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The Verb Be is used as an Auxiliary in making the Passive Voice and the Progressive Forms of the Active Voice; as, I am struck; he was striking.

Note.-I am to speak and I am to blame are idiomatic uses of this Verb.

THE ANGLO-SAXON VERB To Be.

The Anglo-Saxon Substantive Verb appeared in three forms :

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Note.-The second form of the Present had often a Future meaning. Note.-A trace of weorthan may be found in the following lines from Scott's Lady of the Lake:

"Woe worth the chase, woe worth the day,

That cost thy life, my gallant gray."

THE OTHER AUXILIARIES.

1. Do is used as an Auxiliary to make the Emphatic, Expletive, Interrogative, or Negative form of a tense. (See pages 57, 58.)

Infinitive Mood.

Present. To do.

Participles.

Present. Doing.

Perfect. To have done.

Past. Done.

Perfect. Having done.
Future. About to do.

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2. Have as an Auxiliary is used to make the Perfect and

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Note.-Do and Have may be conjugated in full,

You had.

They had.

3. Shall (originally meaning to owe) is used as one of the Auxiliaries in the Future Tenses. It is a Defective Verb, having only the two following tenses

Present.

Sing. 1. I shall.

2. Thou shalt.

3. He shall.

Plu. 1. We shall.
2. You shall.

3. They shall.

:

Past.

I should (for shalled.)
Thou shouldst.

He should.

We should.

You should.

They should.

Should, would, might, and could are the Auxiliaries of the Past and the Pluperfect Potential.

4. Will is also an Auxiliary of the Future Tense. As such, it and its Past would are inflected just like shall.

5. May and its Past might—can, and its Past could, are inflected thus :—

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May and can are Auxiliaries of the Present and the Per

fect Potential.

6. Ought is inflected only by a single ending; as, oughtest. Must and let (as an auxiliary of the Imperative) are not changed at all.

Note 1.-May is from the Anglo-Saxon magan, to be strong; can from the Anglo-Saxon cunnan, to know.

Note 2.-The following verses are useful as a guide to the use of shall and will:

"In the First Person, simply shall foretells:
In will a threat or else a promise dwells.

Shall in the Second and the Third does threat;
Will simply then foretells the Future feat."

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