Most likely it means the transmission is going out. This could be caused by a lack of Transmission Fluid or a complete failure of the system (judging from the minor incident to the major, respectively). I would get someone you trust or a mechanic to look at it to give you an evaluation. It is typical for older Ford cars to loose their ability to shift into gears. Good luck.
Shift linkage out of adjustment?
Rev the engine slightly to see if it will keep running. If it does, then check for a possible vacuum leak. There could be a leak that gets worse when the transmission is shifted into gear.
Well Maybe it is your transmission try checking the fluid and if it is low it wont move Also check your cv Axles they could be bad like mine were.
If it starts up in any gear, manual transmissions does not have a neutral safety switch.
Sounds like the Neutral Safety Switch is malfunctioning somehow. It is supposed to allow starting in only neutral or park. It may need replacing or simply an adjustment.
you put the gear in reverse and slowly let up the clutch until the car starts moving. then just ride the clutch so you don't kill the engine.
Could be a safety feature of that particular model and year. Starting the engine in neutral removes all possibilities of the vehicle lunging forward or backwards when it starts up.
reverse extinction is where an animals population rapidly starts to increase.
appositive
Probably a rev limiter, as most cars to this in park or neutral, because the engine is not under load and can be damaged if over reved.
The PCM ( Powertrain Control Module ) will limit the RPM of the engine in order to protect the engine ( on the 4.0 liter V6 engine it starts to cut back on the fuel at 5200 RPM ) when it is in gear and I believe around 3000 RPM in neutral or park when there is no load on the engine
neutral