But, in the great majority of verbs, the word is the sign of a complex idea, and the predication is expressed only by its form.

Thus in "silver shines," the verb "to shine" is the sign for the feeling of brightness, and the mark of predication lies in the form "shine-_s_." Another result is brought about by the forms of verbs.

By slight modifications they are made to indicate that a belief, or predication, is a memory, or is an expectation.

Thus "silver _shone_" expresses a memory; "silver _will_ shine" an expectation.
The form of words which expresses a predication is a proposition.
Hence, every predication is the verbal equivalent of a belief; and, as every belief is either an immediate consciousness, a memory, or an expectation, and as every expectation is traceable to a memory, it follows that, in the long run, all propositions express either immediate states of consciousness, or memories.

The proposition which predicates A of X must mean either, that the fact is testified by my present consciousness, as when I say that two colours, visible at this moment, resemble one another; or that A is indissolubly associated with X in memory; or that A is indissolubly associated with X in expectation.