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English Grammar and Composition for Public Schools

Chapter 48: LESSON XLVIII.
By G. H. Armstrong
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About This Book

A practical, inductive grammar and composition manual for classroom use that presents rules through examples and progressive exercises. It introduces sentence types, subjects and predicates, parts of speech and their inflections, syntax, and sentence analysis, then offers guidance and exercises for composition practice. Emphasis is on observation of good English, mental discipline through generalization, frequent writing practice, and teacher-led correction rather than mechanical drills. Lessons and exercises aim to develop clear expression and grammatical understanding.

LESSON XLVII.

THE FORMS OF THE VERBS DO AND BE.

DO.

INDICATIVE MODE.

   PRESENT TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural. 
   1. I do,1. We do,
   2. Thou doest2. You do,
       or dost,
   3. He does.3. They do.
    
   PAST TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural.
   1. I did,1. We did, 
   2. Thou didst,2. You did, 
   3. He did.3. They did. 
    

SUBJUNCTIVE MODE.

   PRESENT TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural. 
   1. (If) I do,1. (If) we do,
   2. (If) thou do,2. (If) you do,
   3. (If) he do.3. (If) they do.
    
   PAST TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural.
   1. (If) I did,1. (If) we did, 
   2. (If) thou did,2. (If) you did, 
   3. (If) he did.3. (If) they did. 
    
   Imperative Mode.Infinitives.Participles.
   Do (thou or you).(To) do.Imperfect—Doing.
   Doing.Perfect—Done.

The present and past tenses of do are used as auxiliaries with the present infinitive, (1) to express emphasis; as, I do study every evening. (2) To express a denial; as, I did not do it. (3) To ask questions; as, Did you see him?

When do means to perform, it is an independent verb; as, He did his part.

EXERCISE.

Name the sentences in which do is used as an independent verb, and those in which it is used as an auxiliary, and explain the use of each auxiliary:—

1.Do they not err that devise evil?—Bible. 
2.All their works they do to be seen of men.—Bible. 
3.Stone walls do not a prison make.—Lovelace. 
4.                      And for that offense 
Immediately we do exile him hence.—Shakespeare. 
5.And everybody praised the Duke 
Who this great fight did win.—Southey. 
6.The evil that men do lives after them.—Shakespeare. 
7.So little they rose, so little they fell, 
They did not move the Inchcape Bell.—Southey. 
8.If I do so, it will be of more price, 
Being spoke behind your back, than to your face.—Shakespeare. 

BE.

INDICATIVE MODE.

   PRESENT TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural. 
   1. I am,1. We are, 
   2. Thou art,2. You are, 
   3. He is.3. They are. 
    
   PAST TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural.
   1. I was,1. We were, 
   2. Thou wast,2. You were, 
   3. He was.3. They were. 

SUBJUNCTIVE MODE.

   PRESENT TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural. 
   1. (If) I be,1. (If) we be, 
   2. (If) thou be,2. (If) you be, 
   3. (If) he be.3. (If) they be 
    
   PAST TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural.
   1. (If) I were,1. (If) we were, 
   2. (If) thou wert,2. (If) you were, 
   3. (If) he were.3. (If) they were. 
    
   Imperative Mode.Infinitives.Participles.
   Be (thou or you).(To) be.Imperfect—Being.
   Being.Perfect—Been.

1. The verb to be is used as an auxiliary with the perfect participle of a transitive verb, to form the passive voice; as, I am hurt.

2. The verb to be is used as an auxiliary with the present participle of a verb, to form the progressive form; as, I am writing.

3. The verb to be, without the participle of another verb, is used to express (1) existence; as, Whatever is, is right. (2) To act as a copula (connecting word); as, Sugar is sweet. Whatever is, is right.

EXERCISE I.

State the use of the verb be in each of the following sentences:—

1.“Alas,” said I, “man was made in vain!”—Addison. 
2.Brevity is the soul of wit.—Shakespeare. 
3.The waves were white, and red the morn, 
In the noisy hour when I was born.—Procter. 
4.It was a summer evening, 
Old Kaspar’s work was done, 
And he before his cottage door 
Was sitting in the sun.—Southey. 
5.It is my lady, O, it is my love! 
O, that she knew she were!—Shakespeare. 
6.When the heart is right there is true patriotism.—Berkeley. 
7.True worth is in being, not seeming.—A. Cary. 
8.                  We are such stuff 
As dreams are made on; and our little life 
Is rounded with a sleep.—Shakespeare. 

