joking"; Is it in earnest you are, instead of "Are you serious"? &c. 412. And the following:-He was after his dinner when I arrived, instead of "He had dined (or he had finished his dinner) when I arrived"; We were after coming in from play when the gentleman called, instead of "We had just come in from play when the gentleman called;" We were just after leaving when the rain began, instead of "We had just left when the rain began"; &c. 413. Another very common vulgarism consists in using the expression "out of that" instead of the Adverb "away". Thus the expressions :"Take your horse and car out of that"; "Run away out of that"; "Get out of that", may be heard in all parts of Ireland: instead of, "Take your horse and car away", or "out of the way"; "Run away", or "out of the way"; "Get away", or "Get out of the way". [The above vulgarisms are only a few out of a large number that are peculiar to Ireland, and by the aid of which an illiterate Irishman or Irishwoman may be distinguished in any part of the world. They are also a never-failing source of amusement and ridicule to strangers visiting Ireland. It is not too much to say, therefore, that the Teachers of Irish National and other Primary Schools would do a real service to their country by each writing out a catalogue of the vulgarisms prevalent in his locality, and making it his business to discountenance the use of them on the part of his pupils. It is confidently believed that by systematic effort of this kind all such odious vulgarisms would be completely extirpated in the course of a few years.] LESSON XLIV. Practical Rules for the Uses of Shall and Will. 414. According to its primary sense "I shall" meant "I owe", and thence it came to signify "I ought", "I am bound to", "It is my duty to". The use of Shall, therefore, as a Sign of the Future tense, entirely excludes the notion of free will, choice, or purpose being exercised BY the Agent or Subject. 415. According to its primary Sense, "I will" meant "I wish", and thence "I intend", "I purpose", "I am resolved". The use of Will, therefore, as a Sign of the Future tense, entirely excludes the notion of compulsion, constraint, command, or control being exercised OVER the Agent or Subject. 416. The following verses contain the four principal Rules for the uses of Shall and Will. In the First person simply SHALL foretells; In WILL a threat, or else a promise dwells. SHALL, in the Second and the Third, does threat; WILL simply then foretells the future feat. The following remarks will explain clearly how each of these four Rules is to be applied. 417. (a.) "In the First person simply Shall foretells" that is, Shall in the First person merely indicates that an action or event is to take place, without any reference to the exercise of will, choice, or purpose on the part of the speaker. Hence the first Rule may be thus expressed :— "We 418. I must always say "I shall" or shall," when I am speaking of a future action or event, the accomplishment of which does not depend upon my own will, choice, or intention. As, I shall be fourteen years of age my next birth day; I shall be late for school; We shall miss the train; I hope we shall see you soon. 419. [Observe that, although the future action or event be such as I wish to take place, still if it is not to be actually brought about by the exercise of my own will, choice, or resolve, I must say I shall" or "We shall." Now gladness, happiness, pleasure, sorrow, reluctance, disappointment, and other affections of the mind, are not the results of our own will or choice. They are really produced by circumstances which control our will. A person cannot be happy, or grieved, or ashamed, merely by wishing to be so. Therefore we must never say, "I WILL be happy to see you," but always "I SHALL be happy to see you;" and in like "We SHALL be glad to hear from you; ""We SHALL be sorry if you do not succeed," &c. &c.] manner, 420. (b.) "In Will a threat, or else a promise dwells "—that is, Will in the First person expresses a promise, a threat, or a resolution on the part of the speaker. Hence the Second Rule may be thus expressed 421. I must always say "I will" or "We will," when I am speaking of a future action or event, the accomplishment of which depends upon my own will, choice, or intention. As, I will do what you require; I will write to him next week; I will punish you severely; We will dine with you to-morrow; &c. 422. [Observe that you should never say "I will" or "We will", except when you are promising to do a thing, or threatening to do it, or expressing your resolve or intention to do it. If you are promising to visit a friend to-morrow, say "I will call on him to-morrow"; if I say "Will you dine with me this evening"? you "I will," because you are then promising to you to dine with me. But remember you are not to say "I will BE HAPPY to do so", because, although that is equivalent to a promise, still the being happy is not the result of your will. A person cannot be happy by simply willing it, or wishing to be so. You should therefore say "I SHALL be happy to do so". 423. Observe also that "I will" or "We will" does not admit of doubt, or uncertainty, or vagueness. Either I promise, or I do not promise, I intend or I do not intend, I threaten or I do not threaten. In short "I will" and "We will" are precise expressions, and must never be used when there is anything doubtful or indefinite connected with the future action or event. Thus, if you employ perhaps, or possibly, or probably, or if, or if ever, or whenever, or whether, with the future tense, you must not say "I will" or "We will", but "I shall" "We shall". In like manner you should say "I hope we SHALL succeed"; I fear I SHALL fail"; "I think we SHALL get on well"; I dare say we SHALL come into town to-morrow; I fancy we SHALL have a pleasant excursion; &c., &c.] or 424. (c.) "shall, in the Second and the Third, does threat":-that is, in the Second and Third persons, Shall indicates that the future action or event is to be the result of a threat, command, or obligation imposed upon the Agent or Subject. Hence the third Rule may be thus expressed : 425. I must always say, "Thou shalt," "You shall," "He shall, They shall," &c., when speaking of an action or event which is to be accomplished in accordance with the will or purpose of some one else besides the Agent or Subject. As, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; You shall do as I have ordered (i.e. I insist that you shall do as I have ordered); He shall be punished for this (i.e. I will take care that he shall be punished); John shall go to school next month (i.e. I have made up my mind that John shall go to school next month); I will take care that the dog SHALL not bite you; The farmer has taken care that the rain SHALL not spoil his hay; The Board has ordered that the school SHALL be struck off the roll, &c. 426. [Observe, however, that even though there be no threat, command, or obligation expressed or implied, you should still use shall in all indefinite, uncertain, or doubtful expressions, such as the following: If you shall call If he shall call If anyone shall call Whenever you shall call Whoever shall call Whatever shall be the result, &c., &c. 427. You may say, of course, "If you WILL call,” “If he WILL call," &c. when there is nothing indefinite in the expression, that is, when your meaning is," If you consent to call"; "If you take the trouble to call"; "If you be so good as to call," &c. Thus it is proper to say, "If you will call at my office to-morrow, I shall be prepared to settle your account; If he will call at four o'clock, he will find me at home," &c. But you must always say, "If you shall (or should) call; "If he shall (or should) call," &c., when your meaning is, "If you happen to call"; "If he happen to call." Thus you should say, |