n the
same manner.

* * * * *

II. OF THE TENSES.

TENSE means time.

Verbs have six tenses, the Present, the Imperfect, the Perfect, the
Pluperfect, and the First and Second Future tenses.

The PRESENT TENSE represents an action or event as taking place at the
time in which it is mentioned; as, "I _smile_; I _see_; I _am seen_."

NOTE 1. The present tense is also used in speaking of actions
continued, with occasional intermissions, to the present time; as,
"He _rides_ out every morning."

2. This tense is sometimes applied to represent the actions of
persons long since dead; as, "Seneca _reasons_ and _moralizes_ well;
An honest man _is_ the noblest work of God."

3. When the present tense is preceded by the words, _when, before,
after, as soon as_, &c. it is sometimes used to point out the
relative time of a future action; as, "_When_ he _arrives_ we shall
hear the news."

The IMPERFECT TENSE denotes a past action or event, however distant;
or,

The IMPERFECT TENSE represents an action or event as past and finished,
but without defining the precise time of its completion; as, "I _loved_
her for her modesty and virtue; They _were_ travelling post when he
_met_ them."

In these examples, the verbs _loved_ and _met_ express past and
_finished_ actions, and therefore constitute a _perfect_ tense as
strictly as any form of the verb in our language; but, as they do not
define the precise time of the completion of these actions, their tense
may properly be denominated an _indefinite past_. By defining the
present participle in conjunction with the verb, we have an _imperfect_
tense in the expression, _were travelling_. This course, however, would
not be in accordance with the ordinary method of treating the
participle. Hence it follows, that the terms _imperfect_ and _perfect_,
as applied to this and the next succeeding tense, are not altogether
significant of their true character; but if you learn to apply these
tenses _correctly_, the propriety or impropriety of their names is not a
consideration of very great moment.

The PERFECT TENSE denotes past time, and also conveys an allusion to the
present; as, "I _have_ finished my letter."

The verb _have finished_, in this example, signifies that the action,
though past, was perfectly finished at a point of time immediately
preceding, or in the course of a period which comes to the present.