In a scholarly work revised by Skeat, Wrightson, speaking of _I may, can,
shall, or will love_, says, "These auxiliary verbs had at some time such a
clear and definite meaning that it would have been tolerably easy to
determine the case function discharged by the infinitive; but these verbs,
after passing through various shades of meaning, have at last become little
more than conventional symbols, so that it would be worse than useless to
attempt to analyze these periphrastic tenses
of our moods."
A CONJUGATION OF TEACH.
Active Voice.
INDICATIVE MODE.
Present Indefinite............He teaches.
Present Imperfect.............He is teaching.
Present Perfect...............He has taught.
Present Perfect Continuous....He has been teaching.
Past Indefinite...............He taught.
Past Imperfect................He was teaching.
Past Perfect..................He had taught.
Past Perfect Continuous.......He had been teaching.
Future Indefinite.............He will teach.
Future Imperfect..............He will be teaching.
Future Perfect................He will have taught.
Future Perfect Continuous.....He will have been teaching.
SUBJUNCTIVE MODE.
Present Indefinite............(If) he teach.
Present Imperfect.........
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