Composition-Rhetoric Part 74

The _weak verbs_ are those which form the preterite by adding _-ed, -d_, or _-t_ to the present: _love, loved_. There is also infrequently a change of vowel: _sell, sold_; _teach, taught_.

All verbs which form the preterite without the addition of an ending are _strong verbs_. There is usually a change of vowel. The termination of the past participle in _-n_ or _-en_ is a sure indication that a verb is _strong_. Some verbs show forms of both conjugations.

A complete list of _strong_ verbs cannot be given here, but a few of the most common will be given, together with a few _weak_ verbs, in the use of which mistakes occur.

PRESENT PRETERITE PAST PARTICIPLE am was been arise rose arisen bear bore borne, born[1]

begin began begun bid (command) bade bidden bite bit bitten blow blew blown break broke broken bring brought brought burst burst burst catch caught caught choose chose chosen climb climbed climbed come came come do did done drink drank drunk[2]

drive drove driven drown drowned drowned eat ate eaten fall fell fallen fly flew flown freeze froze frozen get got got give gave given go went gone grow grew grown have had had hide hid hidden hurt hurt hurt know knew known lay laid laid lie (recline) lay lain lead led led read read read ride rode ridden ring rang rung run ran run see saw seen shake shook shaken show showed shown sing sang sung sink sank sunk sit sat sat slay slew slain speak spoke spoken spring sprang sprung steal stole stolen swell swell { swelled { swollen swim swam swum take took taken tear tore torn throw threw thrown wear wore worn wish wished wished write wrote written

[Footnote 1: Used only in the pa.s.sive sense of "born into the world."]

[Footnote 2: _Drunken_ is an adjective.]

CAUTION.--Do not confuse the preterite with the past participle. Always use the past participle form in the compound tenses.

ADVERBS

+71. Cla.s.ses of Adverbs.+--Adverbs vary much as to their use and meaning.

It is therefore impossible to make a very accurate cla.s.sification, but we may divide them, according to use, into _limiting, interrogative_, and _conjunctive_ adverbs.

_Limiting_ adverbs modify the meaning of verbs, etc.: [He rows _well_].

_Interrogative_ adverbs are used to ask questions: [_When_ shall you come?

He asked _where_ we were going (indirect question)].

_Conjunctive_ adverbs introduce clauses: [We went to the seash.o.r.e, _where_ we stayed a month]. Here _where_ is used as a connective and also as a modifier of _stayed_.

Conjunctive adverbs introduce the following kinds of clauses:

1. Adverbial clauses: [Go _where_ duty calls].

2. Adjective clauses: [This is the very spot _where_ I put them].

3. Noun clause: [I do not know _how_ he will succeed].

Adverbs may also be cla.s.sified, according to meaning, into adverbs of _manner, time, place_, and _degree_. The cla.s.sification is not, however, a rigid one.

Adverbs of _manner_ answer the question How? Most of these terminate in _-ly_. A few, however, are identical in form with adjectives of like meaning: [She sang very loud].

Adverbs of _time_ answer the question When?

Adverbs of _place_ answer the question Where? This cla.s.s, together with the preceding two cla.s.ses, usually modify verbs.

_Adverbs of degree_ answer the question To what extent? These adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

+72. Phrasal Adverbs.+--Certain phrases, adverbial in character, cannot easily be separated into parts. They have been called _phrased adverbs;_ as, arm-in-arm, now-a-days, etc.

+73. Inflection.+--Some adverbs, like adjectives, are compared for the purpose of showing different degrees of quality or quant.i.ty.

The comparative and superlative degrees may be formed by adding the syllables _er_ and _est_ to the positive degree. The great majority of adverbs, however, make use of the words _more_ and _most_ or _less_ and _least_ to show a difference in degree: [Fast, faster, fastest; skillfully, more skillfully, most skillfully; carefully, less carefully, least carefully].

Some adverbs are compared irregularly:--

badly } worse worst ill (evil)} far } { farther { farthest forth } { further { furthest late later { latest { last little less least much more most nigh nigher { nigher { next well better best

+74. Suggestions and Cautions concerning the Use of Adverbs.+

1. Some words, as _fast, little, much, more_, and others, have the same form for both adjective and adverb, and use alone can determine what part of speech each is.

(Adjective) He is a fast driver. She looks well (in good health).

(Adverb) How fast he walks! I learned my lesson well.

2. Corresponding adjectives and adverbs usually have different forms which should not be confused.

(Adjective) She is a good student.

(Adverb) He works well.

3. The adjective, and not the adverbial, form should be used after a copulative verb, since adverbs cannot modify substantives: [I feel bad; not, I feel badly].

4. Two negatives imply an affirmative. Hence only one should be used to denote negation: [I have nothing to say. I have no patience with him].

+75. Equivalents for Adverbs.+

1. A phrase: [The child ran away _with great glee_].

2. A clause: [I will go canoeing _when the lake is calm_].

3. A noun: [Please come _home_. I will stay five _minutes_].

PREPOSITIONS

+76. Cla.s.ses of Prepositions.+--The _simple_ prepositions are: _at, after, against, but, by, down, for, from, in, of, off, over, on, since, through, till, to, under, up_, and _with_.

Other prepositions are either derived or compound: such as, _underneath, across, between, concerning_, and _notwithstanding_.