injoro_, dear (_lit._,
esteemed) sir. _Frapote, li sin defendis_, about to be struck, he
defended himself. _Mi auxdis tiun himnon kantatan_, I heard that hymn
sung.

Compound Tenses.

The COMPOUND TENSES are formed by means of the auxiliary verb *esti*, to
be. Thus, by the combination of the participles with the six tenses and
moods, we obtain thirty-six compound tenses, enabling us to express with
the utmost precision any time-relation whatsoever. We have in all:

_li estas_, or _estis_, or _estos_ { _vidanta_ or _vidata_
or _estus_, or _estu_, or _esti_ { _vidinta_ or _vidita_
{ _vidonta_ or _vidota_

The use of the participles is very easy when once one grasps the fact
that the auxiliary _esti_ serves to denote the particular division of
time, or the particular manner, of the occurrence of the action denoted
by the participle. Ex.:

_Li estis skribanta, kiam mi vidis lin_, he was writing when I saw him.
_Li estis fininta, kiam mia amiko alvenis_, he had finished (_lit._,
was having finished) when my friend arrived.
_Mi estis tuj forironta, kiam vi aperis_, I was just about to go out
when you appeared.
_Li estas nunmomente parolanta_, he is speaking at this very moment.
_Li estas mortonta_, he is about to die.
_Li estus jam foririnta_, he would have already departed (_lit._,
would be already gone away).

The word _by_ after a Passive is translated by the preposition *de*.
Thus: The wood was being chopped by the boy, _la ligno estis hakata de
la knabo_. He has been seen by all, _li estas vidita de cxiuj_.

NOTE.--The COMPOUND TENSES should not be used if the SIMPLE TENSES
suffice to show the meaning clearly. Thus, _I have seen him_ is more
neatly expressed by _mi jam vidis lin_ than by _mi estas vidinta lin_.
_Li jam foriris_ might stand for either _he had gone_ or _he has gone_,
according to circumstances, and the context would clearly show which was
meant. _Li parolas_ is generally quite right for _he is speaking_. _Li
estas parolanta_ should be used only when it is particularly intended to
show that he is _actually engaged_ in the act of speaking.

The Adverb.

In Esperanto, ADVERBS are denoted by the ending *-e*, and may be placed
in any position, either before or after the verb. Thus: _bela_,
beautiful--_bele_, beautifully; _vera_, true--_vere_, truly. _Li parolas
sagxe_, he speaks wisely. _Li rapide kuras_, he runs quickly