There seems to be danger of applying this rule too rigidly. When a speaker
does not wish to vouch for the truth of the general proposition, he may use
the past tense, giving it the form of an indirect quotation; as, He said
that iron _was_ the most valuable of metals. The tense of the dependent
verb is sometimes attracted into that of the principal verb; as, I _knew_
where the place _was_.
17. I had never known before how short life really was.
18. We then fell into a discussion whether there is any beauty independent
of utility. The General maintained that there was not; Dr. Johnson
maintained that there was.
19. I have already told you that I was a gentleman.
20. Our fathers held that all men were created equal.
+Caution+.--Use _will_ and _would_ to imply that the subject names the one
whose will controls the action; use _shall_ and _should_ to imply that the
one named by the subject is under the control of external influence.
+Remark+.--The original meaning of _shall_ (to _owe_, to _be obliged_) and
_will_ (to _determine_) gives us the real key to their proper use.
The only case in which some trace of the original meaning of these
auxiliaries cannot be found is the one in which the subject of _will_ names
something incapable of volition; as, The _wind will blow_.
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