alytical practical grammar - Toronto Public Library

191 ENGLISH GRAMlIJAR.
916. Th0 present anu thc past of the auxiliaries, shall, will, may, can,
should uever Le associated ill the same sentence; and care must be taken
that th" sui ,s'~queut verb be expressed in the same tense with the antece·
dent verb (344); thus, "I may 01' can do it now, if I choose "-" I migllt
or could do it IIOW, if I chose "-" I shall 01' will do it, when I can "-" I
may do it, if I can "-" I once could do it, but I wonld not "-" I would
have done it thCll, Lut I could not." -" I mention it to him, that he may
stop if he choose "-" I mentioned it to him, that he might stop if he
chose'i--" I have mentioned it to him, that he may stop "-" I had mentioned
it to him. that he might stop ,,_u I had mentioned it to him that
he might have stopped had he chosen.
917. In dependent clauses, the past·perfect indicative or potential is
used to express an event antecedent to, b!lt never, contemporary with, or
subsequent to, that expressed by a .erb in the past tense in the leading
clause. Thus, we can say. "I believed he had done it," but not, .. I
hoped he had done it;" because belief may refer to what is past, but hope
always refers to something future. See also the infinitive (920, 921).
918. When should is used instead of ought, to express presmt duty
(363). it may be followed by the present 01' present-perfect; as, "You
should study, that you may become learned."
919. The indicative present is frequently used after the words when,
till, before, as soon as, after, to express the relative time of a future action
(-!06); as, .. When he comes, he will be welcome." When placed before
the present-perfect indicative, these words denote the completion of a future
action or event; as, "He will never be better till he ftas felt the pangs
of poverty."
920 . .A verb in the infinitive mood must be in the pre&ent tense (446),
when it expres'es what is contemporary in point of time with its governiug
verb, or 8ltbseqllent to it; as ... He appeared to be a man of letters."
-" The apostles were determined to preach the gospel." Hence, verbs
denoting hope, desire, intention, or command, must be followed by the
present illjinitive, and not by the perfect (401).
921. But the perfect infini tive must be used to express what is antecedent
to the time of the governing verb; as, "Romulus is said to have
founded Rome."
EXERCISES TO BE CORRECTED.
(9 to) The doctor said that fever always produced thirst.­
The philosopher said that heat always expanded metals.-He
said that truth was immutable.
(911) I know the family more than twenty years.-1 am now
at school six months.-l\1y brother was sick foul' weeks, and is
no better.-He tells lies long enough.-They continue with me
now three days.
(!H2) He has lately lost an only son.-He has been formerly
very ~isorderly.-I have been at London last year, and Been
the kmg last ::mmmer.-I have once or twice told the story to