ikewise change with the relative
position of the object to the person addressed.

In all parts of aboriginal speech, words are occasionally met with so
closely alike in pronunciation that it is almost impossible for any
one but a native to detect the difference.

_Verbs_.

The moods are the indicative, imperative, conditional, and infinitive.
The verb stem and a contraction of the necessary pronouns are
incorporated, and the words thus formed are used in the conjugation.
These are, however, modifications of the affixed particles in the past
and future tenses to express differences in time.

In the following conjugation of the verb "to beat" the present tense
is given in full. In the past and future tenses, one example in the
first person singular is thought sufficient, because any required
person and number in each tense can be obtained by following the
directions given in the text.

_Indicative Mood_--_Present Tense_.

Singular 1st Person I beat _Bumurradhu_.
2nd " Thou beatest _Bumurrandu_.
3rd " He beats _Bumurragwa_.
Dual 1st Person We, incl., beat _Bumurrali_.
We, excl., beat _Bumurraliguna_.
2nd " You beat _Bumurrandubla_.
3rd " They beat _Bumurragwainbula_.
Plural 1st " We, incl., beat _Bumurrani_.
We, excl., beat _Bumurraniguna_.
2nd " You beat _Bumurrandugir_.
3rd " They beat _Bumurragwainguler_.

_Past Tense_.

1st Person I beat just now _Bumulbendhu_.
Singular, I beat this morning _Bumulngurrindhu_.
I beat yesterday _Bumulgwandhu_.
I beat, indefinite _Bumedhu_.
I beat long ago _Bumulgridyu_.

_Dhu_, softened to _dyu_ in some cases, is a contraction of _ngadhu_.

_Future Tense_.

1st Person I will beat, indefinite _Bumulgiridyu_.
Singular, I will beat, soon _Bumulyawagiridyu_.
I will beat in the morning _Bumulngurrigiridu_.

Owing to the several inflections of the verb in the past and future
tneses, for immediate, proximate, and more or less remote times of the
performance of the action,[8] it is often found convenient, especially
when speaking in the dual or plural, to prefix a complete pronoun from
the table of pronouns. Thus, instead of saying, _Bumulbenli_, a native
frequently expresses it, _Ngulli bumulben_. Again, instead