Englisch-Kapitel 3

Verbs
In Niw Englisch, verbs are conjugated according to number and person. There are two tenses, present and past, and three moods, indicative, subjunctive, imperative.

Predicate Infinitives
Some verbs of perception (seen, hieren, fœlen, gestinken) and of causation (læten, haaten, læren, senden, etc.) are able to have an accusative object followed by an infinitive. In such constructions, the accusative object is grammatically the subject of the infinitive action, and the infinitive is the predicate for the object of the finite verb. This entire construction is called a predicate infinitive.

Examples:
 * ic see meinen Freond kommen - I see my friend coming.
 * ic gestinke hin smieken - I smell him smoking
 * þu hierst meine Moder singen - you hear my mother singing
 * schie fœlte þen Deaþ genaȝhen - she felt death drawing near.
 * ich lecge mich slæpen - I lay myself to sleep
 * Meine Moder lætþ us gaan - my mother is letting us go.
 * He lærde hin fischen - he taught him fishing.

When this predicate infinitive has modifiers, those are placed between the accusative object and the predicate infinitive.

Examples:
 * He hafþ þrie Ræȝlwæden im Beddklyfen hangen - he has 3 suits hanging in the closet
 * ic læte þen Skoler þat Ærendgewritt wreiten - I let the student write the letter.

The verb læten is also used to describe a process in the passive. The infinitive is then a replacement for the past participle:


 * Ic læte þat Ærendgewritt wreiten - I'm having the letter written.
 * Þat Ærendgewritt wirþ gewritten - the letter is being written.