Universal 
Grammar, 
In English. 
Rule on the 
use of shall 
and will, 
428 
present of ‘the verb avoir. In the verb parler it is Je 
parler-ai, “1 shall speak,” tu parler-as, il parler-a, nous 
parler-ons; vous parler-ez, ils parler-ont. ‘These are the 
terminations of the present of the verb now mention- 
ed, J'ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avex, ils ont. 
'_ The French language has various modes of expres- 
sing futurity by combinations of entire words: into 
set phrases. The verb devoir, which signifies to be 
obliged from duty, is employed for this purpose, as, 
Je dois faire cela, “ I am to do that.” The same verb 
continues in other instances to retain its full original 
meaning. The verb aller is used for a similar: pur- 
pose ; as, Je vais lui rendre mes respects. 
In the English language combinations of this sort 
are the only futures, and they are often used in such a 
manner as to express something more. than futurity. 
We have thus a beautiful intermixture of their original 
meaning with their modern application. The verbs 
« will” and “ shall” are most commonly used, but they 
are not indiscriminately applied to signify futurity. 
Each of these verbs is employed to signify the resolu- 
tion of the speaker, or simple "futurity, according to 
certain habits of collocation with certain nominatives, 
«* Will” in the first person, and “ shall” in the second 
and third, signify resolution. Simple futurity is ex- 
pressed by “ shall” in the first, and “¢ will” in the two 
others. The simple future is as follows: 
© T shall,” * thou wilt,” he will.” 
« We shall,” “ ye will,” “ they will.” 
The future of determination is, 
« T will,” thou shalt,” ‘ he shall.” 
« Wewill,” “ye shall,” they: shall.” 
The perplexities occurring in the use of these auxilia- 
ries, in consequence of the tendencies of the Irish and 
Scoteh helng ditferenit from those of the English dialect, 
which is the acknowledged standard, may be avoided, 
if we always recollect that it is not the resolution of 
the person spoken of that they are at any time employed 
particularly to express, but of the speaker. ‘ Will,” 
therefore, is employed for simple futurity in the se- 
cond and third persons, and is even appropriate where 
an event is mentioned that is opposite to the inclina- 
‘tion of the person who is the subject of the assere 
Occasional 
tises of 
these auxi- 
liaries. 
tion. We say, ‘ If you become obnoxious to the crimi- 
nal law, you will be punished.” The word “ will” does 
not here imply intention or even consent, yet it is ap- 
propriate, because “ shall” would imply constraint or 
authority on the part of the speaker. It is also to be 
remembered that, in mentioning any thing future with 
respect to ourselves, although it should be the effect of 
our intention, this does not render it proper to use the 
auxiliary verb “ will.” _« Will” in the first person al- 
Ways expresses emphatic resolution, implying the ap- 
prehension of difficulty or resistance from others, If 
another has said, “ you shall not,” a man replies, « I 
will ;” but in expressing the common acts which are to 
fill up our future time, we say simply, “ I shall go 
home,” «J shall tell you the whole matter when we 
next meet,” 
_ But there are occasions, independently of provin- 
cial solecisms, in which « will” may be employed in 
the second and third person to express the resolution of 
the person spoken of, and “ shall” in the first, the resolu- 
tion of some other. Observing another person obsti- 
nate, we may wif « Tt seems you will do it, and ‘can- 
not be prevented.” If another person has. said to. us, 
“ You do not admire my friend, but you shalt treat 
him civilly,” we may reply, « perhaps | may, but you 
GRAMMAR: 
are mistaken in telling me that I shall.” «These Jast tn 
modes of speaking, however, are awkward, and require © 
an uncommon emphasis to be laid on the respec- 
tive auxiliaries, in order to express the full. ing of 
the speaker. ible thet eet ae to emplo: 
more explicit phrases, as, “itseems you are resolve 
and cannot be Greeated 7? « Perhaps I may, but you 
‘are wrong in supposing that Iam to be forced,” 
Our language, like every other, has various words gy, 
and phrases which express futurity along with some- lish 
thing more, as “ I intend,” “ I am obliged,” «1 am pr 
likely.” We have also a phrase for expressing sim 
faturity in the use of the substantive verb followed | 
an infinitive, as “ I am to go,” “he is to come in n 
stead.” We have the-phrase, “ to be about,” w 
literally means to be somewhere in the neig! 
of an action, and is by eonventional application ap« 
propriated to the expression of near fulurity. ra 
5. The other Tenses. ~ *W) 
It is unnecessary to consider particularly the other Ger 
modifications of tense, suchas the plu-perfect, and the chat 
paulo-post futurum, or to enter on an analysis of the |.) 
formed by the combinations of the auxiliaries 
* have,” « do,” “ shall,” * will,” “ had,” « did,” 
« should,” “would,” ‘shall have,” “will have,” «should 
have,” “ would. have,’? to. which sta 
can’? and “ could,” with their combinations. All © 
these are conducted on the same principles with the 
combinations already explained. . i y ifientt 
Combinations of meaning w are . in 
our language by the junction of several wi are eX 
pressed in Greek and Latin by means of syllables add- 
ed to the radical letters of each verb, and forming with 
them entire words; as amarem, “1 should love,” ama- 
verim, * I could love,” or “ I would love,” (t 
in our « Imay have loved,’’) amavissem, «1 
should have loved.’’ ,Y ep igculy new i 
Dr Adam Smith, in the comparison which he makes pr s 
betwixt'the ancient and modern lan es, consi obser’ 
the former as deriving, from the use of syllabic variations, ° t 
a great simplicity compared with those which fulfil the [°". 
same purpose by means of auxiliary verbs. He thinks struct 
it more natural, after men s a word for represent= the ye 
ing an event, to express the modifications of thatevent, 
in respect to person, number, and time, by altering the 
word, or giving various terminations, than by jays 
separate words for the modifications intended. He 
considers the formation of a separate word of this kind 
in the same light with the formation of the substantive 
verb, that is, as a great oe of wo which could 
only be the result of r sporintione 
His observation, however, Rao ip bog n we res 
collect that a termination is as really a sign as a word 
is; and that the general employment of a termina+ 
tion or any othe? modification, on a number of anas 
logous eceasions, is the same kind of. mental exertion as 
the prefixing of a sign of this variation in the form of a 
distinct word. _ It is not necessary to suppose that a ges 
neral word in the form of an auxiliary verb is first cone 
trived and perfected in all its , and then applied to 
use. It may first be used ina single fmaanceenaey 
moment of need, while we are using the verb descrip- 
tive of the event. It may be afterwards readily trans- 
ferred to an association with a different verb; and this 
facility of association is the same, whether it is a subs 
joined syllable or a separate word. The distinction bey 
