LESSON L.

PARSING OF VERBS.

To parse a verb is to state its class, its conjugation, its voice, its mode, its tense, its person, and number, and its subject.

Model.—The boys have broken the window.

Have broken, a verb, transitive; strong conjugation (break, broke, broken); active voice; indicative mode; present perfect tense, third person; plural number, agreeing with its subject boys.

Model.—If they help my friend I shall be glad.

Help, a verb, transitive; weak conjugation (help, helped, helped); active voice; subjunctive mode; present tense; third person; plural number, agreeing with its subject they.

Shall be, a verb, intransitive; strong conjugation (am, was, been); indicative mode; future tense; first person; singular number, agreeing with its subject I.

Model.—Being provided with tools, they planted a row of stakes within their palisade, to form a double fence.

Being provided, a present participle; passive form, modifying they.

Planted, a verb, transitive; weak conjugation (plant, planted, planted); active voice; indicative mode; past tense; third person; plural number, agreeing with its subject they.

To form, a present infinitive; active voice; used as an adverb to modify planted.

EXERCISE.

Parse the verbs, the infinitives, and the participles in the following sentences:—

1.They are fond of building castles in the air.
2.On he comes, running lightly, with his hands in his pockets.
3.Searching the pile of corpses, the victors found four Frenchmen still breathing.—Parkman.
4.The former target was now removed, and a fresh one of the same size placed in its room.—Scott.
5.When summoned to surrender, he fired at one of the leading assailants, but was instantly overpowered.—Warburton.
6.If terror were the object of its creation, nothing could be imagined more perfect than the devil-fish.—Hugo.
7.Madeleine ordered a cannon to be fired, partly to deter the enemy from an assault, and partly to warn some of the soldiers, who were hunting at a distance.—Parkman.
8.I am told that it is the custom to collect the sap and bring it to the house, where are built brick arches, over which the sap is evaporated in shallow pans.—Warner.
9.Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.—Longfellow.
10.It was the schooner Hesperus,
That sailed the wintry sea;
And the skipper had taken his little daughter,
To bear him company.—Longfellow.