A defective verb is a verb that forms no participles, and is used in but few of the moods and tenses; as, beware, ought, quoth. Obs. When any of the principal parts of a verb are wanting, the tenses usually derived from those parts are also, of course, wanting. All the auxiliaries, except do, be, and have, are defective; but, as auxiliaries, they become parts of other verbs, and do not need the parts which are technically said to be “wanting." The following brief catalogue contains all our defective verbs, except methinks, with its preterit methought, which is not only defective, but impersonal, irregular, and deservedly obsolescent. CHAPTER VII.-OF PARTICIPLES. A Participle is a word derived from a verb, participating the properties of a verb, and of an adjective or a noun; and is generally formed by adding ing, d, or ed, to the verb: thus, from the verb rule, are formed three participles, two simple and one compound; as, 1. ruling, 2. ruled, 3. having ruled. CLASSES. English verbs have severally three participles; the First or Imperfect, the Second or Perfect, and the Third or Preperfect.* * I. The Imperfect participle is that which ends commonly in ing, and implies a continuance of the being, action, or passion; as, being, loving, seeing, writing--being loved, being seen, being writing. II. The Perfect participle is that which ends commonly in ed or en, and implies a completion of the being, action, or passion; as, been, loved, seen, written. III. The Preperfect participle is that which takes the sign having, and implies a previous completion of the being, action, or passion; as, having loved, having seen, having written having been loved, having been writing, having been written. The First or Imperfect Participle, when simple, is always formed by adding ing to the radical verb; as, look, looking: when compound, it is formed by prefixing being to some other simple. participle; as, being reading, being read. The Second or Perfect Participle is always sim ple, and is regularly formed by adding d or ed to the radical verb: those verbs from which it is formed otherwise, are inserted in the lists as being irregular or redundant. The Third or Preperfect Participle is always compound, and is formed by prefixing having to the perfect, when the compound is double, and having been to the perfect or the imperfect, when the compound is triple; as, having spoken, having been spoken, having been speaking. Obs. 1.-Participles often become adjectives, and are construed before nouns to denote quality. The terms so converted form the class of participial adjectives. Words of a participial form, may be regarded as adjectives: 1. When they denote something customary *See copious observations on the names and properties of the participles, in the Institutes of English Grammar, under the Etymology of this part of speech; and remarks still more extended in the Grammar of English Grammars, pp. 892-897. or habitual, rather than a transient act or state; as, A lying rogue, i. e., one addicted to lying. 2. When they admit adverbs of conparison; as, A more learned man. 3. When they are compounded with something that does not belong to the verb; as, unfeeling, unfelt. Adjectives are generally placed before their nouns: participles, after them. Obs. 2.-Participles in ing often become nouns. When preceded by an article, an adjective, or a noun or pronoun of the possessive case, they are construed as nouns, and ought to take no regimen, or object after them. A participle immediately preceded by a preposition, is not converted into a noun, and therefore retains its regimen; as, "I thank you for helping him." This construction of the participle corresponds with the Latin gerund. Obs. 3.-To distinguish the participle from the participial noun, the learner should observe the following four things: 1. Nouns take articles and adjectives before them; participles, as such, do not. 2. Nouns may govern the possessive case, but not the objective; participles may govern the objective case, but not the possessive. 3. Nouns may be the subjects or objects of verbs; participles cannot-―or, at least, the propriety of any such use of them, is doubtful. 4. Participial nouns express actions as things; participles refer actions to their agents or recipients. Obs. 4.-To distinguish the perfect participle from the preterit verb of the same form, observe the sense, and see which of the auxiliary forms will express it: thus loved for being loved, is a participle; but loved for did love, is a preterit verb. ANALYSIS. An adjective, participle, noun, or pronoun, modifying the predicate of a sentence and relating to the subject, is called an attribute; as, "Gold is yellow."-" Cain was a murderer."" The sun is shining." Obs. 1.