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CHAPTER XXIII

183. The Indicative forms of a Verb either represent the action etc. as a fact or make a query about it. These forms can be of any of the six Tenses, and of any Number, Person and Gender. In the Active Voice (which alone is being discussed here), they can have any of the three `construction'.

184. The Indicative Present is formed with the help of the Present Participl and the present forms of the Substantive Verb ۾ (ܽ) :

ܥ ۾ `he moves'.

185. The Present Participal is an Adjective derived from a Verb, and is formed by appending to the bare root. Thus, the Present Participle of ܥ `move' is ܥ `moving', of `come', it is `coming', of `go', `going' etc.

186. Being an Adjective ending in - , the Present Perticiple is subject to the same modifications due to Number and Gender as an ordinary -Adjecive (127). ܥ etc. are Masculine Singlar in form and may, therefore, be used if the subject is Masc. and Sing. With a Feminine subject (singular or plural) ܥ etc. change to ܥ etc.; and with a Masc. plural subject to ܥܽ (also oblique) etc.

187. The Presen: forms of the Substantive Verb are as follows :-

First Person -singular ۻ plural

Second Person " " ܽ

Third Person " "

These are not affected by Gender.

188. Thus, the present Indicative forms of the root ܥ are as follows:-

  1. with a Masculine subject :-

    2. singular plural

    First Person ܥ ۻ `I move', ۟ ܥܽ ۾ `we move'.

    Second Person ܻ ܥ `thou movest', ܺ ܥܽ ܽ `you move'.

    Third Person ܥ `he (or it) moves', ܽ ܥܽ `they move'.

  2. With a Feminine subject:-

singular Plural

1st person ܥ ۻ ۟ ܥ

2nd " ܻ ܥ ܺ ܥ ܽ

3rd " ܥ ܽ ܥ

Note : (i) AN oun-subject is always regarded as being in the Third Person.

Thes, ܟ ۾ `Ram goes', ۾ `Sita goes', ܽ `the boys come', šܿ `the girls come'.

(ii) The honorific ܜ `you' is considered to be a Third Person plural Pronoun : ܜ ܽ `you go' (Fem. ܜ ).

189. The above forms have the Subjectival construction, sine the Verb agrees in Number, Person and Gender with the logical subject (`the doer'). In the Active Voice, the Present Indicative does not have the Objectival or the Neutral construction : the Verb must here always agree with the logical subject only. See 174 Note (ii).

190. (a) As per the Aspect, the above forms are Terminate : they represent the act (`moving' etc.) as a whole, a fact,- not as progressing. The progressive aspect (`he is going') is expressed with the help of the Auxiliary , ۽ , compounded with the main root. Thus:-

۾ `he is going',

ܥ ۾ `she is moving',

۽ ۾ `they are coming'.

191. The negative forms are made with the help of the particle placed immediately before the Verb. But in the negative sentence ۾, , etc.

are, as a rule, omitted:

`he does not go',

ܟ ť ܽ ܁, ܣ ܣ ܁ ۾ `Ram does not study in a school, he studies at home. '

192. In asking questions, ơ is generally added to the sentence usually in the beginning, but may be omitted, if the interrogation is evident from the context or form the intonation. See 112,

ơ ť ۾? `does he go to the school?'.

ơ ܣ ܣ ܁ ۾? `does Sita study at home?'.

Note:- But if the sentence contains an Interrogative Pronoun (in any capacity) or an Interrogative Pronominal Adjective or Adverb, the additional ơ is omitted:

ܿ ܾ ۾ ? `who lives here ? (ܾ Subject)',

ơ ܁ ۾ ? `what does he study ? (ơ Object)',

ܛ ܡ ۾ ? `how much money does he want ?' (ܛ Pronominal Adjective)',

ܿ ۾ ? `where does she live ? (ܿ Pronominal Adverb)'.

In the rest of the Tenses and Moods, ơ is used in the same manner.

193. The Terminate or - Present states a general or a particular fact:-

ܟ ܨܽ ť ۾ `Ram goes to school in the morning (every day)'.

ܥܽ, ܿ ܺ ۾ `come on , mother calls (wants) you'.

The first sentence states a general fact ; the second refers, obviously, to a particular occasion. However, it may not always be obvious whether a - from is referring to general or to a particular fact. In such cases, it becomes necessary to use the form which is more exolicit in its reference to a particular occasion. A sentence like ܻ ܽ ۾ `he tells a lie' may mean either `he lies habitually', or he is (on theis occasion) telling a lie'. If, therefore, the reference is to a particular occasion, ܻ ܽ ۾ would be preferable. For denoting a continued action, the form is almost exclusively used :-

ܽ ۽ `the boys are playing '.

ܽ ۽ `they are going', etc.