HOW TO PARSE VERBS AND VERBALS
I. VERBS
275. In parsing verbs, give the following points:--
(1) Class: (_a_) as to _form_,--strong or weak, giving principal
parts; (_b_) as to _use_,--transitive or intransitive.
(2) Voice,--active or passive.
(3) Mood,--indicative, subjunctive, or imperative.
(4) Tense,--which of the tenses given in Sec. 234.
(5) Person and number, in determining which you must tell--
(6) What the subject is, for the form of the verb may not show the
person and number.
[Sidenote: _Caution._]
276. It has been intimated in Sec. 235, we must beware of the rule,
"A verb agrees with its subject in person and number." Sometimes it
does; usually it does not, if _agrees_ means that the verb changes its
form for the different persons and numbers. The verb _be_ has more
forms than other verbs, and may be said to _agree_ with its subject in several of its forms. But unless the verb is present, and ends in
_-s_, or is an old or poetic form ending in _-st_ or _-eth_, it is
best for the student not to state it as a general rule that "the verb
agrees with its subject in person and number," but merely to _tell
what the subject of the verb is_.
II. VERB PHRASES
277. Verb phrases are made up of a principal verb followed by an infinitive, and should always be analyzed as phrases, and not taken as single verbs. Especially frequent are those made up of _should_,
_would_, _may_, _might_, _can_, _could_, _must_, followed by a pure infinitive without _to_.
Take these examples:--
1. Lee _should_ of himself _have replenished_ his stock.
2. The government _might have been_ strong and prosperous.
In such sentences as 1, call _should_ a weak verb, intransitive,
therefore active; indicative, past tense; has for its subject _Lee_.
_Have replenished_ is a perfect active infinitive.
In 2, call _might_ a weak verb, intransitive, active, indicative (as
it means could), past tense; has the subject _government_. _Have been_ is a perfect active infinitive.
For fuller parsing of the infinitive, see Sec. 278(2).
III. VERBALS
278. (1) Participle. Tell (_a_) from what verb it is derived;
(_b_) whether active or passive, imperfect, perfect, etc.; (_c_) to
what word it belongs. If a participial adjective, give points (_a_)
and (_b_), then parse it as an adjective.
(2) Infinitive. Tell (_a_) from what verb it is derived; (_b_)
whether indefinite, perfect, definite, etc.
(3) Gerund. (_a_) From what verb derived; (_b_) its use (Sec. 273).
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