Can is always a principal verb, and should be parsed as such. The l in could is an intruder, and forms no part of the root. It was inserted after the analogy of will, would; shall, should; but in these words the forms part of the root.

137. MUST.

Must is always a principal verb, and should be parsed as such. It remains without change for all persons and tenses; e.g.

The verb dare is used in the sense of to challenge, in which case it is conjugated quite regularly :

Present Tense.
Dare

Past Tense.
dared

Complete Participle.
dared.

It is also used in the sense of to venture, to have courage, in which case it is conjugated as follows:—

This is the past tense of the verb owe, the original meaning of which was to possess. Instead of owe in the sense of to possess, we always use now the verb own. Ought is now used as a present tense, and denotes moral obligation. To express the past tense the verb following ought is put in the past tense; e.g.—

This verb is used only in the first and third person singular, and has its nominative always following itQuoth I, quoth he. It is very common in our ballad literature, and meets us under the form of quo'.

142. WORTH.

Worth, as a verb, is used only in the third person singular of the present tense subjunctive mood, and means may happen.

143. METHINKS.

Methinks is an impersonal verb, and means it seems to me. The me is the indirect object. It is used in the past tense-Methought. Milton uses the expression Himthought.

144. MELISTS.

This verb is of the same nature as methinks, and means it lists or pleases me.

EXERCISE XXXII.

Parse fully the verbs in the following Exercise :

You must learn your lesson. He can go now. You may retire. They were afraid, and wist not what to say. We wot not what has become of the money. Methinks I see my father. He dared him to the combat. Had I been there you durst not have done that. What man dare, I dare.

"Saw ye Johnnie coming," quoth she.

Shades of evening, close not o'er us,
Leave our lonely bark awhile;

Morn, alas! will not restore us

Yonder dim and distant isle.
Still my fancy can discover

Sunny spots, where friends may dwell;
Darker shadows round us hover,-
Isle of beauty, fare thee well!

EXERCISE XXXIII.

Parse fully the verbs in the following Exercise

Have you told the story? The prisoner answered firmly, I never did touch the purse. Will your father allow this? ride out.

Do you understand the lesson? Will the master not permit you to

I dare do all that may become a man,
Who dares do more is none.

What doest thou there? It is growing dark, boys, you may go. You need not care. He needs money. He must needs give her a present.

Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased;
Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow?

Methinks we must have known some former state,

More glorious than the present, and the heart

Is haunted with dim memories, shadows left

By past magnificence.

Doubtless the pleasure is as great

Of being cheated, as to cheat.

STRONG AND WEAK VERBS.

145. English verbs may be classified into four groups, according to the mode in which they form the past tense :

1. Those verbs which form the past tense by a simple change of the root vowel of the present:-rise, rose; run, ran.

2. Those verbs which form the past tense by changing the root vowel of the present, and adding d ort:— tell, told; keep, kept.

3. Those verbs which have the same form for the past tense as for the present :-cut, cut; cast, cast.

4. Those verbs which form the past tense by adding d or ed to the present:-love, loved; bless, blessed.

146. Verbs, belonging to the first three classes, are called Strong verbs, because they form the past tense from within, and without any external help.

147. Verbs belonging to the fourth class are called Weak verbs, because they require the addition of a letter or letters to form the past tense.

148. Weak verbs are sometimes called Regular, because they form the past tense in the same way.

149. Strong verbs are sometimes called Irregular, because they do not form their past tense in the same way as regular verbs.

150. The strong verbs are mostly all of Saxon origin, and include the oldest and most common verbs in the language.

151. Weak verbs, which are far more numerous than strong verbs, include all the more recent verbs, especially all derived from other languages.

LIST OF STRONG VERBS.

152. The following list embraces almost all the strong verbs in the language, arranged in three classes.