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26. Iho, whofoever, and the pronominal Adjectives, one, other, and another, are thus varied.

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nitive Cafes of the primitive Pronouns; and my, thy, &c. to be pronominal Adjectives derived from them: But as his and its, which are confefledly genitive Cafes, are joined to Nouns, as well as my, thy, &c. I thought beft to range them as I have done above, and fhall provide for the proper Ufe of each Variation in the Rules of Syntax.

27. The

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28. Those that follow are further distinguished by their Genders.

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29. Pronominal Adjectives, fuch as ten, forty, fifty, &c. and fome others, feem to have a genitive Cafe regularly formed by adding s to the Nominative: as, ten, tens.

NOTE. The other Pronouns, which, what, &c. have no Variation.

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30.

A

Of a VERB.*

Verb is a Word that fignifies the Action or Being of a Perfon, Place, or Thing: as, the Man calls; the City ftands; the Tree falls; I am.

31. The Verb that fignifies merely Being is Neuter: as, I am; he is. Verbs that fignify Doing are Active: as, I Speak the Word; I wrote the Letter. Verbs that exprefs Something fuffered or fuftained by the Object, are Paffive: as, I am loved; Hannibal was conquered at last.

* From Verbum, a Word; a Verb being the principal Word in a Sentence.

NOTE 31. Properly fpeaking, there is no paffive Verb in the English Language; for though I am loved, is commonly called a paffive Verb, yet loved is no part of the Verb, but a Participle, or Adjective, derived of the Verb, love.

I am very fenfible that the greatest Man,* perhaps, that ever yet wrote on this Subject,

* Dr. Lowth, followed by Buchanan.

32. The Noun or Pronoun that ftands before the active Verbs in the above Examples, may be called the Agent, and that which ftands before the neuter, the Subject of the Verb: But the Noun or Pronoun that follows the active Verbs,

is of a different Opinion. Hé favs, "There "are three Kinds of Verbs; active, passive, "" and neuter." And when he comes to the grammatical Refolution of this Sentence, "In "whom I am well pleafed," he tells us-"That am is the indicative Mode, prefent "Time, and firft Perfon fingular of the neuter

Verb, to be; well, an Adverb; pleased, "the paffive participle of the Verb, to please, "making with the auxiliary Verb, am, a "paffive Verb." The Confideration of this, I must confefs, could by no Means induce me to fupprefs the above Note.

In Parfing, every Word fhould be confidered as a diftin&t Part of Speech: For though two or more Words may be united to form a Mode, a Tenfe, or a Comparison; yet it seems quite improper to unite two or more Words to make a Noun, a Verb, an Adjective, &c.

Verbs intranfitive, or fuch as do not pass over or convey their Force to any Object, as fleep, walk, run, &c. are commonly, though perhaps not very properly, called neuter Verbs.

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in the fame Examples, may be called the Object of the Verb.

*

33. There are four Modes, or Ways of using the Verb; the Indicative, the Imperative, the Potential, and the Infinitive.

34. The Indicativet expreffes the Action or Being, directly and absolutely: as, I am; he loves.

35. The Imperative commands or forbids: as, come; go; fear him; love

him.

36. The Potential § expreffes the Action or Being, as poffible or impoffible, fit or unfit: as, I may love; I may not love.

* From Modus, a Manner.
+ From indico, to fhew.

From impero, to command.

§ From potentialis (à possum), to be able.

NOTE 36. This Mode or Form of the Verb does not, I think, in any Cafe coincide with the Indicative. It always has fome Respect to the Power, Will, &c. of the Agent, by which,

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