Many languages inflect verbs to indicate such categories as [[person (grammar)|person]], [[number (grammar)|number]], [[tense]], [[aspect (grammar)|aspect]], [[mood (grammar)|mood]], and [[voice (grammar)|voice]]. Languages differ in the extent to which such categories are separately encoded into a verb or the extent to which they are encoded into the verb at all. The set of all forms of a verb is called its ''conjugation''. English inflects for tense and to a limited extent for person and number. God ''loves'' us; but we ''love'' God. God ''created'' the Heavens and the Earth; but He creates things daily. English also inflects for mood; compare ''If I were a rich man'' (subjunctive) with ''I was a rich man'' (indicative). Other ways in which various languages express such things are [[particle (grammar)|particles]], [[periphrasis]], and context. | Many languages inflect verbs to indicate such categories as [[person (grammar)|person]], [[number (grammar)|number]], [[tense]], [[aspect (grammar)|aspect]], [[mood (grammar)|mood]], and [[voice (grammar)|voice]]. Languages differ in the extent to which such categories are separately encoded into a verb or the extent to which they are encoded into the verb at all. The set of all forms of a verb is called its ''conjugation''. English inflects for tense and to a limited extent for person and number. God ''loves'' us; but we ''love'' God. God ''created'' the Heavens and the Earth; but He creates things daily. English also inflects for mood; compare ''If I were a rich man'' (subjunctive) with ''I was a rich man'' (indicative). Other ways in which various languages express such things are [[particle (grammar)|particles]], [[periphrasis]], and context. |