Page images
PDF
EPUB

Participles.

Present. Having.

Perfect. Had.

Compound Perfect. Having had.

Auxiliary Verbs.

Auxiliaries, or helping verbs, are those, by the help of which the English verbs are principally conjugated. They are, do, be, have, shall, will, may, can, with their variations; and let and must, which, as auxiliaries, have no variation. Let, as a principal verb, has lettest and letteth.

The principal auxiliaries, or those which are most used, and capable of the greatest variations, are, be and have. But these, as may be seen in the foregoing display of them, cannot, be conjugated throughout all their moods and tenses, without the help of other auxiliary verbs, viz. may, can, &c. with their variations. Auxiliaries in their simple state, are of a very limited extent, as will appear from a distinct conjugation of them. In their simple form, uncombined with any other, they are conjugated ås follows:

[blocks in formation]

2. Thou art, or you are. 2. Ye or you are.

3. He is.

3. They are.

Singular.

1. I was.

Imperfect Tense.

Plural.

1. We were.

2. Thou wast, or you 2. Ye or you were..

[blocks in formation]

2. Thou hast or you 2. Ye or you have.

[blocks in formation]

2. Thou hadst, or you Ye or you had.

[blocks in formation]

1. We shall

1. I shall.

2. Thou shalt, or you 2. Ye or you shalf.

3. He shall.

[shall. 3. They shall.

*Shall and will, though generally the signs of the future, may sometimes be considered in the present tense, potential mood; having the same analogy to should and would, that can has to could, or may to might; as, He shall obey me at all times: Some people will never assist the poor.

Singular.

1. 1 should.

Imperfect Tense.

Plural.

1. We should.

2. Thou shouldst or you 2. Ye or you should.

[blocks in formation]

2. Thou wilt, or you 2. Ye or you will.

will.

[blocks in formation]

2. Thou wouldst, or you 2. Ye or you would.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

1. I may

Plural.

1. We may.

2. Thou mayst, or you 2. Ye or you may.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

2. Thou dost, or you do. 2. Ye or you do. 3. He doth or does.

Singular.

1. I did.

3. They do.

Imperfect Tense.

[blocks in formation]

2. Thou didst, or you 2. Ye or you did.

[blocks in formation]

The verbs have, be, will, and do, when they are unconnected with a principal verb, expres sed or understood, are not auxiliaries, but principal verbs; as, We have enough: I am grate

[ocr errors]

ful He wills it to be so: They do as they please. In this view they also have their auxiliaries; as, I shall have enough; I will be grateful, &c. "I

The peculiar force of the several auxilia ries will appear from the following account of them:

[ocr errors]

Do and did mark the action itself, or the time of it, with greater energy and positiveness; as, I do speak truth: I did respect him Here am I, for thou didst call me. They are of great use in negative sentences; as, I do not fear; I did not write. They are almost universally employed in asking questions; as, Does he learn? Did he not write? They sometimes also supply the place of another verb, and make the repetition of it in the same or the subsequent sentence, unnecessary; as, You attend not to your studies as he does, (i. e. as he attends) I shall come if I can; but if I do not, please to excuse me; (i. e. if I come not.)

[ocr errors]

Let not only expresses permission, but en treating, exhorting, commanding; as, Let us know the truth: Let me die the death of the righteous Let not thy heart be too much elated with success: Let thy inclination submit to thy duty.

May and might express the possibility or liberty of doing a thing can and could, the power; as, It may rain: I may write or read He might have improved more than he has

1

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »