▁to ▁modern ▁Dutch . ▁Con sequently , ▁the ▁distinction ▁was ▁mostly ▁lost . ▁Class ▁ 3 , ▁which ▁retained ▁a ▁clear ▁distinction ▁that ▁did ▁not ▁rely ▁on ▁v owel ▁length , ▁was ▁level led ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁the ▁o ▁of ▁the ▁pl ural . ▁ ▁In ▁classes ▁with ▁a ▁length ened ▁v owel ▁in ▁the ▁present , ▁the ▁singular ▁imper ative ▁often ▁appears ▁with ▁a ▁short ▁v owel ▁instead , ▁e . g . ▁les , ▁dra ch . ▁An ▁alternative ▁form , ▁with ▁final ▁- e ▁by ▁anal ogy ▁with ▁the ▁weak ▁ver bs , ▁also ▁occurs . ▁ ▁The ▁eastern ▁dialect s ▁occasionally ▁show ▁i ▁in ▁the ▁second - ▁and ▁third - person ▁singular ▁present ▁indic ative ▁forms , ▁instead ▁of ▁e . ▁This ▁is ▁a ▁rem nant ▁of ▁older ▁i - mut ation ▁in ▁these ▁forms . ▁Um la ut ▁is ▁also ▁sometimes ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁sub j unct ive ▁in ▁the ▁east . ▁ ▁We ak ▁ver bs ▁Middle ▁Dutch ▁retained ▁weak ▁ver bs ▁as ▁the ▁only ▁product ive ▁class ▁of ▁ver bs . ▁While ▁Old ▁Dutch ▁still ▁had ▁two ▁different ▁classes ▁of ▁weak ▁ver bs ▁( and ▁rem n ants ▁of ▁a ▁third ), ▁this ▁distinction ▁was ▁lost ▁in ▁Middle ▁Dutch ▁with ▁the ▁weak ening ▁of ▁un str essed ▁sy ll ables . ▁ ▁The ▁past ▁t ense ▁was ▁formed ▁with ▁a ▁suffix ▁- ed -, ▁which ▁generally ▁lost ▁its ▁e ▁through ▁syn cope ▁and ▁thus ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁directly ▁attached ▁to ▁the ▁preceding ▁stem . ▁This