Page:The American Language.djvu/224

208 Present Past Future (wanting) Present Present Perfect Past Present Past Present Present Perfect (wanting) (wanting) Subjunctive Mode If I bite Past Perfect If I bitten Potential Mode I can bite Past (wanting) Past Perfect Imperative (or Optative) Mode I shall (or will) bite Infinitive Mode PASSIVE VOICE Indicative Mode I am bit Pas* Perfect I been bit Future I was bit Future Perfect Subjunctive Mode If I am bit Past Perfect If I was bit Potential Mode I can be bit Past (wanting) Past Perfect Imperative Mode Infinitive Mode If I had of bit I could bite I could of bit I had been bit I will be bit (wanting) If I had of been bit I could be bit I could of been bit

A study of this paradigm reveals several plain tendencies. One has just been discussed: the addition of a degenerated form of have to the preterite of the auxiliary, and its use in place of the auxiliary itself. Another is the use of will instead of shall in the first person future. Shall is confined to a sort of optative, indicating much more than mere intention, and even here it is yielding to will. Yet another is the consistent use of the transferred preterite in the passive. Here the rule in correct English is followed faithfully, though the perfect participle