THE INDICATIVE MOOD. 129. The Indicative Mood includes those forms of the Verb that are used in making statements of fact. It has two simple tenses, the Present and the Past: He jests at scars that never felt a wound.—Rom. 2, 1, 43. 130. Remarks on the inflexions in the simple tenses of the Indicative. REM. 1.-The second person singular of the Present is usually formed by adding est to the stem when it ends in a consonant, and st when it ends in a vowel :— Thou visitest the earth and blessest it, thou makest it very plenteous. But est is added to stems ending in y preceded by a vowel; as prayest, surveyest, enjoyest, buyest. Some Verbs in y, preceded by a consonant, change y into i; as try, triest; carry, carriest. REM. 2. In the third person singular of the Present, e is inserted before s when the stem ends with an s sound; as caresses, fixes, lurches, wishes. Verbs in y, preceded by a consonant, have es added to the stem (y being changed to i); as try, tries; fly, flies. But Verbs in y, preceded by a vowel, have s added to the stem; as REM. 3. buy, buys; pray, prays. -An old termination eth, for the third person singular of the Present, is still retained in poetry and solemn language: He made and loveth all.-Coleridge. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it.—Isaiah xl. 7. REM. 4. In the endings est and ed the e is frequently omitted in poetry, the mark' being inserted to show the omission : The current that with gentle murmur glides, Thou know'st, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage. Gent. 2, 7, 25. Went'st not thou to her for a purse of ducats.—Err. 4, 4, 90. REM. 5.-Notice the doubling of the final letter of the stem in some Verbs; as, bid, biddest, bidding; prefer, preferrest, preferring. Generally, when the accent falls on the final syllable of the stem, the final letter is repeated, as begin, beginnest, beginning: whereas Verbs with the accent on an earlier syllable do not double the final letter, as offer, offerest, offering; benefit, benefitest, benefiting; except Verbs in el and il, as counsel, counsellest, counselling; peril, perillest, perilling; and a few others, as worship, worshippest, worshipping. THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD. 131. The Subjunctive is the mood of― 1. Suggestion, as distinguished from Command (Imperative). 2. Supposition, as distinguished from Fact (Indicative). It is called Subjunctive because it is found chiefly in sentences attached and subordinate to a principal sentence. For example, after Verbs of commanding we may have a dependent sentence introduced by the Subordinate Conjunction that, and the Verb in this sentence will be in the Subjunctive Mood: I charge thee that thou attend me.—Temp. 1, 2, 452. So again, in Conditional sentences introduced by the Subordinate Conjunction if, the Subjunctive Mood is frequently found : If fortune serve me, I'll requite this kindness. 132. Even in the simple sentence we sometimes find the Present Subjunctive used to express a prayer, a wish, or an exhortation : The mighty gods defend thee.-J. C. 2, 3, 10. Good night; and better health Attend his majesty.—Macb. 3, 4, 120. It is my lady, O, it is my love! O, that she knew she were !-Rom. 2, 2, IO. |