English Grammar in Familiar Lectures by Samuel Kirkham
page 84 of 462 (18%)
page 84 of 462 (18%)
![]() | ![]() |
|
it is thus conjugated in the INDICATIVE MOOD, PRESENT TENSE.
_Singular_. _Plural_. 1. _Per_. I walk, 1. _Per_. We Walk, 2. _Per_. Thou walk_est_, 2. _Per_. Ye _or_ you walk, 3. _Per_. He walk_s_, _or_ 3. _Per_. They walk, or the boy walk_s_, the boys walk. _or_ walk_eth_. This display of the verb shows you, that whenever it ends in _est_, it is of the _second_ person _singular_; but when the verb ends in _s_, or _eth_, it is of the _third_ person singular. _Walkest, ridest, standest_, are of the second person singular; and _walks_ or _walketh, rides_ or _rideth, stands_ or _standeth_, are of the third person singular. I have told you, that when the nominative is singular number, the verb must be; when the nominative is plural, the verb must be; and when the nominative is first, second, or third person, the verb must be of the same person. If you look again at the foregoing conjugation of _walk_, you will notice that the verb varies if its endings in the _singular_, in order to agree in _form_ with the first, second, and third person of its nominative; but in the _plural_ it does not vary its endings from the first person singular. The verb, however, agrees in _sense_ with its nominative in the plural, as well as in the singular. Exercise a little mind, and you will perceive that _agreement_ and _government_ in language do not consist _merely_ in the _form_ of words. Now, is it not clear, that when I say, I _walk_, the verb walk is _singular_, because it expresses but _one_ action? And when I say, Two men _walk_, is it not |
|