236. Conjugation is the regular arrangement of the forms of the verb in the various voices, moods, tenses, persons, and numbers.
In classical languages, conjugation means joining together the numerous endings to the stem of the verb; but in English, inflections are so few that conjugation means merely the exhibition of the forms and the different verb phrases that express the relations of voice, mood, tense, etc.
Few forms.
237. Verbs in modern English have only four or five forms; for example, walk has walk, walks, walked, walking, sometimes adding the old forms walkest, walkedst, walketh. Such verbs as choose have five,—choose, chooses, chose, choosing, chosen (old, choosest, chooseth, chosest).
The verb be has more forms, since it is composed of several different roots,—am, are, is, were, been, etc.
238. INFLECTIONS OF THE VERB BE.
Indicative Mood.
| PRESENT TENSE. | PAST TENSE. | ||
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| 1. I am | We are | 1. I was | We were |
| 2. You are (thou art) | You are | 2. You were (thou wast, wert) | You were |
| 3. [He] is | [They] are | 3. [He] was | [They were] |
Subjunctive Mood.
| PRESENT TENSE. | PAST TENSE. | ||
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| 1. I be | We be | 1. I were | We were |
| 2. You (thou) be | You be | 2. You were (thou wert) | You were |
| 3. [He] be | [They] be | 3. [He] were | [They] were |