"He is one of the first orators that ever adorned the American Senate."

6. Sometimes the present is used for the future, in familiar writing or discourse, as, "He goes to-morrow." So the perfect is sometimes used for the future, as, "He will go after he has recited his lesson," instead, after he shall have recited, &c.

7. The past should not be used for the pluperfect, as, He arrived before I came. It should be, "He had arrived."

8. The perfect is sometimes incorrectly used instead of the present: as, "The children now living have been greatly indebted to their excellent parents"-more correctly, "are indebted.”

9. In respect to a peculiar use of the past tense, Dr. Webster states the following case: "A servant calls on me for a book. If I am uncertain whether I have it or not, I answer, 'If the book be in my library, or if I have the book, your master is welcome to it;' but if I am certain that I have not the book, I say, 'If the book were in my library, or if I had the book, it should be at your master's service.' Here it is obvious that when we use the present tense, it implies uncertainty of the fact, and when we use the preterit (the past) it implies a negation of its existence. Thus also, a person at night would say to his friend, 'If it rain you shall not go,' being uncertain at the time whether it did or did not rain; but if, on looking out, he perceived it did not rain, he would then say, 'If it rained you should not g.),' intimating that it did not rain."

10. Care must be taken that in connected tenses there shall be a proper correspondence; as, "Ye will not come to me that ye might have life." In such instances, where the principal verb is in the future or the present, the dependent verb cannot be in the past tense. "That ye may have life" is the proper tense. If the first verb is in the past, then the other verb should also be in the past; as, “Ye would not come to me;” or, "Ye did not come to me, that ye might have life." When the first verb, however, is in the perfect tense, the second may be either in the present or the past; as, "Ye have not come to me that ye might (or may) have

life."

11. Sometimes an essential part of a complex tense is improperly omitted, a part of the verb occurring in a previous portion of the sentence, which, however, cannot supply the defect; as, "I shall do all I can to persuade others to take the same measures for their

66

cure which I have." As it will not answer to say, "I have take," so it becomes necessary to add to the above sentence the participle taken. Hence, in auxiliary tenses, the structure of each clause must be completed; as, "This case never has been, or will be, met." It would be faulty to say, never has or will be, met." 12. Verbs are sometimes coupled as having a common regimen, when, in fact, they do not admit of it; as, "It requires few talents to which most men are not born, or, at least, may not acquire." The second clause does not properly follow to which: "to which most men may not acquire.” To make good sense, it is necessary to change the clause thus: "or which, at least, they may not acquire."

13. "Were" is sometimes used instead of "would be," and "had" for "would have;” as, “It were (that is, would be), a shame to do it." "If thou hadst been here, my brother had not (would not have) died."

14. The past tense of the Infinitive is very often incorrectly used for the present, after verbs in the past tense; thus, "He intended to have gone home to-day," which should be written "He intended to go home to-day." Thus it will be seen that the present tense of the infinitive must be used to " express what is contemporary with, or subsequent to, the time of the principal verb in the sentence;" but the perfect tense of the infinitive properly expresses what happens before the time of the principal verb; as, seemed to have been drinking."

"He

15. The pluperfect auxiliary is sometimes used improperly for that of the imperfect subjective; as, "I had rather go than stay," for "I would rather go than stay ;" "We had better go," for "We would better go;" or, "It would be better to go."

EXERCISES.

1. Correct the verbs according to the above observations.

The Court of Chancery frequently mitigates, and breaks the teeth of the common law. They presently grow into good humor and good language towards the crown. Whose people do as they are a mind to. He said that a tyrant was always a coward. He said that Calhoun was highly argumentative. Was it neces sary, I would explain. If he practises economy, he will do well.

If thou goest, she may go also. We have and will be your friends. The orator believed that all men were entitled to freedom. I amn a mind not to give you the book. Did you say that Everett was the most polished writer now in America? The preacher contended that the Bible was a source of the highest benefits. He said that Cowper was profitable reading. Since he has done it, I He was anxious to have done it. I expected to have met you to-morrow. This is the only bargain that had, or could be, made. I prayed for her life, which I would have been willing almost to have purchased with my own. I intended to have written yesterday. We had better stay. We had better walk.

can.

