This tense, in respect to time, is the same as the last, but implies the imperfection of the action, and denotes its progression.
| Preter Pluperfect. | |||||
| Sing. | I had | Thou hadst | He had | } | written. |
| Plur. | We had | Ye or you had | They had | } | |
This tense denotes that an action was perfected before another action was done.
| Plusquam Preterite Imperfect. | |||||
| Sing. | I had been | Thou hadst been | He had been | } | writing. |
| Plur. | We had been | Ye had been | They had been | } | |
This tense, in respect to time, is more than past, and in respect to action is imperfect. It denotes that an action was going on, or in a state of progression, before another action took place, or before it was perfected; as, “I had been writing before you arrived.”
| Future Indefinite. | |||||
| Sing. | I shall | Thou shalt | He shall | } | write. |
| Plur. | We shall | Ye or you shall | They shall | } | |
| OR | |||||
| Sing. | I will | Thou wilt | He will | } | write. |
| Plur. | We will | Ye or you will | They will | } | |
These compound tenses denote the futurity of an action indefinitely, without any reference to its completion. The meaning of the several persons has been already explained.
| Future Imp. Progressive. | |||
| I shall or will be | We shall or will be | } | |
| Thou shalt or wilt be | Ye shall or will be | } | writing. |
| He shall or will be | They shall or will be | } | |
This tense agrees with the former in respect to time, but differs from it in this, that the former has no reference to the completion of the action, while the latter expresses its imperfection and progression.