This tense, like the imperfect of the potential mood, with which it is frequently connected, is properly an aorist, or indefinite tense; for it may refer to time past, present, or future:  as, “If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, what further need was there that an other priest should rise?”—­Heb., vii, 11.  “They must be viewed exactly in the same light, as if the intention to purchase now existed.”—­Murray’s Parsing Exercises, p. 24.  “If it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”—­Matt., xxiv, 24.  “If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing?”—­1 Corinthians, xii, 17.  “If the thankful refrained, it would be pain and grief to them.”—­Atterbury.

Singular. Plural. 1.  If I loved, 1.  If we loved, 2.  If thou loved, 2.  If you loved, 3.  If he loved; 3.  If they loved.

OBS.—­In this tense, the auxiliary did is sometimes employed.  The subjunctive may here be distinguished from the indicative, by these circumstances; namely, that the time is indefinite, and that the supposition is always contrary to the fact:  as, “Great is the number of those who might attain to true wisdom, if they did not already think themselves wise.”—­Dillwyn’s Reflections, p. 36.  This implies that they do think themselves wise; but an indicative supposition or concession—­(as, “Though they did not think themselves wise, they were so—­“) accords with the fact, and with the literal time of the tense,—­here time past.  The subjunctive imperfect, suggesting the idea of what is not, and known by the sense, is sometimes introduced without any of the usual signs; as, “In a society of perfect men, where all understood what was morally right, and were determined to act accordingly, it is obvious, that human laws, or even human organization to enforce God’s laws, would be altogether unnecessary, and could serve no valuable purpose.”—­PRES.  SHANNON:  Examiner, No. 78.

IMPERATIVE MOOD.

The imperative mood is that form of the verb, which is used in commanding, exhorting, entreating, or permitting.  It is commonly used only in the second person of the present tense.

PRESENT TENSE.

Singular. 2.  Love [thou,] or Do thou love;

Plural. 2.  Love [ye or you,] or Do you love.

OBS.—­In the Greek language, which has three numbers, the imperative mood is used in the second and third persons of them all; and has also several different tenses, some of which cannot be clearly rendered in English.  In Latin, this mood has a distinct form for the third person, both singular and plural.  In Italian, Spanish, and French, the first person plural is also given it.  Imitations of some of these forms are occasionally employed in English, particularly