PRESENT TENSE.         |              PAST TENSE.
|
Singular        Plural      | Singular           Plural
|
1.  I am             We are        | 1.  I was              We were
2.  You are          You are       | 2.  You were           You were
(thou art)                     |    (thou wast, wert)
3. [He] is          [They] are    | 3. [He] was           [They were]

Subjunctive Mood.

PRESENT TENSE.          |             PAST TENSE.
|
Singular       Plural       | Singular           Plural
|
1.  I be             We be         | 1.  I were            We were
2.  You (thou) be    You be        | 2.  You were          You were
|    (thou wert)
3. [He] be          [They] be     | 3. [He] were         [They] were

Imperative Mood.

PRESENT TENSE, Singular and Plural, Be.

[Sidenote:  Remarks on the verb be.]

239.  This conjugation is pieced out with three different roots:  (1) am, is; (2) was, were; (3) be.

Instead of the plural are, Old English had beoth and sind or sindon, same as the German sind. Are is supposed to have come from the Norse language.

The old indicative third person plural be is sometimes found in literature, though it is usually a dialect form; for example,—­

     Where be the sentries who used to salute as the Royal chariots
     drove in and out?—­THACKERAY

     Where be the gloomy shades, and desolate mountains?—­WHITTIER

[Sidenote:  Uses of be.]

240.  The forms of the verb be have several uses:—­

(1) As principal verbs.

     The light that never was on sea and land.—­WORDSWORTH.

(2) As auxiliary verbs, in four ways,—­

(a) With verbal forms in _-ing_ (imperfect participle) to form the definite tenses.

     Broadswords are maddening in the rear,—­Each broadsword bright
     was brandishing like beam of light.—­SCOTT.

(b) With the past participle in _-ed_, _-en_, etc., to form the passive voice.

     By solemn vision and bright silver dream,
     His infancy was nurtured. 
     —­SHELLEY.

(c) With past participle of intransitive verbs, being equivalent to the present perfect and past perfect tenses active; as,

     When we are gone
     From every object dear to mortal sight. 
     —­WORDSWORTH

     We drank tea, which was now become an occasional
     banquet.—­GOLDSMITH.

(d) With the infinitive, to express intention, obligation, condition, etc.; thus,

     It was to have been called the Order of Minerva.—­THACKERAY.

     Ingenuity and cleverness are to be rewarded by State
     prizes.—­Id.