The pluperfect sense is often indicated by the addition of the adverb ǣr (before):—his swēora, þe ǣr wæs for·slæġen (his neck, which had been cut through).
The periphrastic forms of intransitive verbs are formed with wesan:—siþþan hīe ā·farene wǣron (after they had gone away). Here the participle always agrees with the noun or pronoun with which it is connected.
The periphrases with the present participle have no distinctive meanings of duration, &c.:—ān mann wæs eardiende on Israhēla þēode, Manuē ġe·hāten (a man dwelt in Israel called Manue).
Passive.
The passive is formed with wesan or weorþan with the past participle. These forms are very vague in meaning, and the distinction between the two auxiliaries is not clearly marked, but wesan appears to indicate a state, weorþan an action.
wearþ ġe·lufod is generally preterite or perfect in meaning: ān wulf wearþ ā·sęnd (a wolf was sent); mīne lēofe þeġnas, þe on hiera będdum wurdon of·slæġene (my beloved thanes, who have been killed in their beds).
wæs ġe·lufod, indicating a state, is naturally pluperfect in meaning:—se ǣrendraca sæġde his hlāforde hū him ġe·andwyrd wæs (the messenger told his lord how he had been answered).
Subjunctive.
The subjunctive states something not as a fact, as in the indicative, but merely as an object of thought. Hence it is used to express wish, conditions, doubt, &c.