cease – Early Modern English verb conjugation

Early Modern English verb forms of cease

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to cease
Participle: ceased
Gerund: ceasing

Transitiviness: intransitive, transitive

Indicative

Present

Icease
thoucease(e)st
he;she;itceaseth; ceases
wecease
yecease
theycease

Preterit (Past)

Iceased
thouceased(e)st
he;she;itceased
weceased
yeceased
theyceased

Subjunctive

Present

Icease
thoucease
he;she;itcease
wecease
yecease
theycease

Preterit (Past)

Iceased
thouceased(e)st
he;she;itceased
weceased
yeceased
theyceased

Imperative

thoucease
yecease

Notes:

  • Compound forms (perfect, pluperfect) are formed either with 'have' or 'be'.
  • Future is formed as in modern English, with auxiliary 'will'.
  • Conditional is formed as in modern English, with auxiliary 'would'.
  • Continuous forms are formed with auxiliary 'be' and gerund. Sometimes the gerund is preceded by 'a-'
  • Plural forms in present lost the '-en' ending, and was used only as a stylistic affectation to indicate rural or old-fashioned speech.