2. Use the tense that will give increased vivacity to the following paragraphs.

All was tumult and confusion; no one knew how to act. At length Eustace de Saint Pierre boldly stepped forward, and offered himself a voluntary victim for the safety of his friends and companions. Five other citizens followed this noble example.

They were led before Edward in the prescribed fashion, who, after reproaching them for the obstinacy of their defence, ordered them to be put to death. The bravest English nobles and warriors interceded in vain for their lives.

Napoleon's amusements all took the same direction. His little garden was turned into a fortified camp, which no one was permitted to invade. In winter, with the aid of his school-fellows, acting under his orders, he constructed new forts, with a skill and knowledge which gained great credit for the youthful engineer.

LESSON XX.

VERBS.-THE PROPER USE OF NUMBER AND PERSON.

1. Verbs must be in the same person and number as their subject-nominatives; that is, as the noun or pronoun pre ceding them; as, The boy runs; The boys run. It shines They shine.

2. Plural subjects admit of predicates in the singular; as, Ye are the salt of the earth.

the world.

Christians are the light of

3. A subject in the singular admits of a predicate in the plural. "He is head and shoulders above the other." "A New York shilling is twelve and a half cents."

4. Two or more subjects, connected by and, require a verb in the plural form; as, Three men and two horses are crossing the river. The same rule applies, when the subjects are sentences, or parts of sentences; as, "That the man is a knave, and that he was present, are well-known facts."

When these subjects are of similar import, good usage allows of a singular verb; as, "The worship and service of heaven is represented to us as the worship and service of gratitude and love." Here worship and service present but one complex subject of the verb.

When the subjects connected by and are not taken together, the verb is singular. "He, and not she, attends."

5. When two or more nouns, connected by and, whether expressed or understood, are preceded by each, every, or either, the verb following such nouns must have the singular form; as, "Either sex, and every age was engaged in labor."

6. When two nouns of different numbers or persons are connected by than or as, or by as well as, as soon as, the verb takes the same number as the former noun, and is understood after the latter; as,

"Such books as this are worth purchasing." "More industrious men than John Wilson are seldom seen. "His goods, as well as his vessel, were lost." "You, as soon as he, have discovered your mistake."

7. When two subjects, in different numbers (one of which has the word no or not as a modifier), are connected by and or but, the verb takes the number of the subject

not thus modified, and is understood in reference to the other; as,

"No amount of property, but moderate desires insure a contented mind." แ "A genuine Christian character, and not ostentatious professions of it, decides our future happiness."

8. When two nouns, connected by and, describe but one subject, they are followed by a singular verb; as, “That great preacher and philanthropist deserves universal rcspect."

9. When a verb is placed between its subjects, it agrees in number with the subject that precedes it, and is to be understood after the other subjects; as, "Sarah dies, and Rebecca, and Gertrude."

10. A collective noun takes a singular verb when it expresses many as a unit, a whole; but a plural verb when it expresses many, as separate individuals. The latter construction is now more commonly employed; as, ate were divided in their views."

tered."

66 The Sen. "The fleet were scat

11. When subjects of the same verb are not of the same person, the verb takes the plural form, and must be made of the first person, rather than the second, and of the second, rather than the third; as, "My brother and I are much attached." "You and he are very happy."

12. Two or more nominatives, in the singular, connected by or or nor, require the verb in the singular; as, "Neither John nor James is here."

When these nominatives are of different persons or numbers, the verb must be of the same number and person with the nominative next to it; as, "I or thou art wrong." "Neither poverty

nor riches are hurtful to him." In such sentences, however, it is better to vary the construction, and give to each subject a verb in the proper person and number; as, "I am wrong, or thou art." "Neither poverty is hurtful to him, nor are riches."

13. When two or more subjects, connected by and, ex