CHAPTER III.3

OF THE VERB.

844. PRELIMINARY REMARK.-(1) It is the usual practice, both in Grammars and in Dictionaries, to employ the infinitive (the verbal noun with the prefix to, noticed in § 27) to designate any particular verb. (2) Thus, the word which asserts being is called the verb to be, the word which asserts writing the verb to write, &c. (3) It will be convenient in compliance with universal usage to retain this manner of indicating verbs; though apparently inconsistent with the definition of verbs which we have given, since the verbal with the prefix to is not assertive, and therefore not a verb, according to our definition. (4) The learner will therefore please remember that when we use this form of expression, the verb to write, the verb to think, &c., we do not mean that the words to write, to think, are themselves verbs, but to express concisely (what may be more fully expressed) the verb which asserts the action to write, or of writingthe verb wl.ch expresses the action to think, &c.

(5) We here repeat the definition of the verb which we have adopted: viz., THE VERB IS THAT WORD IN A PROPOSITION WHICH EXPRESSES ASSERTION. As we arrange in the class of verbs all the words and only the words which perform the peculiar and readily recognised function of asserting, the learner, after a little practice, can find no difficulty in distinguishing them.

CLASSIFICATION OF VERBS IN REFERENCE TO THEIR MEANING.— (6) The first striking distinction, in reference to meaning which arrests our attention, is that between verbs, which express alone a complete predicate-form a full rational assertion respecting the

§ 44. (1) How are particular verbs designated in grammars and dictionaries? (2) Illustrate by an example. (3) What is said of the practice of indicating verbs in this man. ner? (4) Repeat the caution given to the learner.

(5) Repeat the definition of a verb and the remark which follows.

(6) Mention a striking distinction among verbs in reference to their meaning. (7) Illus

subject of the proposition-and those which do not express a predi cate without the help of other words to complete them. (7) For example, the verbs grow and sleep express a complete predicate—a complete assertion. Uniting the subject nouns, CORN and BOYS, with the verbs GROWS and SLEEP respectively, we form two complete propositions containing rational assertions; CORN GROWS; BOYS SLEEP. But such verbs as MAKE and GIVE will not form complete predicates, or complete assertions. If I say MEN MAKE, or MEN GIVE, I express no complete sense. Some completing word must be placed after them in order to form a proposition; as, The man makes ploughs; the man gives lessons, &c. (8) Regarded in this point of view, verbs might be divided into complete or perfect verbs, and incomplete or imperfect verbs.

Perhaps the most complete classification of verbs founded on their meaning (as distinct from their form), and having reference to constructional arrangements, would be one which should distribute them according to the forms of the complements or modifications of which they are susceptible. Following this method, we should have a class of verbs which, without any complement or modification, express a rational predicate, a class of verbs which require a complement indicating a passive or suffering object, a class of verbs which require complements, indicating both a passive and a personal object, a class of verbs which take a passive and a factitive object to complete them, a class of verbs which require an adverb, &c. Such a classification would lead to details unsuited to the present stage of our progress in grammatical analysis. All the useful purposes which it could effect will be effected, whilst we examine and discuss hereafter the several complements of verbs. When our discussion is completed, a classification founded on this principle can, if requisite, be more readily made, and more easily comprehended by the learner.

But though the division of verbs into complete and incomplete verbs, subdividing the incomplete into classes in reference to the forms of complements necessary to constitute them rational predicates, is per

1 haps the most philosophical, we defer (for the reasons assigned) in

troducing it for the present, (9) and confine ourselves to the old and generally received classification, which is exclusively used in all our dictionaries as well as grammars, and for this reason claims the

trate this distinction by examples. (8) Into what classes might verbs be divided in refer ence to this fact?

attention of the learner. (9) It claims attention also as preparatory to the explanation of what is called the passive voice of verbs.

§ 45. (1) This classification divides verbs (on the principle of their requiring or not requiring one particular form of complement) into intransitive and transitive, or, to use the more ancient names, neuter verbs and active verbs. (2) The distinction between these two classes is this, in what are called intransitive or neuter verbs, that which is asserted or predicated terminates in the subject of the assertion-affects only the subject. (3) Thus, when we say, "Corn grows," we predicate the action of growing of the subject corn, as terminating in the corn. The act of growing is not such as affects directly any other object beyond the subject of which it is asserted. (4) Hence, this class of verbs has been appropriately called, by some modern grammarians, subjective verbs, as the action which they express terminates in the subject.