EXERCISE II.

1. Write four examples of the verb be used as an independent verb.

2. Write four examples of the verb be used in making the progressive form.

3. Write four examples of the verb be used in forming the passive voice.

LESSON XLVIII.

OTHER AUXILIARY VERBS.

In the last three lessons we have studied the auxiliaries used in distinguishing the time of an action. We shall now study the auxiliaries can, may, must, ought, should and would, which enable us to express other distinctions.

CAN.

   PRESENT TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural. 
   1. I can,1. We can, 
   2. Thou canst,2. You can, 
   3. He can.3. They can. 
    
   PAST TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural.
   1. I could,1. We could, 
   2. Thou couldst,2. You could, 
   3. He could.3. They could. 

Can is used to denote power or ability; as, I can sing. He could write very rapidly.

MAY.

   PRESENT TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural. 
   1. I may,1. We may, 
   2. Thou mayest,2. You may, 
   3. He may.3. They may. 
    
   PAST TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural.
   1. I might,1. We might, 
   2. Thou mightest,2. You might, 
   3. He might.3. They might. 

May is used to denote permission, possibility, or a wish; as, You may leave the room. He might succeed again. May you be there too.

Could and might are used sometimes in a conditional sense; as, They might stay here if we could help them.

The phrases made by the auxiliaries may and can with the infinitive of a verb are sometimes called potential verb-phrases, because they express that an action is possible from the subject having power to perform it.

MUST and OUGHT.

Must has no other form. It is used to denote necessity or obligation; as, I must remain here.

Ought is the old past of the verb owe. It is used to denote duty or obligation; as, I ought to help him.

The phrases made by the auxiliaries must and ought, with the infinitive of a verb, are sometimes called obligative verb-phrases, because they imply obligation.

SHOULD and WOULD.

Should and would are the past tense forms of the auxiliaries shall and will.

Should and would are especially used with the infinitive of a verb to express a conditional statement; as, I should do so if I had the opportunity. He would come if I asked him.

Since the phrases formed by should and would with the infinitive of a verb imply a condition, they are called conditional verb-phrases.

1. Should and would are often used in expressing the condition itself; as, If he should be here, they would know it.

2. They have sometimes their more independent meanings of ought and be determined; as, I should go, I know. She would come, no matter what happened.

EXERCISE I.

State the use of the verbs may, can, must, ought, should and would in the following sentences:—

1.For I can weather the roughest gale, 
That ever wind did blow.—Longfellow. 
2.She must weep or she will die.—Tennyson. 
3.We ought to obey God.—Bible. 
4.And when he next doth ride abroad 
May I be there to see!—Cowper. 
5.“Please, Brown,” he whispered, “may I wash my face and hands?”—Hughes. 
6.I would not for the wealth of all the town 
Here in my home do him disparagement.—Shakespeare. 
7.For men may come and men may go, 
But I go on forever.—Tennyson. 
8.If a storm should come and wake the deep, 
What matter! I shall ride and sleep.—Procter. 
9.It may be that Death’s bright angel 
Will speak in that chord again, 
It may be that only in Heaven 
I shall hear that grand Amen.—Procter. 

EXERCISE II.

Write sentences containing the following verbs used correctly—can, may, must, ought, should, would. State the use in each case.

LESSON XLIX.

CONJUGATION TO DENOTE THE TIME OR TENSE OF AN ACTION OF THE VERB PRAISE.

ACTIVE VOICE.—INDICATIVE MODE.

   PRESENT TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural. 
   1. I praise,1. We praise, 
   2. Thou praisest,2. You praise, 
   3. He praises.3. They praise. 
    
   PRESENT 
   PERFECT TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural. 
   1. I have praised,1. We have praised, 
   2. Thou hast praised,2. You have praised, 
   3. He has praised.3. They have praised. 
    
   PAST TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural. 
   1. I praised,1. We praised, 
   2. Thou praisedst,2. You praised, 
   3. He praised.3. They praised. 
    
PAST  
PERFECT TENSE. 
Singular.Plural. 
1. I had praised,1. We had praised, 
2. Thou hadst praised,2. You had praised, 
3. He had praised.3. They had praised. 
   
