67. Mode

The lesson, step by step

1. Review

   Ask your child to change "The dog chased the cat" to the passive.

2. The new idea

   Read:

   Mode is the manner in which the action, being, or state is expressed.

   There are five modes: Indicative, Subjunctive, Potential, Imperative, and Infinitive.

3. Five modes

   Go through them with the book's examples:

   The Indicative Mode asserts a thing as a fact, or as actually existing.

   The Potential Mode asserts the power, necessity, liberty, duty, or liability of acting, or of being in a certain state.

   May, can, must, might, could, would, and should are the signs of the potential mode.

   The subjunctive is for doubt or supposition ("If this be true"), the imperative for commands ("Go"), the infinitive for action without affirming it ("to go").

4. Oral practice

   SayI run. I can run. Run! If I were running. To run. Your child names each mode.

5. Tell the mode

   Do these from the book:

   The army encamped by the river.

   You must recite your lesson.

   Were I rich, I would purchase that property.

6. Write

   The book asks your child to write a description of the Oak and tell the modes of the verbs used. Write a short paragraph and label each verb.

7. Use it today

   Use a sentence in each of the five modes today.