Practical Exercises in English Part 22

2. The _perfect indicative_ represents something as now completed--as begun in the past but continuing till the present, at least in its consequences: as, "I _have lost_ my book" (so that now I do not have it); "This house _has stood_ for ninety years" (it is still standing); "Bishop Brooks _has died,_ but he _has left_ us his example" (he is not now among us, but we have his example).

3. The tense of the verb in a dependent clause varies with the tense of the princ.i.p.al verb:[81] as, I _know_ he _will_ come.

I _knew_ he _would_ come.

I _have taken_ the first train, that I _may_ arrive early.

I _had taken_ the first train, that I _might_ arrive early.

Blanche _will be_ frightened if she _sees_ the bat.

Blanche _would be_ frightened if she _saw_ the bat.

Blanche _would have been_ frightened if she _had seen_ the bat.

Present facts and unchangeable truths, however, should be expressed in the present tense, regardless of the tense of the princ.i.p.al verb: as, "What did you say his name _is_?"

4. The _perfect infinitive_ is properly used to denote action which is completed at the time denoted by the princ.i.p.al verb: as, "I am glad _to have seen_ Niagara Falls;" "He felt sorry _to have hurt_ your feelings."

EXCEPTION.--_Ought, must, need,_ and _should_ (in the sense of "ought") have no distinctive form to denote past time; with these verbs present time is denoted by putting the complementary infinitive in the present tense, past time is denoted by putting the complementary infinitive in the perfect tense: as, "You ought _to go_," "You ought _to have gone_;" "He should _be_ careful," "He should _have been_ careful." A similar change from the present to the perfect infinitive is found after _could_ and _might_ in some of their uses: as, "I could _go_," "I could _have gone_;"

"You might _have answered_."

[80] "Foundations," pp. 93-98.

[81] This is sometimes called the "Law of the Sequence of Tenses."

EXERCISE XLVII.

_Distinguish in meaning between the following_:--

1. The house stood (has stood) twenty years.

2. The messenger came (has come).

3. He should stay (have stayed).

4. It rained (has rained) for two weeks.

5. He was believed to live (to have lived) a happy life.

6. He ought to go (to have gone).

7. He deposited (has deposited) the money in bank.

8. I am sure I could go (have gone) alone.

9. Yesterday at three o'clock I completed (had completed) my work.

10. He must be (have been) weary.

11. He appeared to be (have been) crying.

12. He need not go. He need not have gone.

13. The horse jumped (had jumped) into the field, and began (had begun) to eat the corn.

14. Achilles is said to be (have been) buried at the foot of this hill.

EXERCISE XLVIII.

_Which of the italicized forms is right_?--

1. Where did you say Pike's Peak _is_ (_was_)?

2. I intended _to do_ (_to have done_) it yesterday.

3. Atlas _is_ (_was_) a mythical giant who was supposed _to hold_ (_to have held_) the sky on his shoulders.

4. I do not think that any one would say that winter _is_ (_was_) preferable to spring.

5. Cadmus was supposed _to build_ (_to have built_) Thebes.

6. Your father grieves _to hear_ (_to have heard_) of your bad conduct.

7. Would he have been willing _to go_ (_to have gone_) with you?

8. I meant _to write_ (_to have written_) yesterday.

9. He tried to learn how far it _is_ (_was_) from New York to Syracuse.

10. He hardly knew that two and two _make_ (_made_) four.

11. His experience proved that there _is_ (_was_) many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.

12. Carrie knew that water _is_ (_was_) composed of two gases.

13. It was their duty to _prevent_ (_to have prevented_) this outrage.

14. He was reported _to rescue_ (_to have rescued_) the drowning man.

15. It would have been unkind _to refuse_ (_to have refused_) _to help_ (_to have helped_) him.

16. It would not have been difficult _to prevent_ (_to have prevented_) the disaster.

17. Where did you say Gettysburg _is_ (_was_)?

18. It was as true as that he _is_ (_was_) listening to me when I said it.

19. It was harder than I expected it would _be_ (_have been_).

20. Homer is supposed _to be_ (_to have been_) born about 850 B.C.

21. When I came I intended _to buy_ (_to have bought_) all Paris.

22. Was.h.i.+ngton is known _to have_ (_to have had_) many narrow escapes.

23 If you would only wait, your success _will_ (_would_) be certain.

24. Is he very sick? I should say he _is_ (_was_).

25. Who first a.s.serted that virtue _is_ (_was_) its own reward?

26. We have done no more than it was our duty _to do_ (_to have done_).

27. What building _is_ (_was_) that which we just pa.s.sed?

28. He impressed on us the truth that honesty _is_ (_was_) the best policy.

29. He expected _to see_ (_to have seen_) you to-morrow.

30. He expected _to win_ (_to have won_) the suit, and was astonished at the decision of the court.

31. The result of such constant reading by poor light would have been _to destroy_ (_to have destroyed_) his sight.

32. It would have given me great satisfaction _to relieve_ (_to have relieved_) him from his distress.

33. Who would have thought it possible _to receive_ (_to have received_) a reply from India so soon?

34. It would have been better _to wait_ (_to have waited_).

35. I should like _to hear_ (_to have heard_) the speeches of Hayne and Webster.

36. The furniture was _to be_ (_to have been_) sold at auction.

37. It was a pity I was the only child, for my mother had fondness of heart enough _to spoil_ (_to have spoiled_) a dozen children.

38. I am writing to him so that he _may_ (_might_) be ready for us.

39. I have written to him so that he _may_ (_might_) be ready for us.

40. I wrote to him so that he _may_ (_might_) be ready for us.

EXERCISE XLIX.

_Examine the tenses in the following sentences, explain any errors which you find, and correct them_:--

1. I knew him since boyhood.

2. It was a superst.i.tion among the Mexicans that a bullet will not kill a man unless it has his name stamped on it.

3. Being absent from the last recitation, I am unable to write on the subject a.s.signed this morning.

4. Soon after Oliver reached home a servant announces the presence of Charles.

5. "'Got any luck?' says I. 'No,' says he. 'Well,' says I, 'I've got the finest string of trout ever was seen.'"

6. Be virtuous and you would be happy.

7. Stackhouse believed that he solved the problem he had so long studied over, and yesterday afternoon he started from his house, No. 2446 North Tenth Street, to make a test.

8. This beautiful little bird that appears to the king and tries to warn him, was not an ordinary bird.

9. Next September I shall be at school three years.

10. I know very little about the "Arabian Nights," for I have never read any of the stories before I came to this school.

11. If he received your instructions he would have obeyed them.

12. Before he was going to have the sign printed he submitted it to his friends for corrections.