1. Auxiliary verbs are those which are used in conjugating other verbs. They are,

PRES. Do, be, have, shall, will, may, can, must. PAST. Did, was, had, should, would, might, could.

2. The auxiliaries were originally principal verbs; and some of them are still used as such.

Eight forms for the present. Eight forms for the past. Seven forms for the future. Auxiliaries.

3. The auxiliary verbs are used to form the modes and tenses of other verbs, and to give to the forms in which they are used, the shades of meaning peculiar to their original signification.

4. In the early stages of the language, these verbs were undoubtedly used as principal verbs followed and modified by the infinitive of what is now called the principal verb; as, may go; can read; must sing; like the Latin Possum scribere, or the French Je puis aller, or the German Ich kann schreiben. Finally, the subordinate infinitive came to be regarded as the principal verb, and that on which it depended became its auxiliary.

5. The auxiliaries should be regarded merely as form-words, or words used to form the tenses, and to show relations of time and mode, as the preposition is used to show relations of time, place, origin, cause, manner, property, material, &c. In fact, all words used to show a relation of whatever nature, such as prepositions, relative pronouns, and conjunctive adverbs, are a species of auxiliary. In the progress of language, these auxiliaries have increased, and in the same ratio, the inflection of the principal word has diminished. An exact and familiar acquaintance with their various uses is essential to a correct knowledge of the language. (See 113 below).

6. The auxiliaries, as such, have only two tenses; the present and the past, except must, which has no variation. They may be thus represented:

112. Conjugation of the Auxiliaries.

Uses of auxiliaries. Primitive use. Auxiliaries as form-words. Conjuga

tion of auxiliaries.

113. Signification of the Auxiliaries.

1. The auxiliaries, deriving much of their force from their original significations, give their own shades of meaning to the tense form into which they enter.

2. BE, from the Saxon "beon," to be fixed, to exist, denotes existence. As an auxiliary, it is the copula, used (80, 5) to join an attribute to, and assert its existence in the subject; as, The heat is oppressive."

As an auxiliary

3. Do, from the Saxon "don," to do, denotes action. it is used chiefly to give intensity of meaning to the action of the principal verb. This it does especially in affirmative sentences, and, to some degree, in negative. But in interrogative sentences, it is little more than a sign of interrogation; as, "I do try," "I did go;" "He did not speak;""Do you hear it?"

4. HAVE, from the Saxon "habban," to have, denotes possession, and as an auxiliary retains its original meaning in the idea of completion; as if an act was not fully possessed by its subject until completed. It seems to have acquired this meaning thus:-In "I have treasures concealed," have denotes possession, and is separated from "concealed;" in "I have concealed treasures," it still denotes possession, but is brought into connection with "concealed;" whereas, in "I have concealed the treasures," it is brought into intimate relation with "concealed," which passes from a passive to an active signification, and here we have the idea of possession or completion of the act.

5. SHALL and WILL. Shall, from the Saxon "scealan," to be obliged, has the primary meaning of obligation, and implies an agency, usually personal, by which it is enforced. This agency may be the determination of the actor, but is most commonly that of another. Will, from the Saxon "willan," to determine, denotes determination, resolution, or purpose, springing directly from the agent himself. But that which one is under obligation to do, and which, it is determined, he shall do, is not now done. Hence, both shall and will imply futurity. Thus, "You shall write," denotes a present obligation to perform a future act; it implies that I, the speaker, have so resolved. So, when I say emphatically, “I shall write," both the obligation and the resolution pertain to the agent. But when I say it without emphasis, I simply predict a future event. 6. Hence, shall and will have.

(a.) A complex signification, when a future event is made to depend upon the determination, resolution, or volition of a personal agent (either the actor or another); as, "He shall go" (I so resolve). "I will go" (I myself so resolve.

Meaning of the auxiliaries-" Be," "Do," "Have," "Shall," and "Will.” Complex signification of "Shall and "Will."

(b.) A simple signification, denoting mere futurity, when a future event is wholly or chiefly independent of volition or resolution; as, "It will rain" (whatever you or I may resolve); "I shall be overtaken" (independent of my will). In this case the speaker merely predicts or expresses an opinion. The past tenses should and would are used with the same or nearly the same significations.

