ftood of Explicative Sentences; for when the Sentence is Interrogative, just the reverfe for the most part takes place: Thus, "I fhall go; you will go;" exprefs event only; but," will you go?" imports intention; and "Shall I go?" refers to the will of another. But again, he shall go," and, "shall he go? both imply will, expreffing or referring to a command. Would primarily denotes inclination of will; and should, obligation: but they both vary their import, and are often used to express fimple event.

Do and have make the Prefent Time did, bad, the Paft; fhall, will, the Future: let is employed in forming the Imperative Mode; may, might, could, would, fhould, in forming the Subjunctive. The Prepofition to placed before the Verb makes the Infinitive Mode [7]. Have, through its feve

[7] Bishop Wilkins gives the following elegant inve tigation of the Modes in his Real Character, Part iii. Chap. 5.

ral

ral Modes and Times, is placed only be fore the Perfect Participle; and be, in like

"To fhew in what manner the Subject is to be joined with his Predicate, the Copula between them is affected with a Particle, which from the ufe of it is called Modus, the manner or Mode.

Now the Subject and Predicate may be joined together either Simply, or with fome kind of Limitation; and accordingly thefe Modes are Primary or Secondary, The Primary Modes are called by Grammarians Indicative and Imperative.

When the matter is declared to be fo, or at least when it feems in the Speaker's power to have it be fo, as the bare union of Subject and Predicate would import, then the Copula is nakedly expreffed without any variation and this manner of exprefling it is called the Indicative Mode.

When it is neither declared to be fo, nor feems im mediately in the Speaker's power to have it fo; then he can do no more in words but make out the expreffion, of his will to him that hath the thing in his power. namely to

his

Superior
Equal
Inferior

Petition,

manner of these affecting the Copula, (Be it fo, or, let it be fo, is called the Imperative Mode; of which there are these three varieties very fit to be diftinctly pro vided for, As for that other ufe of the Imperative manner,,

manner, before the Prefent and Paffive Participles: the reft only before the Verb, or another Auxiliary, in its Primary Form.

Mode, when it fignifies Permission; this may be fufficiently expreffed by the Secondary Mode of Liberty; You may do it.

The Secondary Modes are fuch, as, when the Copula is affected with any of them, make the Sentence to be (as the Logicians call it) a Modal Propofition.

This happens, when the matter in difcourfe, namely, the being, or doing, or fuffering of a thing, is confidered, not fimply by itself, but gradually in its causes, from which it proceeds contingently, or neceffarily.

Then a thing seems to be left Contingent, when the Speaker expresses only the Poffibility of it, or his own Liberty to it.

1. The Poffability of a thing depends upon the power of its caufe; and may be expreffed

Abfolute

when Conditional by the Particle Can,

Could.

2. The Liberty of a thing depends upon a freedom from all obftacles either within or without, and is usually expressed in our language S Abfolute

when

Conditional } by the Particle

Particle{May,

Might.

Then a thing feems to be of Neceffity, when the Speaker expreffeth the refolution of his own will, or fome other Obligation upon him from without,

When

When an Auxiliary is joined to the Verb, the Auxiliary goes through all the variations of Perfon and Number, and the Verb itself continues invariably the fame. When there are two or more Auxiliaries joined to the Verb, the first of them only is varied according to Perfon and Number.. The Auxiliary must admits of no variation.

The Paffive Verb is only the Participie Paffive, (which for the moft part is the fame with the Indefinite Paft Time Active, and always the fame with the Perfect Participle) joined to the Auxiliary Verb to be through all its Variations: as, I am loved;

if

3. The Inclination of the Will is expreffed,

Abfolute

{Conditional} by the Particle [Will,

Would.

4. The Neceffity of a thing from fome external Obli gation, whether Natural, or Moral, which we call Duty, is expreffed,

if:

S Abfolute

{Conditional } by the Particle Must, qught, shall;

Muft, ought, fhould."

See alfo HERMES, Book I. Chap. viii.

I was loved; I have been loved I shall be loved and fo on, through all the Perfons, the Numbers, the Times, and the Modes.

The Neuter Verb is varied like the Active; but, having somewhat of the Nature of the Paffive, admits in many, inftances of the Paffive form, retaining ftill the Neuter fignification; chiefly in fuch Verbs as fignify fome fort of motion, or change of place or condition: : as, come; I was gone; I am grown; I was fallen [8] The Verb am in this cafe pre

I am

[8] I doubt much of the propriety of the following examples: "The rules of our holy Religion, from which we are infinitely swerved." Tillotson, Vol. I. Serm. 27. "The whole obligation of that law and covenant, which God made with the Jews, was also ceafed." Ib. Vol. II. Serm. 52. "Whofe number was now amounted to three hundred." Swift, Contests and Diffenfions, Chap. 3. Neuter Verbs are fometimes employed very improperly as Actives: "I think it by no means a fit and decent thing to vie Charities, and to erect the reputation of one upon the ruins of another." Atterbury, Vol. I. Serm. 2.