We have learned in Lesson XL. that the verb has different forms of itself to express a difference between present and past time only, and when we wish to express that an act took place any other time, we use another verb to aid the principal verb.
State which of the italicized verbs in the following sentences is used independently, to express its own meaning, and which is used to aid another verb to express its meaning:—
| 1. | I have a knife. | |
| 2. | I have written the letter. | |
| 3. | He was a good student. | |
| 4. | He was fined for doing wrong. |
A verb that is used to help to conjugate other verbs is called an auxiliary verb; as, We have found your book.
The auxiliary verbs that aid in distinguishing the time of an action are have, shall, will, do and be.
THE FORMS OF THE VERB HAVE.
| PRESENT TENSE. | PAST TENSE. | PERFECT PART. | ||
| have, | had, | had. |
INDICATIVE MODE.
| PRESENT TENSE. | ||||
| Singular. | Plural. | |||
| 1. I have, | 1. We have, | |||
| 2. Thou hast, | 2. You have, | |||
| 3. He has. | 3. They have. | |||