The sundry moods of time-takings are marked by sundry shapes of the time-word, or by bye-words or mark-words—shall, will, can, may, must.
The timings of time-takings are marked by sundry shapes of the time-word, and by bye-words or mark-words to it, as ‘the bird flies’ or does fly, or flew or did fly, or will fly.
Under-Sundrinesses of Time-takings.
Time-takings are of sundry kinds, under sundry names, as to be, to walk, to strike.
Under-time-markings may be by single words, as ‘to write well or ill, slowly or quickly’; or by two or three words, as ‘he runneth very swiftly’; or by clusters of words, as ‘he runs with most amazing speed’; or ‘he works in a very skilful way.’
Fitting of the Time-word to all the cases of Person, Time, and Mood.
In this fitting the time-word is helped by sundry bye-words or under-mark-words.
Can, from the Saxon cun-n-an, to ken, know, to know how. ‘I can write,’ I know how to write.
The heretofore time-shape of Ic can was Ic cuðe, for which we have now I could, with an l which was never in the root of the word, and for which there is not any ground.