   FUTURE TENSE. 
   (Denoting Future Action.) 
   Singular.Plural. 
   1. I shall praise,1. We shall praise, 
   2. Thou wilt praise,2. You will praise, 
   3. He will praise.3. They will praise. 
    

   FUTURE TENSE. 
   (Denoting a Promise 
   or Determination.) 
   Singular.Plural. 
   1. I will praise,1. We will praise, 
   2. Thou shalt praise,2. You shall praise, 
   3. He shall praise.3. They shall praise. 
    
FUTURE 
PERFECT TENSE. 
(Denoting Future Action.) 
Singular.Plural. 
1. I shall have praised,1. We shall have praised, 
2. Thou wilt have praised,2. You will have praised, 
3. He will have praised.3. They will have praised. 
   
FUTURE 
PERFECT TENSE. 
(Denoting a Promise 
or Determination.) 
Singular.Plural. 
1. I will have praised,1. We will have praised, 
2. Thou shalt have praised,2. You shall have praised, 
3. He shall have praised.3. They shall have praised. 
   

SUBJUNCTIVE MODE.

   PRESENT TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural. 
   1. (If) I praise,1. (If) we praise, 
   2. (If) thou praise,2. (If) you praise, 
   3. (If) he praise.3. (If) they praise. 
    
   PAST TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural. 
   1. (If) I praised,1. (If) we praised, 
   2. (If) thou praised,2. (If) you praised, 
   3. (If) he praised.3. (If) they praised. 
    

IMPERATIVE MODE.

   PRESENT TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural. 
   Praise (thou).Praise (ye or you). 
    

   INFINITIVES. 
   Present.Perfect. 
   (To) praise,(To) have praised, 
   Praising.Having praised. 
    
   PARTICIPLES. 
   Present or Imperfect.Present Perfect or Perfect. 
   Praising.Having praised. 
    

PASSIVE VOICE.

The passive forms of a transitive verb are made by the aid of the auxiliary be.

INDICATIVE MODE.

   PRESENT TENSE. 
   Singular.Plural. 
   1. I am praised,1. We are praised, 
   2. Thou art praised,2. You are praised, 
   3. He is praised.3. They are praised. 
    
PRESENT 
PERFECT TENSE. 
Singular.Plural. 
1. I have been praised,1. We have been praised, 
2. Thou hast been praised,2. You have been praised, 
3. He has been praised.3. They have been praised. 
   
PAST TENSE. 
Singular.Plural. 
1. I was praised,1. We were praised, 
2. Thou wast praised,2. You were praised, 
3. He was praised.3. They were praised. 
   
PAST 
PERFECT TENSE. 
Singular.Plural. 
1. I had been praised,1. We had been praised, 
2. Thou hadst been praised,2. You had been praised, 
3. He had been praised.3. They had been praised. 
   

FUTURE TENSE. 
(Denoting Future Action.) 
Singular.Plural. 
1. I shall be praised,1. We shall be praised, 
2. Thou wilt be praised,2. You will be praised, 
3. He will be praised.3. They will be praised. 
   
FUTURE TENSE. 
(Denoting a Promise 
or Determination.) 
Singular.Plural. 
1. I will be praised, etc.1. We will be praised, etc. 
   
FUTURE 
PERFECT TENSE. 
(Denoting Future Action.) 
Singular.Plural. 
1. I shall have been praised,1. We shall have been praised, 
etc.etc. 
   
FUTURE 
PERFECT TENSE. 
(Denoting a Promise 
or Determination.) 
Singular.Plural. 
1. I will have been praised,1. We will have been praised, 
etc.etc. 
   

SUBJUNCTIVE MODE.

PRESENT TENSE. 
Singular.Plural. 
1. (If) I be praised,1. (If) we be praised, 
2. (If) thou be praised,2. (If) you be praised, 
3. (If) he be praised.3. (If) they be praised. 
   
PAST TENSE. 
Singular.Plural. 
1. (If) I were praised,1. (If) we were praised, 
2. (If) thou were praised,2. (If) you were praised, 
3. (If) he were praised.3. (If) they were praised. 
   

IMPERATIVE MODE.

   PRESENT TENSE.
   Be (thou) praised. 
  

   INFINITIVES. 
   Present.Perfect. 
   (To) be praised,(To) have been praised, 
   Being praised.Having been praised. 
    
   PARTICIPLES. 
   Present or Imperfect.Perfect or Present Perfect. 
   Being praised.Praised or Having been praised.