_stands, sits, lies_, or _hangs_.

I will now give you two _signs_, which will enable you to distinguish
the verb from other parts of speech, when you cannot tell it by its
signification. Any word that will make sense with _to_ before it, is a
verb. Thus, to run, to write, to smile, to sing, to hear, to ponder, to
live, to breathe, are verbs. Or, any word that will _conjugate_, is a
verb. Thus, I run, thou runnest, he runs; I write, thou writest, he
writes; I smile, &c. But the words, boy, lady, child, and world, will
not make sense with _to_ prefixed--_to_ boy, _to_ lady, _to_ world, is
nonsense. Neither will they con_jugate_--I lady, thou ladiest, &c. is
worse than nonsense. Hence you perceive, that these words are _not_
verbs. There are some exceptions to these rules, for verbs are sometimes
used as nouns. This will be explained by and by.

To verbs belong _number, person, mood_, and _tense_.

At present I shall speak only of the number and person of verbs; but
hereafter I will give you a full explanation of all their properties.
And permit me to inform you, that I shall not lead you into the
_intricacies_ of the science, until, by gradual and easy progressions,
you are enabled to comprehend the principles involved in them. Only such
principles will be elucidated, as you are prepared to understand at the
time they are unfolded before you. You must not be too anxious to get
along _rapidly_; but endeavor to become thoroughly acquainted with one
principle, before you undertake another. This lecture will qualify you
for the next.

NUMBER AND PERSON OF VERBS. You recollect, that the nominative is the
_actor_ or _subject_, and the active verb is the _action_ performed by