LESSON XV.

OF VERBS.-AUXILIARIES.

The auxiliaries must be used in their exact signification.
Must expresses compulsion resting on its subject.

Can expresses power in its subject.

May expresses possibility, probability; also, permission granted to its subject.

Could and might have the same general distinction as can and
Might expresses possibility or past permission.

may.

Could expresses power as the past of can; also present conditional power.

Shall expresses futurity and the subjection of its subject to foreign control; will expresses futurity and the power of its subject to control the act.

Will in the first person denotes the resolution, purpose, or promise of its subject; in the second and third persons, it denotes chiefly futurity; shall in the first person denotes futurity; in the second and third persons it denotes obligation, arising from the will of the speaker or from some other power beyond the subject. Should and would follow the general uses of shall and will. Should and would have some special uses, e.g. to express moral obligation; as, "You should obey the laws of virtue" ; to indicate a modest expression of opinion; as, “I should think so"; - tc express future possibility; as, "If he should attempt to break that stone, he will fail"; to express a wish; as, “Would that the day were over"; to express what was customary; as, "He woula walk up and down his room all day";-to express fixed purpose : as, "He would have his way."

OF MINOR POINTS.

1. The adjective pronouns this and that agree in number with what they limit or represent; thus, "That kind," not "Those kind"; "That will do," "Those will do."

2. The past tense and past participle must not be confused. Do not say, "I done my best," but, "I did my best."

3. The part of a verb that differs in form from the part expressed, must not be omitted; thus, associate must be expressed in "They do not (associate), and never have associated, with such persons."

4. In comparison, use the comparative when two objects are compared, and the superlative when more than two. Thus, "This is the better of the two"; "This is the best of all."

5. When two adjectives qualify the same singular noun, the following arrangements are found: "The old and new books are ."; "The old and the new book are

"; "The old

The first is ambiguous; the

6. The use of adjectives and adverbs must be carefully discriminated. Usually adjectives express a quality and adverbs express manner, degree, etc. Some words in the adjective form are used with the power of an adverbial adjective; as, "He stood firm." There is a nice distinction between this and " He stood firmly." 7. To, the sign of the infinitive, should not be separated from its verb.

To is omitted after the auxiliaries, after bid, dare, need, see, feel, make, let, hear, and sometimes after a few other verbs.

EXERCISE XX.

VERBS. · AUXILIARIES AND OTHER MINOR POINTS.

DIRECTION. - Give a reason for changing the auxiliary in any of the following.

I. I would not like to do it and I shall not.

2. The genius told me I would not reach those beautiful islands till I would die.

3. Will I help you, or shall you do it alone?

4. I fear I will not be able to pass my examination.

5. Can I have the pleasure of helping you? ·

6. I would be astonished if he went to church.

7.

If he would not succeed, then I would be the loser.

8. It is now high time that we would return.

9. If you refuse medicine in health, it shall be too strong for your body when you will need it.

10. You shall get into trouble if you pursue that course.

DIRECTION. - Distinguish the meaning of the following.

a. I must (should, ought to) attend in person.
b. I could (might) not wonder at his conduct.
c. He declared he would (should) go home.
d. He did as I would (should) have done.

e. I thought I would (should) speak my mind.
f. I should (would) go if he came.

g. I will (shall) be obliged to leave to-day.

h. I will (shall) live in the house of the Lord forever.

i. I would (should) take part if I could.

j. He may (can) walk a mile.

k. You may (can) be happy.

7. Thou shalt (wilt) endure and thy years shall (will) not change.

m. May (can) I have the pleasure of helping you?

n. I can (may) not call riches better than the baggage of virtue.

DIRECTION. - Correct errors in the following. Give reasons for changes. 1. She will not wear those kind of gloves.

2. He had spoke an hour before the audience seen the drift of his discourse.

3. The weary traveller saw the sun to set.

4. Those apples taste sweetly.

5. Wisdom bids us to hearken to that voice.

6. He has abstained from food this two days.

7. A divine and human law-giver seeks to accomplish different purposes.

8. Of those two oaks the oldest is the shortest.

9. The ebb and flow of the tides has been accounted for. 10. The rogue and fool by fits is fair and wise.

EXERCISE XXI.

DIRECTION. - Point out the violations of grammatical purity in the follow. ing sentences, state wherein each consists, correct, and give the reason.

PART I.

1. The syntax and etymology of the language is thus placed before the learner.

2. He or you is in the way.

3. The idea of me being president seems utterly ridiculous. 4. The people was divided.

5. Bread and milk are good food for children.

6. More than one has had a hand in that affair.

7. I gave the book to Mary, she who wears the white hat.

8. Both money and labor was spent on it.

9. He said he would give it to whomsoever could solve the question.

10. He told us there was two principal propositions in the

sentence.

II. The fleet was under orders to sail.

12. I intended to have written it on Saturday.

13. Every one of the persons who have pews in his church have concurred.

14. It must, indeed, be confessed that a lampoon or a satire do not carry in them robbery or murder.

15. In olden times hanging and beheading were the punishments of high treason.

16. Each of these circumstances being impressed upon the composer's mind tend to improve the performance.

17. Give the book to Smith, he that is sitting by the window. 18. I wish you would come with my sister and I.

19. If a piece of iron or glass be heated to the same degree, they communicate to the hand a very different sensation.

20. The officer has power of detention over even those whom he knows will get intoxicated.

PART II.

21. One, if not more, of these proprietors hold land in large quantities, buying it before the land Act was passed.

22. Every one must follow their own views on the question. 23. Every religious association has an undoubted right to form a creed for themselves.

24. It must be confessed that this is none of those turbulent pleasures which is apt to gratify a man in the heats of youth.

25. He goes after what he has lost till he finds it.

26. I must observe that there are a set of merry drolls whom the common people of every country admires.

27. Every emotion and every operation of the mind have a corresponding expression of the countenance.

28. If the donor was rich, the present was too little; if he were poor, it was too much.

29. Neither my brother nor I were able to endure it any longer. 30. If he was here, he would open the box.

31. This is just as if an eye or a foot should demand a salary for their services to the body.

32. Providence, and not pomp, are the basis of his fame.

33. Three-quarters of the lake are shallow.

34. It is as cold, if not colder, than any day this year.

35. Profusion as well as parsimony are to be avoided.

36. There is no use in me trying the examination. 37. If he does come, I will be ready.

38. He is the smallest of the pair.

39. No professional man, no business man, in fact no man of sense would risk their reputation by supporting such a cause.

40. My friend and companion have often warned me of the danger.