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269. The Future Tense.-All the tenses of the verb are simple and liable to little misuse, except the future. In this tense, the uses of shall and will need to be carefully distinguished. These uses may be summarized as follows:

1. Shall is used in the first person, and will in the second and third persons to express simple futurity of action or condition.

2. Will is used in the first person to express determination in the form of (1) a resolution, or (2) a promise.

3. Shall is used in the second and third persons to express determination on the part of the speaker in the form of (1) a threat, (2) a command, or (3) a promise.

4. In direct questions,

In the first person shall is always used.

In the second and third persons, either shall or will is used according to the answer expected.

5. In indirect questions, the shall or will of the direct questions is preserved.

6. In independent clauses which represent quotations, the shall or will of the original statement is preserved.

7. Will is used in any person to express willingness or consent.

8. Shall is used in any person to express obligation.

EXERCISE

270. Insert shall or will in the blanks in the following sentences, and give the reason for your selection of each:

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271. The Perfect Tenses.-The present perfect, the past perfect, and the future perfect tenses, which represent completed action in present, past, or future time, are formed by prefixing the present, past, or future tenses of the auxiliary verb have to the past participle of the notional verb.

EXAMPLES

Present Perfect: I have worked
Past Perfect: I had worked

Future Perfect: I shall have worked

I have spoken

I had spoken

I shall have spoken

272. Auxiliary Verbs and Notional Verbs.-Notional verbs are the verbs that express the idea of

action or state of being desired. Auxiliary verbs are the verbs that are used to help notional verbs express their meaning. They may help express the action as going on, as emphatic, as completed, as customary; or they may help to express the action as affecting the subject instead of an object (passive voice.)

273. The Progressive Tense Forms.-Sometimes we wish to emphasize the progressive nature of the action of the verb. Something is, was, or will be going on; or, something has been, had been, or will have been going on. This is called the progressive form, and is made by prefixing the proper tense of the auxiliary verb be to the present participle of the notional verb.

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I had been speaking.

Past Perfect: I had been working.
Fut. Perfect: I shall have been working. I shall have been speak-

ing.

274. The Intensive Tense Forms. Sometimes we wish to emphasize the fact that a certain action really does, did, or shall take place, or that the action is accustomed to take place. This intensive form is used only in the present, past, and future tenses. The present and past tenses of do are prefixed to the present infinitive of the notional verb, to form the present and past tenses; and will is prefixed to the infinitive of the notional verb to form the first person, and shall

to form the second and third persons, of the future

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275. The Interrogative Forms.-The interrogative forms of the tenses of the verb denoting incomplete action, are formed in the same way as the intensive forms, except that the auxiliaries do, did, shall and will are placed before the pronoun. In the interrogative forms of the perfect tenses the auxiliaries have, has, had, shall, and will are placed before the subject noun or pronoun.

Present: Does he work?
Past: Did he work?
Future: Shall I work?
Will he work?

EXAMPLES

Pres. Perfect: Has he worked?
Past Perfect: Had he worked?
Fut. Perfect: Shall I have worked?
Will he have worked?

Simple

276. Uses of the Present Tense.-The present tense has several uses. They are the follow

ing:

1. To denote action as going on during a period of time including the present, or as accustomary.

EXAMPLES

Margaret is in college this year.
Mr. Harvey sings in the choir.
Health is an essential of happiness.

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1. Napoleon orders the charge, and the battle is won. 2. At this news, Washington retreats under cover of dark

ness.

EXERCISE

277. Explain the difference in meaning between the pairs of verb forms in the following sentences:

1. Mary reads (is reading) well.

2. The boys are going (have gone) fishing.

3. He shall (will) do as I say.

4. She always goes (is going) to see her friends. 5. We looked (were looking) for you Tuesday.

6. I study (am studying) English.

7. I wrote (had written, was writing) the note when father

came.

8. I have ridden (have been riding) for two hours.

9. She has heard (has been hearing) from them.

10. We will (shall) be there on time.

II. He shall (will) not go.

12. She always comes (is coming) early.

13. He speaks (is speaking) clearly.

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