I write, or shall write.
I may or can write, or might or could or should write.
If I write, or if I had written.
Things and Time-takings.
Timing of time-takings is the marking of their times, as now, heretofore, or hereafter.
Time.
Now or hereat.
I am, or I love, or am loved.
Heretofore done.
I was, or I loved, or was loved.
Heretofore ongoing.
I was, or I was a-loving or I did love.
Now ended.
I have been, or I have loved, or have been loved.
Heretofore ended.
I had been, or I had loved, or had been loved.
Heretofore ongoing, ended.
I had been a-loving.
Hereafter doing.
I shall be, or I shall love, or shall be loved.
Hereafter ongoing.
I shall be a-loving.
Hereafter ended.
I shall have been, or shall have loved, or shall have been loved.
Hereafter ended, ongoing.
I shall have been a-loving.
Single and stringly time-takings of the same name, as ‘Mary sold me some apples yesterday.’ There was a single selling; but under the wording ‘Mary formerly sold apples in the market,’ it is clear that under the same word sold is meant a string of sellings.
So under the wording ‘Write your name’ is understood a single writing; but under the wording ‘If you would write readily, write every day,’ the same word write implies a string of writings.
Some tongues (as the Greek and Russian) have two shapes of the time-words for these two cases of time-taking; as, Greek—
‘Take thy bill and write fifty’ (γράψον, aorist).—Luke xvi. 6.
‘Jesus, stooping down, wrote on the ground’ (ἔγραφεν, imperfect, ondoing shape, wrote on).