(5) On the contrary, the transitive or active verbs express an action which does not terminate in the subject, but passes over on some other object either expressed or implied in the proposition. (6) Thus in the example used above, "the man makes a table,” the action of making passes over upon the object made—“the table," which undergoes or suffers the action. (7) The object which undergoes the action expressed by the verb is called, to distinguish it from other objects of the verb's action, the suffering or passive object. (8) From the fact that the action of these verbs passes over, they have been called transitive verbs. Transitive means that passes (The reason for which they have been called active verbs is to be explained presently.) (9) These verbs have also been appropriately named objective verbs, because the action which they express has always reference to some object external to the subject, and a word expressive of this object is necessary to complete them—that

over.

(9) What reasons are assigned for giving attention to the old classification?

§ 45. (1) Give the names of the two divisions of verbs according to this classification. (2) State the peculiarities which distinguish neuter or intransitive verbs. (3) Illustrate by examples. (4) By what name have these neuter verbs been appropriately called by some modern grammarians?

(5) Describe the active or transitive verbs. (6) Illustrate by example. (7) What name is given to the object which undergoes the action of the verb? (8) What docs the term transitive mean, and why is it applied to this class of verbs? (9) What other name has

is to enable them to form a rational predicate. (10) We shall retain the old names neuter and active, or intransitive and transitive, which, as we understand and use them, are equivalent, viz., intransitive to neuter, and transitive to active.

(11) Every verb that always expresses a complete predicate belongs of course to the class of neuter or intransitive verbs. (12) But many verbs which cannot make complete sense without modifying words belong also to the class of neuter verbs—that is, of verbs expressing an action terminating in the subject of which it is asserted. (13) Thus the verb behaves will not form a complete assertion without the help of another word. The boy behaves is not a complete assertion. To express complete sense, we must say, the boy behaves well or behaves ill, or use some other words expressive of the manner of his behavior. [(14) Still this verb requires no passive object. The action of behaving passes over upon no other object; it terminates in the subject. If we place after it a word in the form of an objective complement, it must be a word expressive of the same person with the subject noun; as in the example, the boy behaves HIMSELF well. Here himself refers to the same individual expressed by the subject noun-boy. We cannot say that, the boy behaves any other person or any other thing, well or ill, &c. That is, the verb behaves can take after it no suffering or passive object distinct from the subject of which it is asserted. In other words, the action terminates in the subject.]

(15) It has been already noticed that all the verbs of the class which we have ventured to name complete verbs, admit of modifying or completing words, but none of them admit of the modification of a passive object; they do not express an action which can pass over on an object distinct from the subject of which they are employed to make an assertion. The importance of this distinction among verbs will be better understood, when we come to treat of the various forms of modifications or complements which we attach

been given to them? And why? (10) What names do we adopt? (11) To which of these classes do the complete verbs belong? (12) Are any of the incomplete verbs also neuter? (13) Illustrate by an example. [(14) Repeat what is said in further illustration of the example.]

(15) Do the verbs which we have called complete verbs admit of completing words! Can they be completed by a noun expressive of a passive object?

to them in order to form complete predicates; and when we come to consider the passive form.

[(16) The nature of the distinction between active and neuter verbs inay perhaps be rendered more intelligible by the exhibition of examples of neuter verbs which are manifestly equivalent to certain other active verbs, together with a noun expressing a particular passive object. Participate, for instance, is equivalent to the verb take with the noun part employed as its passive object. Participate, to take part. Here take the active verb-is obviously the less complete of the two, since it requires the complementary word part in order to render it equivalent to participate.*]

* We may here notice the advantage gained in language by employing, as we commonly do, verbs expressive of incomplete predicates, instead of always employing verbs expressive at once of an action and the object which this action immediately affects. The word participate, means exclusively to take part. Indeed it is a compound of two Latin words, the one of which means part and the other take. But the word take may have a vast number of other modifications designating passive objects attached to it besides this, and with each of these it will express a distinct assertion; as take advice, take courage, take counsel, take time, &c., &c. And, it will be observed that all the words employed to express these modifications are necessary for other purposes besides this. They are not invented and added to the language for this sole purpose, but already previously existed as names to be used for subject nouns. This is only a secondary use to which they are applied. Now if we had a separate form, as in the case of the word participate, to express the verb take with each of the passive objects which may modify it, we should have a considerable number of words added to the language to express assertions which are sufficiently expressed by the verb take, repeated with certain words already in use for other necessary purposes. When we reflect that what we have now said of the verb take applies to a host of other verbs, we shall be able to conceive what vast economy of words has been effected by the subdivision of thought in the process of forming signs to give it expression. Were not only verbs modified by objective complements, but verbs modified by all the other complements (of which we shall treat presently), serving to make up full and perfect predicates, to be expressed by separate distinct forms corresponding to each several modification, the increase of words would be still immensely greater. The next step in a retrograde direction would be to express every distinct proposition, subject, predicate, and all their several modifications by one dis

[(16) Illustrate the distinction between active and neuter verbs by the example of the verb participate.]