making clear whether that event took place in the past, or is taking place in the present, or will take place in the future. Of course, we might tell this by adverbs or adverbial phrases, but we have a very much better way, we tell it by the form of the verb we use. What time do we think of when we see the verbs eats, works, plays, sleeps? the verbs ate, worked, played, slept? in the form of the two sets of verbs? What time is told by What time is told by the verbs will eat, will work, will play, will sleep? 186. In the last group of verbs, where each verb consists of two words, it is the first word will that denotes future time. Such a word is called a helping word, or auxiliary verb. 187. The change in the form of a verb to denote time is called tense. 188. Tense is a property of all verbs. It is evident that there must be three tenses, present, past, and future, as shown in the three sets of verbs that have just been examined. These are called primary tenses. There are three other tenses, called secondary tenses. We may say, "I have eaten my supper," "I had eaten my supper," "I shall have eaten my supper." These verbs call attention not so much to the time of the action as to the fact that it is completed, or perfected. Have eaten means that a past action is completed at the present time. This form is called the present perfect tense. Had eaten means that a past action was completed before some particular past time. This form is called the past perfect tense. Shall have eaten means that an action will be completed before some definite future time. This is called the future perfect tense. Summary. Tense is that property of a verb which denotes the time of an action or an event. There are six tenses: (1) The present tense denotes that an action is taking place. It usually consists of one word, the simplest form of the verb. (2) The past tense denotes that an action did take place. It usually consists of one word. (3) The future tense denotes that an action will take place. It consists of two words, one of which is the auxiliary shall or will. (4) The present perfect tense denotes that a past action is now completed. It consists of two words, one of which is the auxiliary have or has. (5) The past perfect tense denotes that a past action was completed before a particular past time. It consists of two words, one of which is the auxiliary had. (6) The future perfect tense denotes that a future action will be completed before a particular future time. It consists of three words, one of which is the auxiliary have, and another the auxiliary shall or will. NOTES. -1. The present tense is used also to denote (1) that something is true at all times; as "Waste makes want," and (2) that something occurs habitually; as, "She teaches school." 2. When a predicate consists of a series of verbs in the same tense, the auxiliary is usually expressed only with the first verb. In the sentence, "Now that he has eaten and slept, he is ready for work,” the second verb is has slept, with the auxiliary understood. 189. A common error is the use of the present perfect tense for the past tense. We say, "I have been in Florida. several times," because we mean several times before now; but we say, "I was in Florida last year," because we mean that our being there occurred in past time with no reference whatever to the present. If we are still in Florida we may say, "I have been in Florida a long time "; but if we are no longer in Florida we say, "I was in Florida a long time." Exercise 1. Justify the use of the past or the present perfect tense in each of these sentences: 1. I learned the poem last evening. 2. I have learned the poem already. 3. I bought my hat at Stone's. 4. I have bought a new spring hat. 5. I came home last Monday. 6. I have come to stay a week. 7. I tried my skates this afternoon. 8. I haven't tried my new skates. 9. I have walked ever since sunrise. 10. I walked from sunrise until noon. 11. I spoke to the President this morning. 12. I have never spoken to the President. 13. I spoke to him twice when I was in Washington. 14. I have spoken to him several times. Exercise 2. Using the subject I, form the six tenses of the following verbs. Consult the dictionary for forms of which you are not sure. 1. Trees wave, flowers bloom, and bright-winged birds flit from palm to cedar. 2. The lynx turned to the right, along a well-worn trail, ran up a tree, descended hastily, and glided away among the thickets. 3. Tommy and I had played together till five o'clock that Saturday afternoon. 4. The children thought, "how long the vacation will be!" but the mother thought, "how soon it will have come and gone." 5. He who knows nothing fears nothing. 6. The duck had never seen a guinea egg before in all her life. 7. The boy comes nearer to perpetual motion than anything. else in nature. 8. Nobody has yet discovered how many grasshoppers a turkey will hold. 9. I have made no addition to my cabinet since we met. 10. The big black pots swinging from the cranes had bubbled and gurgled and sent out puffs of appetizing steam. 11. "How many pieces shall I cut this pie into?" said she. 12. I have seen wild bees and butterflies feeding at a height of 13,000 feet above the sea. 13. You shall go to bed, and I will remain with you a few days until you get over this fever. 14. The daisies have shut up their sleepy red eyes. Analyze sentences 2, 3, 6, 9, 14. L. THE INDICATIVE MODE 190. Each of the six verb forms that we have been study I eat, I ate, I shall eat, I have eaten, I had eaten, I shall have eaten, is used in the statement of a fact, and is said to be in the indicative mode. Mode is that property of a verb which denotes the manner of an assertion. The indicative mode is used in the statement of a fact. 191. In some tenses there is a slight difference between the singular and the plural form of a verb, hence verbs are said to have the property of number. We should always use the verb form that agrees with the number of the subject. In the present tense, for example, we say in the singular, “The man goes;" and in the plural, "The men go." 192. In some tenses there is a slight difference in the form of the verb to denote person, hence verbs are said to have the property of person. In the present perfect tense, we say in the first person, "I have gone;" and in the third person, "He has gone." 193. When we give all the forms of a verb in the three persons and the two numbers of each tense, we are said to conjugate the verb. |