Robert,

I've never had that explained to me.  I can see that once I've mastered the
terminology I'll have an easier time.  Simple, perfect, progressive, and
perfect-progressive are all new to me in relation to grammar.

I've been printing out the wonderful pearls you have all been passing my way
so I can absorb them when I'm away from my computer.  I very much appreciate
your going to such lengths to answer my inquiries.  Thank you!

~Ruth


----- Original Message -----
From: Robert Einarsson <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2000 1:32 PM
Subject: Re: Ruth: Conjugating a Verb


> Hi Ruth!
>
> Here is one shortcut way to conjugate a verb.  You have to
> intersect the tense "time" with the tense "type."
>
> The tense time is, of course, past, present or future.  The tense
> type is either simple, perfect or progressive (these are called
> "aspect").
>
> Make a little chart with past present and future across the top, and
> simple perfect and progressive along the side.
>
> ............. past ............... present ............... future
> simple:    counted           count                 will count
> perfect:    had counted     have counted     will have counted
> prog:       was counting    am counting       will be counting
>
> The remarkable thing is how much system and regularity there is
> between these forms of count.
>
> You "transform" from simple to perfect, and from perfect to
> progressive, be exactly regular rules.
>
> Perfect uses "have" in the three tense forms, had - have - will have,
> and then adds the past participle of the main verb ("counted").
>
> Note that information as to pastness goes with the auxiliary verb:
> had, have, will have.  The actual verb stays the same in each case.
>
> Progressive uses "to be" in the three tense forms, was - am - will
> be, and then adds the present participle of the main verb
> ("counting").
>
> There is also a fourth layer, perfect-progressive, which gives you
> these three verbs:
>
> had been counting, have been counting, will have been counting.
>
> This gives 12 forms of "to count."
>
> Then, you can the do every one of the above into the passive voice,
> giving 24 total "conjugations."
>
> But there are also conditional, subjunctive, and other forms that
> layer overtop of these, using "would," "may," and "might."
>
> Every verb starts in the "infinitive" (i.e., "not related to time," "not
> finite," not defined in a specific moment of time): in English, the
> infinitive, which acts as the "name" of the verb (i.e., the noun form
> of an action) is the "to-" form, "to count."  This is why the infinitive
> functions as a noun.
>
> To the infinitive you start adding 1- tense (past present future), 2-
> aspect (simple, perfect, progressive, perfect-progressive); 3- mood
> (indicative, conditional, subjunctive, etc); and 4- voice (active or
> passive).
>
> Obviously there are about 75 or 100 transformations, or
> "conjugations," of every verb in English.
>
> You get into some wierd results, like "I may have been being
> counted," but "c'est la grammaire!"
>
> This is a partial answer to your questions, which I pieced together
> bit by bit with considerable effort.  No one ever taught me how to
> conjugate a verb either.  This was considered a waste of valuable
> instruction minutes.
>
> Yours, Robert Einarsson
> www.artsci.gmcc.ab.ca/people/einarssonb
>