Now, in this example, John is not represented as an actor, but, as the subject of the verb sits, therefore John is in the nominative case to the verb.  And you know that the word sits does not express apparent action, but a condition of being; that is, it represents John in a particular state of existence; therefore sits is a neuter verb.  In speaking of the neuter gender of nouns, I informed you, that neuter means neither; from which it follows, that neuter gender implies neither gender; that is, neither masculine nor feminine.  Hence, by an easy transition of thought, you learn, that neuter, when applied to verbs, means neither of the other two classes; that is, a neuter verb is one which is neither active nor passive.  In these examples, The man stands—­The lady lives—­The child sleeps—­The world exists—­the words stands, lives, sleeps, and exists, are neuter verbs; and the nouns, man, lady, child, and world, are all in the nominative case, because each is the subject of a verb.  Thus you perceive, that when a noun is in the nominative case to an active verb, it is the actor; and when it is nominative to a neuter verb, it is not an actor, but the subject of the verb.

Some neuter verbs express being in general; as, The man is; Kingdoms exist.  Others express being in some particular state; as, The man stands, sits, lies, or hangs.

I will now give you two signs, which will enable you to distinguish the verb from other parts of speech, when you cannot tell it by its signification.  Any word that will make sense with to before it, is a verb.  Thus, to run, to write, to smile, to sing, to hear, to ponder, to live, to breathe, are verbs.  Or, any word that will conjugate, is a verb.  Thus, I run, thou runnest, he runs; I write, thou writest, he writes; I smile, &c.  But the words, boy, lady, child, and world, will not make sense with to prefixed—­to boy, to lady, to world, is nonsense.  Neither will they con_jugate_—­I lady, thou ladiest, &c. is worse than nonsense.  Hence you perceive, that these words are not verbs.  There are some exceptions to these rules, for verbs are sometimes used as nouns.  This will be explained by and by.

To verbs belong number, person, mood, and tense.

At present I shall speak only of the number and person of verbs; but hereafter I will give you a full explanation of all their properties.  And permit me to inform you, that I shall not lead you into the intricacies of the science, until, by gradual and easy progressions, you are enabled to comprehend the principles involved in them.  Only such principles will be elucidated, as you are prepared to understand at the time they are unfolded before you.  You must not be too anxious to get along rapidly; but endeavor to become thoroughly acquainted with one principle, before you undertake another.  This lecture will qualify you for the next.