Why English Ain't Like Greek

Grice is often complaining: "Ah, had English as many mode markers as Latin or Greek had". He meant it jocularly. But anyone familiar with a teacher of classics knows how aggravated they get and how much they lower your points in quizes and stuff when you get the mode wrong, as in:

"Herodotus thought that the clouds were black".

"Herodotus WISHED that the clouds BE black"

"Clouds! Be black!"

"Ah, for clouds to be black!"

"They desired that the clouds be black"

"The made the clouds black"

"He desired and thought that that the clouds should be blackened"

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One thinks that in those times they did not have automobiles, elevators, nothing, mainly, and yet they had this totally useless set of verbal endings! Not surprsing that education was restricted to the male half of the population!