. The Future is the tense which we use when we wish to foretell any thing. Thus 1. We shall go to Europe next year. 2. The population of the United States in a century will be one hundred millions. Exercise 25. Read aloud the following piece; then write of it what you can remember: Underline all the Verbs in the PAST TENSE. THE CHICKS THAT WERE NOT CHICKS. There was once a big black hen that sat on ten eggs for three weeks. She sat day after day very patiently, and waited anxiously to see ten pretty little chicks come out of the nest and nestle under her warm wings. She did not know that Mother Butterball had slyly taken out the hen's eggs and put in their place ten eggs that were laid by an old duck, a noisy little neighbor of the big black hen. One day ten little sharp bills broke through their hard white shells, and with a glad "peep!" out came ten pretty little ducklings. The big black hen was a happy mother, for she thought she had ten little chicks hatched out of the ten eggs, about which she had cackled so loud when she laid them under the barn. She bustled about, said cluck! cluck! cluck! and coaxed them out into the barn-yard, where she scratched out for them all a dainty breakfast. In a few days their legs got strong, and their mother took them down in a green field close to a beautiful pond of clear water. No sooner did they see the water than the ten little black ducklings cried out with joy, Quack! quack! quack! quack! and away they scampered to the pond as fast as their short little legs could carry them. The mischievous little things sailed right out into the middle of the pond, and then ducked their heads under the water. The big black hen thought they were drowning, and cried out at the top of her shrill voice, Cluck! cluck! cluck! little black ducks! come back quick! come back quick! But they dived and swam and sailed about, and did not come out until they got hungry. Then they were glad to go back with their step-mother, to their warm nest and a good supper in the barn-yard. B. Write a little composition telling what you think WILL BE the condition of the world a hundred years hence. Tell about The ways of traveling then-balloons, etc. The greatness of our country then-the number of the people, etc. Our knowledge of distant parts of the world then-the interior of Africa, the North Polar region, etc. Will all the governments of Europe then be republics? Underline all the FUTURE TENSES, and exchange papers for correction in letters of criticism. XXVIII. VERBS-FORMATION OF THE PAST TENSE. 1. We have seen that it is very easy to form the Future Tense; for all we have to do is to use shall or will with a Verb. But it is more difficult to form the Past Tense. 2. Here are some of the Verbs we had, in the last lesson: 3. A number of these Verbs form their Past Tenses by adding the suffix ed to their Present Tenses. (Mention some that do so.) Others do not form their Past in this way. For instance, stand has for its Past Tense. stood. What has SHOOT? FALL? KNOW? FLY? 4. We have in English several thousand Verbs, and all these Verbs, with the exception of about one hundred and fifty, form their Past Tense by suffixing ed to the Present. Accordingly this is called the Regular way of making the Past Tense. 5. The small number of Verbs that do not form their Past in this way are called Irregular Verbs. (Which of the Verbs in the list are Regular? Which are Irregular?) 6. The Past Tense of I love is, I loved. We can express the same thing by saying, I did love. Now, I loved, is just a shortened way of saying I love-did. 7. When we add ed to the Present of a Verb to make its Past Tense, great pains must be taken to have the spelling correct. ILLUSTRATIONS. Love+ed loved; final e of love dropped. = = Offered offered; final r of offer not doubled. = Exercise 26. Combine the following Verbs in the Present Tense with ED, and be careful in regard to the spelling: Exchange papers, and give the rule violated (if any). B. Tell which Verbs are REGULAR, and which IRREgular. 1. The famine came at last upon the land, and many perished for want. 2. Father sold his farm when he went to California. 3. The sun shone brightly yesterday. 4. Hearing the sound of footsteps, we resolved to go no farther. 5. Shakspeare wrote many dramas. 6. We hoped you would visit us when the leaves fell. * See in any Speller the rules for spelling with suffixes. |