An English Grammar Part 103

4. You will find no battle which does not exhibit the most cautious circ.u.mspection.--BAYNE.

5. Not only could man not acquire such information, but ought not to labor after it.--GROTE.

6. There is no thoughtful man in America who would not consider a war with England the greatest of calamities.--LOWELL.

7. In the execution of this task, there is no man who would not find it an arduous effort.--HAMILTON.

8. "A weapon," said the King, "well worthy to confer honor, nor has it been laid on an undeserving shoulder."--SCOTT.

CONJUNCTIONS.

[Sidenote: And who, and which.]

454. The sentences given in Secs. 419 and 420 on the connecting of p.r.o.nouns with different expressions may again be referred to here, as the use of the conjunction, as well as of the p.r.o.noun, should be scrutinized.

[Sidenote: _Choice and proper position of correlatives._]

455. The most frequent mistakes in using conjunctions are in handling correlatives, especially _both_ ... _and, neither_ ... _nor, either_ ... _or, not_ _only_ ... _but, not merely_ ... _but_ (_also_).

The following examples ill.u.s.trate the correct use of correlatives as to both choice of words and position:--

_Whether_ at war _or_ at peace, there we were, a standing menace to all earthly paradises of that kind.--LOWELL.

These idols of wood can _neither_ hear _nor_ feel.--PRESCOTT.

_Both_ the common soldiery _and_ their leaders and commanders lowered on each other as if their union had not been more essential than ever, _not only_ to the success of their common cause, _but_ to their own safety.--SCOTT.

[Sidenote: _Things to be watched._]

In these examples it will be noticed that _nor_, not _or_ is the proper correlative of _neither_; and that all correlatives in a sentence ought to have corresponding positions: that is, if the last precedes a verb, the first ought to be placed before a verb; if the second precedes a phrase, the first should also. This is necessary to make the sentence clear and symmetrical.

[Sidenote: _Correction._]

In the sentence, "I am _neither_ in spirits to enjoy it, _or_ to reply to it," both of the above requirements are violated. The word _neither_ in such a case had better be changed to _not_ ...

_either_,--"I am not in spirits _either_ to enjoy it, _or_ to reply to it."

Besides _neither ... or_, even _neither ... nor_ is often changed to _not_--_either ... or_ with advantage, as the negation is sometimes too far from the verb to which it belongs.

A noun may be preceded by one of the correlatives, and an equivalent p.r.o.noun by the other. The sentence, "This loose and inaccurate manner of speaking has misled us _both_ in the theory of taste _and_ of morals," may be changed to "This loose ... misled us _both_ in the theory of taste _and_ in _that_ of morals."

Exercise.

Correct the following sentences:--

1. An ordinary man would neither have incurred the danger of succoring Ess.e.x, nor the disgrace of a.s.sailing him.--MACAULAY.

2. Those ogres will stab about and kill not only strangers, but they will outrage, murder, and chop up their own kin.--THACKERAY.

3. In the course of his reading (which was neither pursued with that seriousness or that devout mind which such a study requires) the youth found himself, etc.--_Id._

4. I could neither bear walking nor riding in a carriage over its pebbled streets.--FRANKLIN.

5. Some exceptions, that can neither be dissembled nor eluded, render this mode of reasoning as indiscreet as it is superfluous.--GIBBON.

6. They will, too, not merely interest children, but grown-up persons.--_Westminster Review._

7. I had even the satisfaction to see her lavish some kind looks upon my unfortunate son, which the other could neither extort by his fortune nor a.s.siduity.--GOLDSMITH.

8. This was done probably to show that he was neither ashamed of his name or family.--ADDISON.

[Sidenote: Try and _for_ try to.]

456. Occasionally there is found the expression _try and_ instead of the better authorized _try to_; as,--

We will try _and_ avoid personalities altogether.--THACKERAY.

Did any of you ever try _and_ read "Blackmore's Poems"?--_Id._

Try _and_ avoid the p.r.o.noun.--BAIN.

We will try _and_ get a clearer notion of them.--RUSKIN.

[Sidenote: But what.]

457. Instead of the subordinate conjunction _that_, _but_, or _but that_, or the negative relative _but_, we sometimes find the bulky and needless _but what_. Now, it is possible to use _but what_ when _what_ is a relative p.r.o.noun, as, "He never had any money _but what_ he absolutely needed;" but in the following sentences _what_ usurps the place of a conjunction.

Exercise.

In the following sentences, subst.i.tute _that_, _but_, or _but that_ for the words _but what_:--

1. The doctor used to say 'twas her young heart, and I don't know _but what_ he was right.--S.O. JEWETT.

2. At the first stroke of the pickax it is ten to one _but what_ you are taken up for a trespa.s.s.--BULWER.

3. There are few persons of distinction _but what_ can hold conversation in both languages.--SWIFT.

4. Who knows _but what_ there might be English among those sun-browned half-naked ma.s.ses of panting wretches?--KINGSLEY.

5. No little wound of the kind ever came to him _but what_ he disclosed it at once.--TROLLOPE.