Exercise 21.

Pick out the Verbs in the following sentences.

a. The girl will write a letter. eat the apple. The sun will rise at five. We shall begin French next week. The landlord will sell two farms. The mowers will finish by sunset. We shall stay at Brighton. parcel. The storm will abate soon. glass would break.

We shall read that book. I should

The messenger will bring the Fred would like this book. The

b. We shall have been to Paris. The mother will have been with the daughter. The children would have been early. We should have been late. I shall have a prize. The girls will have some skipping-ropes. This gardener will have some cherries. I should be glad if you would be there. Father will be here soon. She would be happy then. We

shall have fine days now. Tom will have a new coat to-morrow.

22. It often happens that when a Verb consists of two or more words the words do not follow one another immediately. Thus

:

Pick out the Verbs in the following sentences.

The child will willingly obey. We shall soon meet again. Our name is no more heard there. The foe was sullenly firing. The man will cer

1 See "Notes for Teachers," p. 323, Note 23.

tainly come again. John has often written to us.

The girls were then

The rider has very

playing indoors. The porter was seriously injured. quickly returned. Every jolly Jack will soon be coming back. The sea is clearly seen from here. The story was not believed. Her friend has of late been much from home. The birds were merrily singing. The work was nearly finished. The tired child is soundly sleeping now. The wind was softly sighing. The storm is fiercely raging. The captain is greatly loved by his men. The prisoner was cruelly treated. The truant will not be punished. The sun was brightly shining. The boots were not stolen. I have only just heard the news. The pupils are now saying their lessons. The sailors have been joyously dancing. The servant would certainly lose her place. We shall probably sail on Wednesday. Brown has hardly ever called here. The mother was very much pleased with the news. The lad will ere long go home. The weather has lately

been wet.

23. When a question is asked, the words forming a Verb are often separated. Thus :

Is the gardener pruning the trees? Has the baker been here? Is the teacher liked? Were the pigs sold? Have the men been digging potatoes? Were those roses cut to-day? Had the gentleman lost his hat? Was the thief caught? Is the water boiling? Have the girls learned their poetry? Has the window been broken? Was the ship wrecked? Has the crew been saved? Do the birds sing? Does the servant hear? Did the dog bark? Do the friends call to-day?

INFINITIVES.

24. In the sentences, "I like to skate," "They wished to be paid at once," the expressions to skate and to be paid are not Verbs,' for they do not tell or assert anything. They

1 Read again paragraph 8.

do not say anyone skated or anyone was paid. They express or show action or doing without stating or asserting it. Such verbal expressions are called Infinitives.' In each of the following sentences there is only one assertion, and that is expressed by the Verb, not by the Infinitive.

25. All the Infinitives in the sentences just given are preceded by to. But after make, see, hear, let, dare, and some other Verbs, the Infinitive is rarely preceded by to. Thus :

Pick out the Verbs and the Infinitives in the following sentences:

a. The mother promised to return. The huntsman is trying to catch the horse. The father told his sons to listen. The aunt has come to stay. Little Will is learning to read. The clerk is going to write a letter. The traveler meant to return that way. A sower went forth to sow. The mowers have begun to cut the hay. walk home. Mary had hoped to receive a prize. please the king. The horse wanted to get out. try. The chairman asked Mr. Jones to speak. vited Mr. Evans to visit the museum. Do the painters intend to come? Has the child begun to mend? Were the girls pleased to see their mother?

Robert intends to The knight studied to Several boys wished to Professor Johnson in

1 From the Latin in, meaning not, and finitum, bounded or limited; the Infinitive is not limited, as Verbs are, to definite assertion, but it expresses action in a general way.

b. The boys let the dog swim. All the men saw him die. Tom let his cousin see the nest. Jack made his dog bark. The people felt the house shake. I heard the thunder roar. The blacksmith hears the parson pray. The sick man bade them send for a doctor. Nobody dared leap across the wild river. The father made Richard keep the promise. No one need fear this dog. The king watched the knight attack his enemy. The horse helped us stand against the current. Will you let the baby try to walk?

26. We have seen that, whether it tells of doing or of being, the Verb is always the word that makes the assertion or says something to or about a person or thing. A Verb of doing may say

(1) What a person or thing does. (See Exercises 10 and 13.) (2) What is done to a person or thing. (See paragraph 17 and Exercise 19.)

The Verb be may

(1) Say that a person or thing exists. (See paragraph 11, Note.) (2) Help1 to say something about a person or thing. (See paragraphs 11, 12, 17.)

Exercise 25.

In the following sentences pick out the Verbs and the Infinitives:

The dog barks. The horse gallops. The bird chirps. The clock ticks. The knife cuts. The cat mews. The teacher writes. The pigs feed. The tailor sews. The sea moans. The river runs. The tree waves. The

butterfly rests. The lion roars.

Violets bloom in spring. The gas burns brightly. That fellow struck James. Mary rang the bell. Annie arrived from Rome. The snake bit the baby. William conquered England. The miller ground the The little girl ran to her father. Horses draw the plow.

corn.

Ash is tough. Oak is hard. Walking is healthful. Sleep is refreshing. The Cambrian Mountains are in Wales. The Romans were good road-makers. The sailors are in a boat. The butter was quite fresh. The church was very old.

There is a cat in the garden. There was a dish on the table. There were twenty people present. There are sheep on the hill.

1 See "Notes for Teachers," p. 319, Note 4.

The fisherman has a new net.

The woman has had a letter from her son. Cows have cloven hoofs. Jack is having his dinner. The farmer had forty pigs. The king had three sons.

The old man was sitting under a tree. The house was burned. The roses were scattered by the wind. The carpet was beaten this morning. The mower was bitten by a snake. That book is liked. England was conquered by William. The corn was ground by the miller. The father was called by a little girl. The cheeses were eaten by mice. That fish is caught with a hook. The flowers were gathered by Ellen.

That carving is much admired. The lady was nearly stunned. Snow had newly fallen. The sun has just risen. The moon was almost setting. Amelia is always reading. Nelly had often driven the horse. The week has quickly gone. The bells were merrily ringing. Has Bob heard the news? Is William coming to-day? Were the goods sent home?

Willy pretended to be a bear. Fred told his brother to keep the knife. The people were going to hear a lecture. Ethel is learning to play the violin. The messenger was told to return at once. The hunter wants to find a fox. This lesson has to be learned. The children ought to mind their books. The boy dared not meet his father. The smith hears his daughter sing. The mother let the girl go home.

The lion and the unicorn

Were fighting for the crown;

The lion beat the unicorn

All round about the town.

Two little kittens one stormy night
Began to quarrel and then to fight.

A was an apple pie;
B bit it;

C cut it;

D dealt it;

E eat it;

F fought for it.

Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water.

A fox jumped up on a moonlight night;

The stars were shining and all things were bright.