+Examples+.—I shall write soon (simply future action). He will sit there by the hour (indefinite in time).
The +Present Perfect Tense+ expresses (1) action or being as completed in present time (i.e., a period of time—an hour, a year, an age—of which the present forms a part), and (2) action or being to be completed in a future period.
+Examples+.—Homer has written poems (the period of time affected by this completed action embraces the present). When I have finished this, you shall have it (action to be completed in a future period).
The +Past Perfect Tense+ expresses (1) action or being as completed at some specified past time, and (2) in a conditional or hypothetical clause it may express past time.
+Examples+.—I had seen him when I met you (action completed at a specified past time). If I had had time, I should have written (I had not time—I did not write.)
The +Future Perfect Tense+ expresses action to be completed at some specified future time.
+Example+.—I shall have seen him by to-morrow noon.
+Direction+.—Study what has been said above about the meaning of the tense forms, and describe carefully the time expressed by each of the following verbs:—
1. I go to the city to-morrow. 2. The village master taught his little school. 3. Plato reasons well. 4. A triangle has three sides. 5. To-morrow is the day appointed. 6. Moses has told many important facts. 7. The ship sails next week. 8. She sings well. 9. Cicero has written orations. 10. He would sit for hours and watch the smoke curl from his pipe. 11. You may hear when the next mail arrives, 12. Had I known this before, I could have saved you much trouble. 13. He will occasionally lose his temper. 14. At the end of this week I shall have been in school four years. 15. If I were you, I would try that. 16. He will become discouraged before he has thoroughly tried it. 17. She starts, she moves, she seems to feel the thrill of life along her keel.
+Model for Written Parsing adapted to all Parts of Speech+. Oh! it has a voice for those who on their sick beds lie and waste away.