called transitive; when it expresses existence, state of existence, or an action which does not pass to an object, it is called intransitive. Therefore

Verbs are divided into two classes with reference to their object: tranɛitive and intransitive.

Transitive verbs predicate an action which requires an object; intransitive verbs predicate existence, state of existence, or an action which requires no object.

Verbs are divided into classes with respect to their form: regular and irregular.

Regular verbs form the indefinite past tense, by adding d or ed to the indefinite present: irregular form the indefinite past tense by a change of the present.

Auxiliary verbs are those, usually used in the conjugation of other verbs. They generally want some parts, and are called defective.

To verbs belong voice, mode, tense, person, and number.

Voice expresses the relation of the affirmed action to the subject. There are two voices; the active and the passive. The active voice represents the subject as acting. The passive represents the subject as being acted upon. The passive voice consists of the verb to be in its modes and tenses, added to the indefinite past participle. Only transitive verbs can have the passive voice, as intransitive verbs do not affirm the action as passing either from or to the subject.

Mode expresses the manner of the assertion or predication.

Verbs have five modes: the indicative, the conjunctive, the imperative, the infinitive, and the participial.

The indicative mode predicates or affirms simply and positively. The conjunctive mode predicates or affirms in a contingent or dependant manner, and is joined to the other modes by the conjunctions if, though, that, except, until, and the like. The infinitive mode is the substantive form of the verb. The participial mode is the adjective form of the verb.

The conjunctive mode has three forms: the regular, the potential, and the older forms. The regular form expresses a simple contingency; the potential form expresses dependence upon a contingency; and the older form is sometimes used in place of the regular form.

Tense expresses the time of the action or affirmation.

There are three primary divisions of time: past, present, and future. Each of these divisions of time may be expressed indefinitely, or without. any regard to the time of the action except as past, present, or future This gives us three tenses: indefinite present, indefinite past, and indefinite future.

Each of the primary divisions may be expressed relatively, or with reference to some other time expressed or understood. This give us the relative present, relative past, and relative future tenses.

The action expressed by the indefinite and relative tenses, may be considered as still continuing, or as imperfect. This gives the following tenses: imperfect indefinite present, imperfect relative present, imperfect indefinite past, imperfect relative past, imperfect indefinite future, and imperfect relative future.

[We omit a more extended definition of the tenses here, as we shall be understood by the above.]

The indicative mode has all the tenses; the conjunctive mode, regular form, has all; in the potential form, the relative, and imperfect relative past tenses, and the future tenses; in the earlier form, the indefinite, and imperfect indefinite present tenses, and the imperfect indefinite past. The imperative mode has only the indefinite present. The infinitive mode has all the present tenses. The participial mode has the indefinite and relative present and the indefinite past.

The number and person of the verb express its relation to the subject; and like the subject, verbs have two numbers and three persons, corresponding to the number and person of nouns and pronouns.

CONJUGATION is an inflection of the verb to express action in the different modes and tenses, and to conform it to the number and person of its subject.

The principal parts of the verb are the indefinite present, the indefinite past indicative, and the indefinite past participle.

[The imperfect tenses are by some made a separate conjugation, called the progressive or imperfect form.]

It will be seen that we have departed from the usual habit of writers in placing the tenses of the potential form in the past and future. It is, in such tenses, only the contingency which is present, the action always being considered as past or future. The writer would be pleased to have the peculiarities of the above discussed.

REFERENCES.

WHILE it is admitted that to him who is about to make a debut in school teaching, in any place, a testimonial of a good character and education from an academy, a college, or some popular seminary, may be of essential service, or may operate favorably to the instruction of even the experienced teachers, among strangers, yet the community should not re gard this, as the chief, or the best, or even an essential reliance, concerning him who has been much engaged in teaching. Of him we may appro

priately ask, "Needs he letters of commendation to you" from such a source? Has he not actually taught? Has he not succeeded? And is not this the best, the most satisfactory epistle of commendation you should require or receive?

Teaching is an experiment; and practice alone, tests the ability of the occupant of this responsible position. Other qualifications than character and education, are necessary in a teacher. He must be able to govern-to interest. He must love his pupils, and make them love and respect him. He must not only know what he is required to teach, but must be able to tell what he knows. He must have the faculty of explaining, of commu. nicating,-in other words, must be "apt to teach." He must be able to read human nature, and exercise a wise discrimination as to the dispositions, feelings and abilities of his scholars. He must love his vocation, and throw his whole soul and energies info it. In fine, judgment, wisdom, patience, firmness, vigor, affection, aptitude to teach, besides a knowledge of the science, are among the essential endowments of a good teacher.

Now of the debutant in teaching, the college, the academy, can say nothing, except in regard to his moral character and education, therefore, as a successful teacher, the community, to whom he comes, know nothing, by this reference. That, is a matter yet to be determined by actual trial. So with the experienced teacher, if he comes among strangers with no reference, except to his education and moral character.

We say, then, let evidence of the fact of a sufficient trial in teaching and of actual and prominent success therein, be considered the best reference that can be brought of adaption to the calling. MAUSTON, July 9, 1858.

L. PERRY.

MR. EDITOR:

*

*

SCHOOLS IN SAUK COUNTY.

BARABOO, July 12th, 1858.

* Up here in this "neck of woods," the people generally do not show that interest in Education which they should, and without it we know there can not be much proeress. To give you an inkling of the manner in which some things are done here, since I came here, (which was nearly three years ago,) and I do not know how long before, no Superintendent of this town, (which formerly embraced 72 square miles, now 44 only), has visited a single district school of the town. They seem to

think it putting the town to an unnecessary expense, and I heard one Superintendent say that it did no good to visit schools, for the reason that, in case things did not go right, he could merely suggest a reform, but could not enforce one. Another thing, I have taught school in this neighborhood three winters, the two last ones in the same school-house-and I have not known a district officer, or a parent, to come into the school-house to spend even an hour, only on the last day of the term, when they filled the school house, which might be turned into a left-handed compliment by the way. Another thing is, the inefficiency of teachers, which is partly attributable to the officers of the district, and partly to the town Superintendent. We had an officer who bore the last mentioned title last year, who so far as I could ascertain, did not ask a teacher a single question calculated to inform himself as to their qualifications for teaching. In some cases district officers will be influenced by the penny wise and pound foolish" policy, and engage the superintendent before hand, not to be "too hard" with those they propose hiring as teachers. These things ought not so to be.

I noticed an article from a teacher in the Journal, who says that communications between scholars can be stopped by any live teacher. So far as my own experience goes, I say so too. Since I have begun on that plan I have had no trouble in stopping them, and have used no severe measures either; and I think that they can be stopped by any teacher that will try. W. C. T. N.

TEACHING READING.

MR. EDITOR:-In perusing the Journal I am gratified to find that the various methods of teaching reading are being discussed. It should be one of the great designs of the Journal to remove, as far as possible, the numerous difficulties which beset the young pupil at the very commencement of his literary career, and that this may be attained, experienced teachers should give their views through it to its readers. I hope to see the subject more fully discussed in the present volume.

If two or more years of the pupil's time can be saved by improving upon the common A B C method, it is highly important that means should be adopted to secure that end. One method which I have used, though somewhat similar to the one mentioned by E. M. in the May Number, yet many of its features are different. I teach the child some of the most important letters (i.e. those which enter into the greatest number of words)