The dependent verb, and that on which it depends, are not necessarily of the same voice or of the same tense; but, among the many possible combinations made in this way, the following two Rules should be remembered: (1) A past can only be used as dependent on a past. (2) The future is more often used in this dependent manner than either the past or the present.
An Imperative can be followed by a present or a future of any voice.
The Conditional mood is expressed by the indicative mood preceded by a conditional conjunction (ràha, nòny, &c.).
The Hortative mood is expressed either by an imperative passive with the suffix pronoun, as anàrontsika, 'let him be reproved by us' (i.e. let us reprove him); or by an indicative future preceded by aòka or andèha, as aòka, or andèha, hihìra isìka, 'let us sing.' (N.B.—Of these two, aòka is never followed by any other tense than the future; andèha, usually by the future, but sometimes by the present, as in the phrase andèha màka ràno, 'go (and) fetch (some) water.')
A prohibition is expressed, not by the imperative mood, as in many languages, but by the indicative mood preceded by àza. In this case the verb (in the indicative) may belong to any of the three voices. Ex.: àza mitèny hìanào, 'do not speak. (N.B.—As there is no exact equivalent for the verb "to be" in Malagasy, àza may be used prohibitively with adjectives also; thus, àza tèzitra hìanào, 'do not (be) angry.')
