The following forms also should be distinguished:—­

Present.  Past.  Participle.
alight ("to get down from,” alighted alighted
        “to dismount”)
light ("to ignite,” lighted[7] lighted[70]
        “to shed light on”)
light ("to settle down as lighted or lit lighted or lit
        a bird from flight,” or
        “to come upon by chance”)

[64] “Foundations,” pp.78-81, 91-93. [65] “Broke,” as a form of the past participle, is still found in verse. [66] “Gotten” is an old form not sanctioned by the best modern usage. [67] “Clothes are ‘hung’ on the line; men are ‘hanged’ on the gallows.”—­“Foundations,” p. 79. [68] “‘Proven’ is borrowed from the Scotch legal dialect.”—­“Foundations,” p.92 [69] Ibid., p. 91. [70] “‘Lighted’ seems preferable to ‘lit’; but ‘lit’ is used by some writers of reputation.”—­Ibid., p. 92.

EXERCISE XXXVIII.

Change the italicized verbs in these sentences to the past tense

1.  The guests begin to go home. 2.  I beseech you to hear me. 3.  The wind blows furiously. 4.  The steward bids me say that supper is ready. 5.  Mr. O. bids forty-two dollars for the picture. 6.  George dives better than any other boy in the crowd. 7.  I do it myself. 8.  They eat their supper as if they were half starved.. 9.  The enemy flee before us. 10.  The door flies open. 11.  The wild goose flies southward in the autumn. 12.  He flees at the smell of powder. 13.  The Susquehanna river overflows its banks. 14.  The workmen lay the rails for the track with great care. 15.  Obedient to the doctor’s directions, she lies down an hour
    every day.
16.  Our cat lies on the rug by the hour watching for mice. 17.  The cows lie under the trees in the meadow. 18.  Helen comes in and lays her coat on a chair. 19.  The envoys plead with Caesar earnestly. 20.  Both short-stop and pitcher run for the ball. 21.  He runs up to Mr. C. as if to strike him. 22.  I see two cannon and a company of infantry. 23.  Harry sees me coming. 24.  The negro women set their baskets on their heads. 25.  They sit in the third pew from the front. 26.  Mr. N. always shoes my pony. 27.  The savages who live on this island slay their captives. 28.  The catcher often throws the ball to the second base. 29.  The sun wakes me early. 30.  The bell rings at seven o’clock. 31.  The stag drinks his fill. 32.  She sings sweetly. 33.  Armed men spring up on all sides. 34.  Tom swims very well indeed. 35.  The vessel sinks with all on board. 36.  The colonel and his staff alight in front of the general’s tent. 37.  He lights the lamp with a splint. 38.  On the trees a crested peacock lights.