Usage notes

The verb beware'' has become a defective verb and now lacks forms such as the third-person singular simple present (bewares) and the simple past (bewared). It can only be used imperatively (''Beware of the dog!'') or as an infinitive (''You must beware of the dog'' or ''They told me to beware of the dog ). The inflected forms (bewares), (bewared), and (bewaring) are called obsolete in Fowler's , along with the simple indicative "I beware". The forms (bewares) and (bewared) are very rarely found in modern texts, though (bewaring) is slightly less rare. These inflections are more likely to be found in very old texts. The meanings conveyed by the obsolete inflected forms may be easily achieved by splitting "be" and "ware", conjugating "be", and possibly replacing "ware" with the more modern "wary"; thus, "bewares" > "is wary", "bewared" > "was wary", etc.

Usage notes

* Acknowledge'' is opposed to keep back, or conceal, and supposes that something had been previously known to us (though perhaps not to others) which we now feel bound to lay open or make public. Thus, a man ''acknowledges'' a secret marriage; one who has done wrong ''acknowledges'' his fault; and author ''acknowledges'' his obligation to those who have aided him; we ''acknowledge our ignorance. * Recognize'' supposes that we have either forgotten or not had the evidence of a thing distinctly before our minds, but that now we know it (as it were) anew, or receive and admit in on the ground of the evidence it brings. Thus, we ''recognize'' a friend after a long absence. We ''recognize'' facts, principles, truths, etc., when their evidence is brought up fresh to the mind; as, bad men usually ''recognize'' the providence of God in seasons of danger. A foreign minister, consul, or agent, of any kind, is ''recognized on the ground of his producing satisfactory credentials. * See also confess