7. Two parties (the speaker sometimes being a third), are necessarily involved in both these cases; the one who resolves or predicts, and the one who acts. Two cases may arise. (1.) Both parties may be represented by the same person; as, "I resolve or determine that I will write ;" or simply, "I will write." "I predict or believe that I shall write ;" or simply, "I shall write." "You resolve that you will write." "You believe or predict that you shall write." (2.) Both parties may be represented, one by one person, and the other by another; as, "I resolve that you shall write ;" or simply, "You shall write." "I predict that you will write;" or simply, "You will write." "You resolve that I shall write." "You predict that I shall (not will) write." "He resolves that you shall write." "He predicts that you will write." In interrogative sentences, the same principles prevail, but the will or opinion of the second person is referred to; as, "Shall he write?" that is, "Is it your will or resolution that he shall write ?" "Will it rain?" that is, "Is it your opinion

or prediction that it will rain?”

A careful inspection of these and similar examples will justify the following rules:

8. RULE I. When the person who resolves or predicts is not mentioned, the speaker or FIRST person is always understood in affirmative, and the hearer or SECOND in interrogative sentences; as, "You shall go." (I will it.) "Shall he go?" (Do you will it?) "It will rain." (I predict it.) "Will it rain?" (Do you predict it ?")

9. RULE II. WILL should be used when the resolution and the action are attributed to the SAME person, and SHALL when they are attributed to DIFFERENT persons; "I will go." (I myself resolve.) "Will you go?" (Do you yourself resolve?) "He will go." (He himself resolves.) shall go." (I resolve.) "They have determined that you shall go." "Shall he go." (Do you resolve?)

"He

10. RULE III. SHALL should be used when the prediction and the action are both attributed to the SAME person, or in any case, provided the action be attributed to the FIRST person; and WILL should be used when the prediction and the action (except in the case of the first person), are attributed to DIFFERENT persons; as, "You will be promoted." (I predict it.) "I shall teach, or be a teacher." (I, he, you, or they, predict it.) "Will he

Simple signification of "Shall" and "Will." Parties involved. Rules I. I., III.

teach?" (Do you predict it?) "It will rain." (I think so.)

"Will it rain?" (Do you think so?)

NOTE.-Shall is used in animated discourse, contrary to the last part of Rule III., when the speaker offers an implied pledge that his prediction shall be fulfilled; as, "When the precepts of the Gospel shall have been thoroughly inwrought into the lives of men, then shall war be known only in history."

11. MAY, CAN, and MUST. May, from the Saxon " magan," to be strong, expressed the primary idea of power, and implied a personal agency from without employed to remove all hindrance. Hence the idea of permission. Can, is from the Saxon "cunnan," to know, that is, an intellectual power within one's self. Hence the idea of ability. Must is from the Saxon "motan," to be able, that is, to be impelled by a power coming-not from any personal agency without, as in case of may, nor within, as in case of can-but from the nature, constitution, or fitness of things. Hence, the idea of necessity, and, in a moral point of view, obligation.

(1.) It will be seen that may, can, and must, agree in the idea of power; hence, the term potential,-but they differ in the source of it. As auxiliaries, they retain much of their original meaning. May expresses, in general, permission; as, "You may visit the country."

12. May sometimes denotes possibility, and implies doubt; as, "It may rain." "He may have written;" sometimes a petition; as, "May it please you."

13. Might and could also express in past time the same general meaning as in the present; as, "I know I may or can go." "I knew I might or could go."

14. Might, could, should, and would are used in conditional sentences, might in one clause answering to could in the other, when power, ability, or inclination is implied; as, 'He might sing, if he could or would." So, "He could sing, if he would." "He would sing, if he could." Sometimes the conditional clause is omitted. "He might write." "He could write." "He would write." In all these examples a present possibility, liberty, &c., is referred to. When past time is referred to, we use the past perfect tense; as, "He might have written, if he would (have written).

114. Exercise.

1. In the following sentences, do SHALL and WILL resolve or predict?—

It will be a come to see

I will go to the party. You shall not leave the room. sad day for him. He shall do as I tell him. Eugene will I shall go to see my sister. I shall see him to-morrow.

me.

In the

Signification and uses of " May," "Can," " Must," "Might," "Could," "Would," and "Should."