CHAPTER XXIII. INDICATIVE AND IMPERATIVE MOODS. A. a. If I state that an action does, or does not, take place, the verb is in the Indicative, or Stating, Mood: as, Dominus ambulat. The lord walks. Dominus non ambulat. The lord does not walk. b. This mood is also used in asking questions: as, Quis ambulat? Who is walking? B. a. The Indicative is chiefly used for the verb of a Simple sentence (Int. 18): as, Dominus ambulat. b. Or, for the Main verb of a Compound sentence: as, Dominus ambulat ut esuriat. The lord walks that he may be hungry. c. But it is also used for the verb of a Subordinate sentence, when the action denoted by the verb is spoken of as really taking place as, Quum puer venit, dominus ambulabat. When the boy came, the lord was walking. d. It is sometimes even used when the action is merely supposed, and therefore not spoken of as really taking place: as, Si id dicis, erras. If you say that, you are mistaken. We C. An action may take place at various times. Hence the verb passes through Tenses to mark the times. may regard an action in point of time in two ways. Either we may regard it as finished or unfinished at a given time, present, past, or future: hence the first six of the following Tenses, which are called Perfect, when the action is finished; Imperfect, when the action is unfinished. Or, we may regard an action, not as finished or unfinished, but simply as taking place at some undefined time, present, past, or future: hence the three last of the following Tenses, which are therefore called Indefinite, or Aorist,1 Tenses. The six first regard actions as occupying some space of time: the three last regard them as occurring at some undefined point of time. 1. The Present-imperfect marks an action as unfinished at the time present: as, Scribo, ‘I am writing '—now. 2. The Past-imperfect marks an action as unfinished at some past time: as, Scribebam, I was writing'-yesterday. 3. The Future-imperfect marks an action as unfinished at some future time, as 'I shall be writing '— to-morrow. 4. The Present-perfect marks an action as finished at the time present: as, Scripsi, 'I have written'—now. 5. The Past-perfect marks an action as finished at some past time: as, Scripseram, ‘I had written '—yesterday. 6. The Future-perfect marks an action as finished at some future time: as, Scripsero, 'I shall have written morrow. - to 7. The Present Indefinite marks an action as taking place at the time present: as, Scribo, 'I write.' 8. The Past Indefinite marks an action as taking place at some past time: as Scripsi, 'I wrote.' This is commonly called the Aorist Tense. 9. The Future Indefinite marks an action as taking place at some future time: as, Scribam, 'I shall write.' 1 As 'Aorist' merely means 'indefinite,' these three last tenses are all aorist tenses-but the name Aorist is commonly restricted to the Past Indefinite. D. The Latin Verb has Six Tenses in the Indicative ; commonly called the Present, Imperfect, Future, Perfect, Pluperfect, and Future Perfect. If we compare these Six Tenses with the above Nine, we see that the two Latin forms Scribo and Scripsi have each two meanings, but that there is no Latin form for the Future Imperfect, ‘I shall be writing.' E. The Present Scribo is used both as Present Imperfect and as Present Indefinite. a. The Present Imperfect, in its strict sense, is seldom used in narrative, but rather in conversation: as, Quid agis? Scribo epistolam (a). What are you doing? I am writing a letter. But it is constantly used in narrative in a secondary sense to mark an action as customary, continued, repeated, or even as only attempted: as, Romæ quotannis bini consules creantur (B). b. The Present Indefinite is seldom used in its strict sense. It is used when, as rarely happens, a person describes some action going on before his eyes to some other person who cannot see it: or when he speaks of something happening to himself at the time: as, Audio sonitum, Sentio ictum (a). I hear a sound. I feel a blɔw. But the Present Indefinite is constantly used in a secondary sense, when a narrator wishes to describe a past action vividly, so as to make it seem actually present to his hearers: as, Imperator descendit equo, scribit epistolam, dat equiti, insilit in equum, avolat (B). The general dismounts, writes a letter, gives it to a trooper, leaps his horse, flies off. upon This is called the Historic Present. F. a. The Imperfect (or Past Imperfect) primarily marks an action as unfinished at some past time: as, Quid agebas heri quarta hora? Scribebam epistolam. What were you doing yesterday at ten o'clock? I was writing a letter. b. But it is constantly used in a secondary sense to mark an action as customary, continued, repeated, or even as only attempted as, Romæ quotannis bini consules creabantur. Two consuls were yearly appointed at Rome. G. The Future is used only as Future Indefinite to mark an action as taking place at some future time: as, Cras scribam epistolam. To-morrow I will write a letter. H. The Perfect, Scripsi, is used both as Present Perfect, 'I have written,' and as Aorist, 'I wrote.' a. The Present Perfect marks an action as finished at the time present: as, Quid fecisti hodie? Scripsi tres epistolas. What have you done to-day? I have written three letters. b. The Aorist (or Past Indefinite) marks an action as taking place at some past time: as, Quid fecisti heri? Scripsi tres epistolas ad Brutum. What did you do yesterday? I wrote three letters to Brutus. K. The Pluperfect (or Past Perfect) marks an action as finished at some past time: as, Quid feceras heri nona hora? Scripseram tres epistolas ad Brutum. What had you done yesterday afternoon by three o'clock? I had written three letters to Brutus. L. The Future Perfect marks an action as finished at some future time: as, Quid feceris cras decima hora? Scripsero decem epistolas. What shall you have done by to-morrow afternoon at four o'clock ? I shall have written ten letters. a. The Future Perfect is commonly used in a subordinate sentence to mark an action, which is future as regards the speaker, but which will be finished before the Main Action begins: as, Si ad me scripseris, rescribam. If you write to me, I will write back. Note that we use the Present Indefinite here. M. The Imperative mood is used for giving orders. a. In the Present tense, for all ordinary purposes, general directions and exhortations: as, Abi, puer (a). Away with you, boy. Colite justitiam, filii (8). Cultivate justice, my children. b. In the Future tense, if we expect the obedience to be at, or to last through, some future tense: as, Ubi nos laverimus, si voles, lavato (a). When we have bathed, bathe if you will. Hence it is the proper tense for Wills and Laws: as, Mortuum in urbe ne sepelito (B). Thou must not bury a dead man in the city. CHAPTER XXIV. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD. A. If I state that an action takes place, the verb, as we saw in the last chapter, is in the Indicative, or stating mood. But if I speak of an action without stating that it takes place, the verb is in the Subjunctive, or non-stating mood: as, Dominus ambulat ut esuriat. The lord walks that he may be hungry. The Primary idea therefore of the Subjunctive is nonstatement, just as statement is the Primary idea of the In |