NOTES.- I. The auxiliaries shall and will undergo some changes of use when a question is asked. Will is seldom used with the first person in asking a question (as, "Will I go?"); perhaps because of the inherent absurdity of a person's asking what his own intention is. In the second person shall or will is used according as shall or will is expected in the answer; as, "Shall you stay?” “I shall " (= simple future). "Will you stay?" "I will” (= it is my purpose). In the third person shall and will have the same implication in questions as in assertions; as, "Shall he be made to suffer for this offense?"

(implying, is there obligation); " Will he be likely to come to-morrow?” (simple future).

2. In dependent clauses beginning with when, if, though, the word shall is used for all three persons; as, "When he shall appear, we shall be like him;" "Nor do I judge if it shall win or fail." The use of will in a condition emphasizes the intent; as, "If he will (wills to) go, it will make our project easier."

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3. Would and should follow the same laws as shall and will. Thus, "I should go if I were you;' He knew he should (= there was obligation on him to) comply;" "We would see Jesus; "You would find such a course dangerous if you should (see note 2) venture on it."

22. Determine principal tenses by the exact time of the action.

By principal tense is meant the tense of the principal verb or verbs of the sentence, the tense that dominates the There is sometimes much perplexity, or much looseness, about the tense of the principal action, though there need not be, if the writer will make sure what is the real act or state involved.

time of the action.

ILLUSTRATIONS. This uncertainty of tense is perhaps oftenest seen in replies to letters of invitation; as, "Mr. Grayson will be happy to accept Mrs. Lincoln's kind invitation to dinner on Tuesday” (say rather is happy, because the accepting, which is the real act involved, is done now). "Mr. Jones regrets that a previous engagement will prevent," etc. (say rather prevents, because the accepting that is prevented is a present fact).

Sometimes we see the same uncertainty of tense in such an expression as, "The firm will be twenty thousand dollars in arrears by this time" (say rather is twenty thousand dollars, etc., because the time contemplated is the present).

Things that are always true, universal truths, are expressed only in the present tense, though facts with which they are associated may be in some other.

EXAMPLE. "It has always been a question with me whether fiction exerted so great an influence over mankind as poetry." Say

rather exerts, as the question does not depend on time, being a general consideration.

23. Reckon subor

principal.

This applies to infinitive phrases, dinate tenses from and to clauses introduced by a subordinating conjunction. Not that the subordinate tenses are necessarily to be the same as the principal; but the two are made up with reference to each other, belong to the same scheme of tense.

ILLUSTRATIONS. — I. "He saw that some one had preceded him" (here the scheme is past and pluperfect). "Here is the person whom he has so long been looking for." (Scheme, present and perfect.)

2. Note how the tense of the dependent clause varies in each of the following cases :—

I shall be at home if you call.

I should be at home if you called.

I should have been at home if you had called.

3. So also in infinitive phrases. The sentence "I intended to have gone" is wrong because it makes the going precede the intention. "I was glad to have read the book" means glad to get it finished; "I was glad to read the book" means glad of the opportunity.

II.

Exercises in amending grammatical Forms. - Many of the following exercises contain grammatical errors such as the student's good sense should guard him against; but the correction of them involves important principles which should be observed not from accident but from definite knowledge.

1. Correct the following sentences, and refer each correction to the rule involved:

Mr. Brown's election was rather less unanimous than Mr. Gray's.

After long doubt Geoffrey came sorrowfully to the conclusion that there was no God.

Dr. W. ordered that the medicine be given in doses of two spoonsful every hour.

If these are your news from Washington, I must say that America's politics are in dubious condition.

I [shall or will?] return in half an hour, and if Mr. Barclay is not in I [will or shall?] confer with whomever is occupying his place.

Robert was the most superior scholar of the whole class; his examination paper was much more preferable than either of the other five.

This individual, whom we found was the doorkeeper, showed us every part of the building.

I expect the thermometer will be about 90° in the shade yesterday.

We say you [shall or will?] not acknowledge our birth; you [shall or will?] acknowledge our worth.

Having been absent from the country only three months, his return was no occasion for any great ceremony of congratulation.

That position is to be given to whoever the master chooses.

He is the most incomparable man I ever saw for a practical joke.

[Shall or will?] you undertake to do this service for me? Yes; I [shall or will?]

My absence from the city will prevent my acceptance of your kind invitation.

Here at last are the goods that I looked for so long.

I should never have done it if I was him.

The apparatuses devised by these men of science to test the electric power have been in the highest degree ingenious.

Another part of the exhibit comprises rubber goods, a

kind of goods whose importance to commerce is yearly increasing.

I should like to have gone on Tuesday if I were well, 22 If he be accessible, I wish to speak with him.

Frank and Edward were twins; much alike, but Frank was a little the tallest.

The squarest of the two parks is the one called Lincoln Green.

This seems to be a specie of reptile

Passing along a dimly lighted corridor, a pointed Gothic window opens on the dining hall.

Was I an absolute prince I would appoint able judges.

I [shall or will?] shut myself in my room, and nobody [shall or will?] see me until this task is finished.

There is very little room here for men like you and I.

In the severe trial that has overtaken him we recognize ambition's fate.

I would be very much obliged to you for your autograph,

I fully expected to have executed your commission, but time forbade.

He was conscious that New York's good name was deeply concerned in this contest.

I would not at all wonder if it will storm this afternoon.

1 I think you will like this place; I do not see how fail to do otherwise,

you can

The branches let no sunlight through, thus leaving a cool and shady retreat on a hot day.

We cannot but help being deeply impressed.

A lot of dry legal documents arranged about the room fills with no interest.

you

On either side of the main building are the east and west wings.

I could not help from admiring the beauty of the scene.

1 A few sentences are introduced here not reducible to the rules; to be corrected rather by good sense.