Arn, _I ran_; urnon, _we run_. Ongan, _I began_; ongunnon, _we begun_. Span, _I span_; spunnon, _we spun_. Sang, _I sang_; sungon, _we sung_. Swang, _I swang_; swangon, _we swung_. Dranc, _I drank_; druncon, _we drunk_. Sanc, _I sank_; suncon, _we sunk_. Sprang, _I sprang_; sprungon, _we sprung_. Swam, _I swam_; swummon, _we swum_. Rang, _I rang_; rungon, _we rung_. From these examples the reader has himself drawn his inference; viz. that words like _Began_, _begun_. _Ran_, _run_. _Span_, _spun_. _Sang_, _sung_. _Swang_, _swung_. _Sprang_, _sprung_. _Sank_, _sunk_. _Swam_, _swum_. _Rang_, _rung_. _Bat_, _bit_. _Smote_, _smit_. _Drank_, _drunk_, &c., generally called double forms of the past tense, were originally _different numbers of the same tense_, the forms in a, as _swam_, being singular, and the forms in u, as _swum_, plural. * * * * * CHAPTER XXI. ON MOODS. § 291. The Anglo-Saxon infinitive has already been considered. Between the second plural imperative, and the second plural indicative, _speak ye_, and _ye speak_, there is no difference of form. Between the second singular imperative _speak_, and the second singular indicative, _speakest_, there is a difference in form. Still, as the imperative form _speak_ is distinguished from the indicative form _speakest_ by the _negation_ of a character rather than by the possession of one, it cannot be said that there is in English any imperative mood. § 292. _If he speak_, as opposed to _if he speaks_, is characterized by a negative sign only, and consequently is no true example of a subjunctive. _Be_, as opposed to _am_, in the sentence _if it be so_, is a fresh word used in a limited sense, and consequently no true example of a subjunctive. It is a different word altogether, and is only the subjunctive of _am_, in the way _puss_ is the vocative of _cat_. The only true subjunctive inflection in the English language is that of _were_ and _wert_, as opposed to the indicative forms _was_ and _wast_. _Indicative._ | _Subjunctive._ _Singular._ | _Singular._ _Plural._ 1. I was. | If I were. If we were. 2. Thou wast. | If thou wert. If ye were. 3. He was. | If he were. If they were. * * * * * CHAPTER XXII. ON TENSES IN GENERAL. § 293. The nature of tenses in general is best exhibited by reference to the Greek; since in that language they are more numerous, and more strongly marked than elsewhere. _I strike_, _I struck_.--Of these words, the first implies an action taking place at the time of speaking, the second marks an action that has already taken place.