A VERB is a word which signifies to be, to do, or to suffer.
There are three kinds of Verbs; Active, Passive, and Neuter Verbs.
A Verb Active expresses an Action, and necessarily implies an agent, and
an object acted upon: as, _to love_; “I love Thomas.”
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_; “Thomas is loved by me.”
So when the Agent takes the lead in the Sentence, the Verb is Active, and
the Object follows: when the Object takes the lead, the Verb is Passive,
and the Agent follows.
A Verb Neuter expresses Being, or a state or condition of being; when
the Agent and the Object acted upon coincide, and the event is properly
neither Action nor Passion, but rather something between both: as, _I
am_; _I walk_; _I sleep_.
The Verb Active is called also Transitive, because the Action _passeth
over_ to the Object, or hath an effect upon some other thing: and the
Verb Neuter is called Intransitive, because the effect is confined within
the Agent, and doth _not pass over_ to any object.
In English many Verbs are used both in an Active and a Neuter
signification, the construction only determining of which kind they are.
In a Verb are to be considered the Person, the Number, the Time, and the
Mode.
The Verb varies its endings to express, or agree with, the different
Persons: as, “I _love_, Thou _lovest_, He _loveth_, or _loves_.”
So also to express the different Numbers of the same Person: as, “Thou
_lovest_, ye _love_; He _loveth_, they _love_[18].”
So likewise to express different Times: as, “I _love_, I _loved_; I
_bear_, I _bore_, I have _born_.”
The Mode is the _Manner_ of representing the Action or Passion. When it
is simply _declared_, or a question is asked concerning it, it is called
the Indicative Mode; when it is _bidden_, it is called the Imperative;
when it is _subjoined_ as the end or design, or mentioned under a
condition, a supposition, or the like, for the most part depending on
some other Verb, and having a Conjunction before it, it is called the
Subjunctive; when it is barely expressed _without any limitation_ of
person or number, it is called the Infinitive; and when it is expressed
in a form in which it may be joined to a Noun as its quality or accident,
_partaking_ thereby of the nature of an Adjective, it is called the
Participle.
But to express the Time of the Verb the English uses also the assistance
of other Verbs, called therefore Auxiliaries, or Helpers; _do_, _be_,
_have_, _shall_, _will_: as, “I _do_ love, I _did_ love; I _am_ loved, I
_was_ loved; I _have_ loved, I _have been_ loved; I _shall_, or _will_,
love, or _be_ loved.”
The two principal auxiliaries, _to have_, and _to be_, are thus varied
according to Person, Number, Time, and Mode.
Time is Present, Past, or Future.
To HAVE.
Indicative Mode.
Present Time.
Person. Sing. Plur.
1. I have, We }
2. Thou hast[19], Ye } have.
3. He hath, or has; They }
Past Time.
1. I had, We }
2. Thou hadst, Ye } had.
3. He had; They }
Future Time.
1. I shall, or will, } We } shall,
2. Thou shalt, or wilt, } have; Ye } or will,
3. He shall, or will, } They } have.
Imperative Mode.
1. Let us have,
2. Have thou, or, Do thou have, Have ye, or, Do ye have,
3. Let him have; Let them have.
Subjunctive Mode.
Present Time.
1. I } We }
2. Thou } have; Ye } have.
3. He } They }
Infinitive Mode.
Present, To have: Past, To have had.
Participle.
Present, Having: Perfect[20], Had: Past, Having had.
To BE.
Indicative Mode.
Present Time.
1. I am, We }
2. Thou art, Ye } are.
3. He is; They }
Or,
1. I be, We }
2. Thou beest, Ye } be.
3. He is; They }
Past Time.
1. I was, We }
2. Thou wast, Ye } were.
3. He was; They }
Future Time.
1. I shall, or will, } We } shall,
2. Thou shalt, or wilt, } be; Ye } or will,
3. He shall, or will, } They } be.
Imperative Mode.
1. Let us be,
2. Be thou, or, Do thou be, Be ye, or, Do ye be,
3. Let him be; Let them be.
Subjunctive Mode.
Present Time.
1. I } We }
2. Thou } be; Ye } be.
3. He } They }
Past Time.
1. I were, We }
2. Thou wert[21], Ye } were.
3. He were; They }
Infinitive Mode.
Present, To be: Past, To have been.
Participle.
Present, Being: Perfect, Been: Past, Having been.
The Verb Active is thus varied according to Person, Number, Time and Mode.
Indicative Mode.
Present Time.
Person. Sing. Plur.
1. I love, We }
2. Thou lovest, Ye } love.
3. He loveth, or loves; They }
Past Time.
1. I loved, We }
2. Thou lovedst, Ye } loved.
3. He loved; They }
Future Time.
1. I shall, or will, } We }
2. Thou shalt, or wilt, } love; Ye } shall, or will, love.
3. He shall, or will, } They }
Imperative Mode.
1. Let us love,
2. Love thou, or, Do thou love, Love ye, or, Do ye love,
3. Let him love; Let them love.
Subjunctive Mode.
Present Time.
1. I } We }
2. Thou } love; Ye } love.
3. He } They }
And,
1. I may } We } may love;
2. Thou mayst } love; Ye } and
3. He may } They } have loved[22].
Past Time.
1. I might } We } might love;
2. Thou mightest } love; Ye } and
3. He might } They } have loved[22].
And,