s;[301] which
have been very variously denominated, perhaps the most accurately thus: the
_Imperfect_, the _Perfect_, and the _Preperfect_. Or, as their order is
undisputed, they may he conveniently called the _First_, the _Second_, and
the _Third_.

I. The _Imperfect participle_ is that which ends commonly in _ing_, and
implies a continuance of the being, action, or passion: as, _being, acting,
ruling, loving, defending, terminating_.

II. The _Perfect participle_ is that which ends commonly in _ed_ or _en_,
and implies a _completion_ of the being, action, or passion: as, _been,
acted, ruled, loved, defended, terminated_.

III. The _Preperfect participle_ is that which takes the sign _having_, and
implies a _previous completion_ of the being, action, or passion: as,
_having loved, having seen, having written; having been loved, having been
writing, having been written_.

The _First_ or _Imperfect_ Participle, when simple, is always formed by
adding _ing_ to the radical verb; as, _look, looking_: when compound, it is
formed by prefixing _being_ to some other simple participle; as, _being
reading, being read, being completed_.

The _Second_ or _Perfect_ Participle is always simple, and is regularly
formed by adding _d_ or _ed_ to the radical verb: those verbs from which it
is formed otherwise, are either irregular or redundant.

The _Third_ or _Preperfect_ Participle is always compound, and is formed by
prefixing _having_ to the perfect, when the compound is double, and _having
been_ to the perfect or the imperfect, when the compound is triple: as,
_having spoken, having been spoken, having been speaking_.

OBSERVATIONS.

OBS. 1.--Some have supposed that both the simple participles denote present
_time_; some have supposed that the one denotes present, and the other,
past time; some have supposed that the first denotes no time, and the
second time past; some have supposed that neither has any regard to time;
and some have supposed that both are of _all_ times. In regard to the
distinction of _voice_, or the manner of their signification, some have
supposed the one to be active, and the other to be passive; some have
supposed the participle in _ing_ to be active or neuter, and the other
active or passive; and some have supposed that either of them may be
active, passive, or neuter. Nor is there any more unanimity among
grammarians, in respect to the compounds. Hence several different names
have been loosely giv