-The verb that connects the subject and the attribute, must be active-intransitive, passive, or neuter. It is sometimes called the copula, because it couples or joins the other principal parts of the sentence Obs. 2.-The verb be generally affirms only the connection between the subject and the attribute. When the latter is a noun, it may express 1. Class; as, "Cain was a murderer." 2. Laentity; as, Cain was the murderer of Abel." 3. Name; as, "The child was called John." 86 Obs. 3.-Class, identity, name, or quality may be attributed to the subject in various ways; as, 1. By affirming directly a connection, as in the preceding examples; 2. By affirming it to belong to the subject, in connection with a particular act or state of being; as, "She looked a goddess, and she walked a queen."—"The sun stood still." 3. By affirming a connection, but not its previous existence; as, He has become a scholar." 4. By affirming not only the connection, but the cause or manner by which it was established; as, 66 IIe was elected President."- “The twig has grown a tree." Obs. 4.—The attribute is often used indefinitely, that is, without reference to any particular subject; as, "To be good is to be happy." -"To be a poet requires genius." In analyzing, this may be called the indefinite attribute. Obs. 5.--The attribute, when a noun or a pronoun, is in the same case as the subject; as, "It is I, be not afraid." In analyzing a sentence, the attribute should be considered one of the principal parts. EXERCISES IN ANALYSIS AND PARSING. EXERCISE 1.-Analyze the following sentences as in the preceding exercises, and point out the attributes and their adjuncts. EXAMPLE.-"Filial ingratitude is a shameful crime." This is a simple declarative sentence; the subject is ingratitude; the predicate is is; and the attribute, crime. The adjunct of the subject is filial; the predicate has no adjuncts; the adjuncts of the attribute are a and shameful. Honesty is the best policy. Napoleon was a great general. Washington was a true patriot. He was elected the first president. The Bible is God's holy word. New York is a great commercial city. My brother has been appointed inspector. Aristides was styled the Just. Peter the Great, who built St. Petersburgh, was a remarkable man. He returned a friend, who came a foe. The flowers which my sister plucked yesterday, still remain fresh. Art is long, and time is fleeting. Can that be the man who deceived me? He might have been guilty, but no sufficient proof could be found. Virtue is bold, and Goodness never fearful. Frequent and loud were the maiden's cries. How gorgeous seems the setting sun! What evil is this which he had committed? Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration, was the third president. General Leo was taken prisoner. Religious instruction is very necessary in childhood. Vicious habits infallibly lead to ruin. In spring, the weather becomes warm. David the Psalmist was King of Israel. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ. John Smith was exploring Virginia, when he was taken prisoner. That office is considered by some a sinecure. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Who is this King of glory? He that loveth pleasure, shall be a poor man. The wise in heart shall be called prudent. The seed which was planted, has become a huge tree. Everything that we do often, we do easily. Repeated acts thus become habits. Habit has been called "second nature." The memory of mischief is no desirable fame. We, who never were his favorites, did not expect these attentions. A crown of glory are his hoary locks! I would act the same part, if I were he. A lie is an intention to deceive. The scholar who plays truant, is guilty of falsehood; because he deceives his parents. Prompting during recitation is another example of falsehood. EXERCISE II.-Parse each word in the above sentences as in the previous exercises; state in addition the class and modifications of the verbs, CHAPTER VIII.-OF ADVERBS. An Adverb is a word added to a verb, a participle, an adjective, or an other adverb; and generally expresses time, place, degree, or manner: as, They are now here, studying very diligently. Obs.-Adverbs briefly express what would otherwise require several words: as, here, for in this place. There are several customary combinations of short words which are used adverbially, and which some grammarians do not analyze in parsing: as, Not at all, at length, in vain. CLASSES. Adverbs may be reduced to four general classes; namely, adverbs of time, of place, of degree, and of manner. I. Adverbs of time are those which answer to the question, When? How long? How soon? or How often? including these which ask. Adverbs of time may be subdivided as follows: 1. Of time present: as, Now, yet, to-day, instantly. 6. Of time repeated: as, Often, seldom, daily, thrice. |