Name....

Grade..

EXERCISE 50

Strike out the incorrect forms of the infinitives in the following sentences:

(Deduct six per cent for each error.)

1. I am sorry you were not at home yesterday, for I should have liked to have seen-to

see you.

2. I should have been pleased to have talked-to talk to you.

3. I expected to have seen-to see you at the meeting.

4. I had intended to consult-to have consulted my physician.

5. He expected to see-to have seen his brother.

6. I hoped to have seen-to see you do better.

7. They believed him to be-to have been insane.

8. I meant to see-to have seen you yesterday.

9. I intended to call-to have called for you.

10. It would have been wrong to go-to have gone on with the ceremony.

11. He did not seem to know-to have known how to do-to have done the work.

12. It was his duty to assist—to have assisted our friend.

13. It was not my intention to insist-to have insisted upon your complying with the request.

14. There was nothing left but to obey-to have obeyed.

15. I should not have believed it, unless I had happened to have been-to be there.

16. They believed him to be-to have been guilty.

17. We expected to have received-to receive the goods sometime this week.

18. We should have been just as glad to fill-to have filled your order with the lighter material.

19. It is a pleasure to be able-to have been able to have done-to do the work for him.

LESSON XXV

USES OF THE AUXILIARIES

SHALL AND WILL

Shall and will are both signs of the future tense. "Shall" is the natural future form, while "will" always expresses volition on the part of the person represented by the subject of the verb. As a matter of courtesy, however, "shall" often gives way to "will." Study the following examples carefully.

SIMPLE FUTURITY

"Shall" in a declarative sentence in the first person, and "will" in the second and third persons, merely announce future action or state; as,

"Will" in a declarative sentence in the first person, and "shall" in the second and third persons, announce the speaker's intention to control, by promise or by proclaiming a determination; as,

CONDITION BEYOND THE CONTROL OF THE WILL

As a person should not promise anything that he cannot control, it follows that "shall" in the first person, and "will" in the second and third persons, should be used to express a condition beyond the control of the will; as,

In indirect quotations "shall" should be used in all three persons to express futurity, and "will" should be used in all three persons to express a promise or determination, when the subjects both refer to the same person; as, You say that you shall begin work Monday. (Futurity.)

You say that you will be good. (Promise.)

He says that he shall begin his work Monday.

(Futurity.)

He says that he will give each employee a Christmas present. (Promise.)

INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES

In interrogative sentences courtesy requires "shall" in the first and second persons, and "will" in the third person, when simple futurity is to be expressed.

Since no one is supposed to know more about your own will than you do yourself, "Will I" is seldom used. The question "Will you" asks concerning the wish of the person addressed, while "Will he" may express either simple futurity or volition on the part of the person represented by "he," the meaning intended to be determined by the tone of the voice.

In the second and third persons the auxiliary that is expected in the answer should be used in the question. The answer to "Shall I" may be either "You will" or "You shall," according to the meaning; as,

Consults the wish or

pleasure of the person

addressed

Consults the pleasure

Will you go with me, if I call for you? I will. (Promise.)
Shall he be allowed to go free? He shall not.

of the person represented by "he"

Will he give his consent? He will.

SHOULD AND WOULD

With the exception of a few special uses, "should" and "would" follow the regimen of "shall" and "will;" that is, the uses of "should" correspond to those of "shall," and those of "would" correspond to those of "will." Remember that "should" must be used in the first person, when a condition beyond the control of the will is expressed. "Would" is sometimes used to express a wish, and is usually used in all three persons to express willingness, habit, or custom. "Should," as distinguished from "ought," expresses propriety, while "ought" implies moral obligation.

Contingent future

Condition beyond the

control of the will

Wish

Willingness

Habit

Moral obligation

Propriety

If he were to offer me the position, I should not accept it.
If he were to offer you the position, you would not accept it.
If he were to offer the position to him, he would not accept it.

We should be glad to see you, if you decide to come.

I should prefer to see it before I buy it.

I should have been ill if I had gone.

I would that I were a man.

I would assist you if I could.

I know that you would assist me if you could.

I know that he would assist me if he could.

I always would have my way.

You would never allow me to go skating in the evening.

He would often go to sleep during the sermon.

Every man ought to be honest.

Every man should be neat.