s , ▁which ▁had ▁largely ▁been ▁determined ▁by ▁the ▁v owel ▁of ▁the ▁inf lection al ▁suffix ▁in ▁Old ▁Dutch . ▁In ▁Middle ▁Dutch , ▁with ▁all ▁un str essed ▁v ow els ▁mer ging ▁into ▁one , ▁the ▁sub j unct ive ▁became ▁distinguished ▁from ▁the ▁indic ative ▁only ▁in ▁the ▁singular ▁but ▁was ▁identical ▁to ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁pl ural , ▁and ▁also ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁t ense ▁of ▁weak ▁ver bs . ▁That ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁grad ual ▁decl ine ▁in ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁sub j unct ive , ▁and ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁all ▁but ▁lost ▁entirely ▁in ▁modern ▁Dutch . ▁ ▁Str ong ▁ver bs ▁The ▁seven ▁classes ▁of ▁strong ▁verb ▁common ▁to ▁the ▁German ic ▁languages ▁were ▁retained . ▁The ▁four ▁principal ▁parts ▁were ▁the ▁present ▁t ense , ▁first - ▁and ▁third - person ▁singular ▁past ▁t ense , ▁remaining ▁past ▁t ense , ▁and ▁the ▁past ▁partici ple . ▁ ▁In ▁classes ▁ 6 ▁and ▁ 7 , ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁distinction ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁different ▁v ow els ▁of ▁the ▁past ▁t ense . ▁In ▁classes ▁ 4 ▁and ▁ 5 , ▁the ▁difference ▁was ▁primarily ▁one ▁of ▁length , ▁since ▁ ā ▁and ▁â ▁were ▁not ▁distinguished ▁in ▁most ▁dialect s . ▁The ▁difference ▁between ▁ ê ▁and ▁ ē , ▁and ▁between ▁ ô ▁and ▁ ō , ▁found ▁in ▁classes ▁ 1 ▁and ▁ 2 , ▁was ▁a ▁bit ▁more ▁robust , ▁but ▁also ▁eventually ▁w an ed ▁in ▁the ▁development