An English Grammar Part 39

7. People were setting up torches and lengthening the rafts which had been already formed.

8. The water was first brought in barrels drawn by horses, till some officer came and opened the fire plug.

9. The exclusive in fas.h.i.+onable life does not see that he excludes himself from enjoyment, in the attempt to appropriate it.

(_b_) Find sentences with five verbs in the active and five in the pa.s.sive voice.

MOOD.

[Sidenote: _Definition._]

213. The word _mood_ is from the Latin _modus_, meaning _manner_, _way_, _method_. Hence, when applied to verbs,--

Mood means the manner of conceiving and expressing action or being of some subject.

[Sidenote: _The three ways._]

214. There are three chief ways of expressing action or being:--

(1) As a fact; this may be a question, statement, or a.s.sumption.

(2) As doubtful, or merely conceived of in the mind.

(3) As urged or commanded.

INDICATIVE MOOD.

[Sidenote: _Deals with facts._]

215. The term _indicative_ is from the Latin _indicare_ (to declare, or a.s.sert). The indicative represents something as a fact,--

[Sidenote: _Affirms or denies._]

(1) _By declaring a thing to be true or not to be true_; thus,--

Distinction _is_ the consequence, never the object, of a great mind.--ALLSTON.

I _do not remember_ when or by whom I _was taught_ to read; because I _cannot_ and never _could recollect_ a time when I _could not read_ my Bible.--D. WEBSTER.

[Sidenote: _a.s.sumed as a fact._]

[Sidenote: _Caution._]

(2) _By a.s.suming a thing to be true_ without declaring it to be so.

This kind of indicative clause is usually introduced by _if_ (meaning _admitting that, granting that_, etc.), _though, although_, etc.

Notice that the action is not merely conceived as possible; it is a.s.sumed to be a fact: for example,--

If the penalties of rebellion hung over an unsuccessful contest; if America was yet in the cradle of her political existence; if her population little exceeded two millions; if she was without government, without fleets or armies, a.r.s.enals or magazines, without military knowledge,--still her citizens had a just and elevated sense of her rights.--A. HAMILTON.

(3) _By asking a question to find out some fact_; as,--

Is private credit the friend and patron of industry?--HAMILTON.

With respect to novels what shall I say?--N. WEBSTER.

[Sidenote: _Definition._]

216 .The indicative mood is that form of a verb which represents a thing as a fact, or inquires about some fact.

SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD.

[Sidenote: _Meaning of the word._]

217. _Subjunctive_ means _subjoined_, or joined as dependent or subordinate to something else.

[Sidenote: _This meaning is misleading._]

If its original meaning be closely adhered to, we must expect every dependent clause to have its verb in the subjunctive mood, and every clause _not_ dependent to have its verb in some other mood.

But this is not the case. In the quotation from Hamilton (Sec. 215, 2) several subjoined clauses introduced by _if_ have the indicative mood, and also independent clauses are often found having the verb in the subjunctive mood.

[Sidenote: _Cautions._]

Three cautions will be laid down which must be observed by a student who wishes to understand and use the English subjunctive:--

(1) You cannot tell it always by the form of the word. The main difference is, that the subjunctive has no _-s_ as the ending of the present tense, third person singular; as, "If he _come_."

(2) The fact that its clause is dependent or is introduced by certain words will not be a safe rule to guide you.

(3) The _meaning_ of the verb itself must be keenly studied.

[Sidenote: _Definition._]

218. The subjunctive mood is that form or use of the verb which expresses action or being, not as a fact, but as merely conceived of in the mind.