If we look closely at these sentences, we shall see that the verbs denote (1) a wish, (2) something contrary to fact, (3) something uncertain. (See Lesson LII.) 247. The seven auxiliaries just studied may be used in making passive verb phrases. Use the following phrases or similar ones in sentences: may be broken can be cut may have been taken 248. Other verb phrases in very common use in speech are formed by means of the participle going. It is easy to imagine the following conversation as really taking place. In fact, you "I am going to go to Niagara Falls next summer." "Why, you were going to go there last summer. have been going to go there every summer since I have known you.” "True enough. My intentions are good, but my purse is light. Perhaps I shall be going to go all my life, and then get to heaven first after all." Each of the four groups of italicized words is a verb phrase denoting an intention. Make ten similar phrases; as, am going to sing, was going to eat. Notice that going does not denote the act of going anywhere to sing or to eat, as it does in "I am going to the Park to hear the band play," but only the purpose or intention of singing or eating. 249. Just as we denote an intended future action by using the word going, so we often denote a customary past action by a phrase in which we employ the verb used; as, "She used to wear a little red cape," "Johnson used to touch every fence post that he passed." The italicized words should not be separated here, but should be considered as one group or verb phrase. 250. In speaking of any of the verb phrases described in this lesson, we may call them verbs; we decide their person and number by their subject, their voice and mode by their meaning, and their tense by their form. 251. The verbs have and do are not always auxiliaries. They are sometimes principal verbs, and as such are conjugated in the various ways. What are the principal parts of have? of do? Conjugate have in the indicative mode; do in the emphatic form; have in the progressive form; do in the passive voice, in the third person, singular number, using it for the subject. 252. Verbs like rain, snow, hail, etc., are sometimes called impersonal verbs, because they are used only in the third person singular with the pronoun it. Summary. A defective verb is one that lacks one or more of its principal parts. Defective verbs are used as auxiliary verbs. The auxiliaries may, can, must, might, could, would, and should are used to form certain common verb phrases. These verb phrases may be active or passive, declarative or interrogative, indicative or subjunctive mode, present, past, or present perfect tense. Going is used to form verb phrases that denote a future or intended action. Used is employed to form verb phrases that denote a customary past action. Have and do may be principal verbs as well as auxiliary verbs. Impersonal verbs are used only in the third person singular, with the neuter pronoun it. Exercise 1. Select all the verb phrases in the following sentences. Tell their voice, person, number, subject, and complement if they have any. 1. What a bird it must be that could utter such wondrous sounds! 2. From time to time the two rabbits would halt, sit up on their hind quarters, erect their long, attentive ears, and glance about warily with their bulging eyes. 3. The rich man's son inherits cares; The bank may break, the factory burn, A living that would serve his turn. 4. All the girls in the class are going to wear pink chambray dresses, and mother is going to make mine by hand. 5. We can go by the North Road, the South Road, or the Middle Road. 6. Instead of candy, mother used to give him sugar in a cup, and then he would stretch out on the sunny doorstep and feed his sweet crystals to the flies. 7. The Cottontails were now sole owners of the holes, and did not go near them when they could help it, lest anything like a path should be made that might betray their last retreats to an enemy. 8. If you are going to make orange marmalade to-morrow, you must peel the oranges this evening. 9. I should think that something might be done about covering the cow's horns; perhaps they might be padded with cotton. 10. Governor Winthrop wrote his third wife tender messages in a way that could only have come of long practice. 11. The children used to stand at the window in the twilight, and watch the lights appear in the houses; and when they had counted ten, they used to clap their hands, and say, "Now, mother, it is time to light the lamp." 12. On the usual crisp mornings of sugar season the snow at such an hour would have borne a crust to crackle sharply under every footstep. 13. I had not told the horse that I was going to whip him, so he was taken by surprise and started forward. 14. Grandpa would not be helped into his overcoat. Exercise 2. Select all the verb phrases containing any form of have or do. iliary or as a principal verb. 1. Shere Khan does us great honor. 2. Whoever has made a voyage up the Hudson must remember the Kaatskill Mountains. 3. Do you ever wonder how so much sin and wrong and suffering can be in God's world? 4. Mother never forgot the millionaire's daughter who said that she did up her father's shirts. 5. All the Offal Court boys had this same hard time, so Tom supposed it was the correct and comfortable thing. 6. Where does amber get its strange, poetic charm? 7. I never had the pleasure of meeting a crowing hen; but I have known a great many whistling girls, and I cannot recall an instance where their ends were any worse than those of other girls. 8. If I could have committed suicide without killing myself, I should certainly have done so. 9. She had eaten as many mouthfuls of breakfast as she possibly could in her excited condition, had kissed everybody good-by twice over, and now thought it was time to be starting. 10. I can't write a composition unless I have something to say, can I? 11. On these hard, smooth roads one horse will do the work of two. 12. I do not feel wholly sure that my Pussy wrote these letters herself. 13. The Boy had no fear of the undisputed Master of the Woods, the big black bear. 14. Do the duty that lies nearest thee; thy second duty will already have become clearer. 15. Jakie had been stolen from the nest before he could fly. 16. I do wish that you and your father would turn around directly and come home. 17. Jane had had the inestimable advantage of a sorrow. 19. Boys always do the nice splendid things, and girls can only do the nasty dull ones that get left over. 20. After the twins had had measles and mumps, whooping cough descended on the household. Tell the part of speech and use of us, sentence 1, honor 1, shirts 4, same 5, great 7, two 11, wholly 12, herself 12, bear 13, clearer 14, father 16, home 16. 253. Many errors are made in the use of the auxiliaries may and can, would and should. We should use may to denote permission, liberty, or possibility, and can to denote power or ability. Exercise 1. Supply the correct word in each of these sentences, and give your reason in each case: 1. What 2. You 3. I 4. 5. I do to help you? have a watch when you graduate. go by boat, but it is doubtful. you run an automobile? we have a school paper? 6. Do you think that I 7. Fred, you earn ten dollars a week? open the east windows. 8. If we walk fast, we 9. We surely get there in time, get there in time, but we shall have to hurry. Make three good sentences containing may and three containing can. (1) Determination; as, "Albert would leave school." (2) Inclination; as, "I would read more if I could." (3) Customary past action; as, "We would listen to her songs hour after hour." Should is used to denote, (1) Simple intention; as, "I should come often if you did not live so far." (2) Obligation or duty; as, "We should honor our parents." Perhaps these auxiliaries are oftenest misused when associated with the verb like. The expression, "I would like to go," is wrong, because it means "I am inclined or deter |