Conjugation Of The Verb

The conjugation of a verb is an orderly arrangement of all its forms in its various modes, tenses, persons, and numbers.

A principal verb is a verb that is not used in forming the modes and tenses of other verbs.

The principal parts of a verb are the present indicative or infinitive, the past tense of the indicative, and the past participle, because some one of these parts is found in each of its forms.

A defective verb is a verb in which any one of the principal parts is wanting. A redundant verb is one which has two forms for any one of these parts.

An auxiliary verb is one which is used to help form any mode or tense of another verb. The auxiliary verbs are shall, will, have, be and do.

May and can are used both as principal and as auxiliary verbs.

The past tense of shall is should, of will is would; the past of have is had, of may is might, of can is could.

A verb, when used as an auxiliary, helps express the meaning of the verb with which it is connected.

Will, as a principal verb, expresses choice or determination.

Shall and will are used in forming the future tenses of verbs. Shall, when used with the pronoun of the first person, expresses simple futurity; in the second and third persons it expresses authority.

Will in the first person expresses determination; in the second and third persons it expresses only futurity. Will, meaning to choose or determine, is a regular verb, and is used in all the modes and tenses.