+60.  The Future Tense.+—­The future tense is formed by combining shall or will with the root infinitive, without to.

The correct form of the future tense in assertions is here given:—­

    SINGULAR PLURAL

1.  I shall fall          1.  We shall fall
2.  Thou wilt fall        2.  You will fall
3.  He will fall          3.  They will fall

Will, in the first person, denotes not simple futurity, but determination:  [I will (= am determined to) go].

Shall, in the second and third persons, is not simply the sign of the future tense in declarative sentences.  It is used to denote the determination of the speaker with reference to others.

Notice:—­

1.  In clauses introduced by that, expressed or understood, if the noun clause and the principal clause have different subjects, the same auxiliary is used that would be used were the subordinate clause used independently:  [I fear we shall be late.  My friend is determined that her son shall not be left alone].

2.  In all other subordinate clauses, shall, for all persons, denotes simple futurity; will, an expression of willingness or determination:  [He thinks that he shall be there.  He promises that he will be there].

3.  In questions, shall is always used in the first person; in the second and third persons the same auxiliary is used which is expected in the answer.

(NOTE.—­Should and would follow the rules for shall and will.)

+61.  Tenses for the Completed Action.+

1.  To represent an action as completed at the present time, the past participle is used with have (hast, has).  This forms the present perfect tense:  [I have finished].

2.  To represent an action as completed in past time, the past participle is combined with had (hadst).  This forms the past perfect, or pluperfect, tense:  [I had finished].

3.  To represent action that will be completed in future time, shall have or will have is combined with the past participle.  This forms the future perfect tense:  [I shall have finished].

+62.  Sequence of Tenses.+—­It is, in general, true that the tense of a subordinate clause changes when the tense of the main verb changes.  This is known as the Law of the Sequence (or following) of Tenses:  [I know he means well.  I knew he meant well].

The verb in the main clause and the verb in the subordinate clause are not necessarily in the same tense.

[I think he is there.          I thought he was there. 
I think he was there.         I thought he had been there. 
I think he will be there.     I thought he would be there.]

In general, the principle may be laid down that in a complex sentence the tense for both principal and subordinate clauses is that which the sense requires.